Dave Arnold
Owner/Partner

dave@bookeranddax.com

Dave is a science and technology legend in the cocktail world who created the avant-garde bar, Booker and Dax, in the East Village, was co-owner of Existing Conditions in Greenwich Village, founded the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD), and authored the JamesBeard and IACP award-winning book, Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail.

Dave’s pioneering work at FCI led to bartender training sessions and technique demonstrations at global industry events, including Tales of the Cocktail and Taste3 at Copia, as well as academic lectures at Harvard University, Williams College and the University of Wisconsin Madison.

He earned a B.A. from Yale in Philosophy and a M.F.A. in Fine Arts from Columbia University. Dave lives on the Lower East Side with his wife, Jen, their two boys, Booker and Dax, and their two dogs, Major and Watson.

Nastassia Lopez
Heir Apparent

nlopez@bookeranddax.com

Nastassia is a partner in Booker and Dax. She co-hosts the weekly podcast "Cooking Issues," with Dave Arnold. She also co-founded Pasta Flyer, the critically-acclaimed, fast pasta concept with Chef Mark Ladner. 

In the winter of 2020 she created the controversial Wine Santa and Wine Zombie and introduced them to bars and restaurants in NY and LA. 

Nastassia currently sits on the Culinary Board of the Museum of Food and Drink, and the Junior Council at the American Museum of Natural History. 

She worked in restaurants to pay her way through Stanford University, where she earned degrees in both Creative Writing and Communications. She also graduated from Stanford Business School’s Ignite Program.