His career “started” early, playing bartender in his grandfather’s basement home bar. From there, it was pouring beers and wines with his mother at local fairs in the summertime and working as a busser, dishwasher, host, and server at local diners. Jonah started behind the stick in earnest in the early 2000s while in Graduate School in London, working at local pubs and night clubs.

Upon moving to New York City, he worked his way up to make drinks for the BR Guest Corporation as well as opening their Strip House concepts and managing their high-volume stores. His career continued with the Mercer Street Hospitality Group, where he was the head bartender and then beverage director for Burger and Barrel Wine Pub concept. While there, he became a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. Following this achievement, Jonah became the Beverage Director and Assistant General Manager for BLT/E-Squared Hospitality’s Casa Nonna. At Casa Nonna his all-Italian wine list was awarded a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and he helped design the drinks for the opening of their By Chloe vegan quick-service concepts. Next, it was off to The Modern, with Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality. Most recently, he opened (and subsequently closed 3 years later) the Alinea Group and Mandarin Oriental New York’s collaboration, The Office.

Jonah’s work has been featured in Departures Magazine, on Conde Nast Traveler, Liquor.com, and Uproxx to name a few. As well as being a Certified Sommelier, he also holds an MBA focused on Entrepreneurship and Learning and Development from Northwestern Missouri State, an MA in Classical Acting from the Central School of Speech and Drama, a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from the T Colin Campbell Institute at Cornell University, and is a certified yoga instructor.