David Cohen
President of the Florida Craft Spirits Association and President and Head Distiller at Manifest Distilling
David is the President and Head Distiller at Manifest Distilling in Jacksonville, Florida, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations at the distillery. Manifest opened in 2015 and its products are currently distributed in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, as well as nationwide through online retailers.
David also serves as President of the Florida Craft Spirits Association, the first industry supported non-profit established to promote the craft spirits industry throughout the state. With a long family history in hospitality, beginning in the early 1940s in the Caribbean, his involvement in the spirits industry wasn’t a stretch. Prior to founding Manifest, David completed an internship with Kentucky Artisan Distillers and earned a certificate from The Siebel Institute of Technology for Craft Distilling and Operation. Before that, David was responsible for opening or operating several companies, ranging from running a production company in Los Angeles to being the Creative Director and Vice President of an editorial and publishing company. David lives in Jacksonville with his wife, Nina, and three children, Abraham, Frankie and Charlie. With any leftover free time, you can find David running or cycling through Jacksonville.