The Midnight Muddler: meet the Kent drinks educator rethinking how we enjoy a night out

The Midnight Muddler is the drinks education and events business founded by Maria Easley - a Kent-based drinks consultant, educator, and judge at both the Great Taste Awards and the World Alcohol-Free Awards. Since launching in 2023, Maria has been building something new in the Kent drinks scene: experiences that make room for every kind of drinker, in the same room, at the same time, without anyone feeling left out. This is her story.

Maria's route into the drinks world is not a conventional one. After sixteen years working for P&O Ferries in Dover - including roles in finance and onboard stock-taking - and earlier experience as a bartender and mixologist, she made a decision to follow the part of her working life that had always felt most alive. The Midnight Muddler launched in July 2023, built on a foundation of formal training, industry credentials, and a clear point of view about where drinking culture is heading.

That point of view starts with a simple observation: the old binary of drinking or not drinking no longer reflects how many people actually want to socialise. A growing number of adults are moderating, reducing, or stepping away from alcohol entirely - but they still want to be part of a shared experience. They want something interesting in their glass. They want to feel included rather than catered for as an afterthought.

Maria's response to that shift is to build experiences where full-strength, mid-strength, and alcohol-free serves sit alongside each other naturally - where guests can move between options as the evening unfolds, choosing what suits their mood, their pace, and the moment. She calls it flexible drinking. The industry sometimes calls it zebra striping or coasting. Maria just calls it a better night out.

Her credentials underpin everything she does. WSET Level 2 in Spirits, achieved with Distinction. Specialist training through Club Soda in low and no alcohol and functional and mood-enhancing drinks. A place on the Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship. Judging experience at the Great Taste Awards, The Taste of Kent Awards and the World Alcohol-Free Awards, spanning spirits, wines, beers, and the full low and no category. She has delivered brand advocacy work in collaboration with Club Soda in Majestic stores across the country, and has been featured as a guest expert on the Food Rebels podcast, reaching an audience of over 135,000 listeners.

The Midnight Muddler operates across three main areas: events and masterclasses for private, corporate, and public clients; brand advocacy for drinks producers wanting credible, knowledgeable representation; and one-to-one alcohol-free discovery sessions for individuals looking to explore the category with proper guidance. All of it is rooted in the same belief: that better drinking choices should feel exciting, social, and full of possibility - not like a compromise.

Find out more and enquire about events and experiences at themidnightmuddler.co.uk.