ABOUT US
Meet the crew behind the bottles & learn where we come from, what we love, and where those sordid reputations came from!
John Hsu
Co-CEO
CIO (Chief Imbibing Officer)
Prior to Raising Glasses, JOHN HSU started 4 small business since 1988, 2 of which were actually successful (and 2 of which we do not speak of):
Prior to his serial entrepreneurship, John earned a Bachelors of Science from Boston University’s Six Year Medical Program and a Bachelors of Music from Berklee College of Music, so it’s very accurate to say that he’s “full of BS” and “pushed really hard to pass his BM”.
He also attended Hahnemann Medical School … only to flush it all away and pursue rock & roll stardom at Berklee College of Music where he received a Bachelor of Music degree and approximately ZERO platinum albums. He fended off starvation for 10 years by co-founding Prophet Media Group Inc. (recording studios, CD replication and graphic design) until the Internet turned the entire music industry into a wasteland.
John then traitorously joined the infidels of the internet and co-founded the web and mobile development company SurfMerchants LLC, riding that wave for 21 years … until its ludicrously well timed acquisition ONE week before the Corona-pocalypse changed everything. The proceeds of the company sale and the vast amount of free pandemic time enabled John to turn his long-time whiskey & rum obsession into Raising Glasses LLC.
John finds nirvana in Tobermory scotch, Willliam Larue Weller bourbon, Enmore rum, the music of Prince, and the two dogs who graciously allow him to occupy 10% of THEIR couch.
Lorri Kern
Co-CEO
CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)
LORRI KERN founded the ground breaking KSS International Inc in 1998. As a pioneer in the market research industry known as mystery shopping, Lorri developed the best practices for mystery shop scheduling, dispatching millions of undercover evaluators over the last 20+ years.
Lorri enjoys Rosebank scotch, Parker’s Heritage bourbon, Caroni rum, and pretending she hates peat (while picking Laphroaig and Ledaig as her favorite EVERY WEEK during our weekly blind whiskey tasting Zoom!).
When she’s not traveling the world chasing Brandi Carlile performances, she’s flying “Sato” puppies from Puerto Rico to their new homes in New England.
Priscilla & Isabella
CYO (Chief Yapping Officer)
CCO (Chief Cuddling Officer)
PRISCILLA is a the runt of her Tennessee litter of Shorkies (Shih-Tzu/Yorkie), 5 pounds of pure bossiness and high standards. She enforces security at Raising Glasses by terrifying all of those robbers – she’s never fooled by their deliveryman disguises! Some call her yappy and paranoid but she points to 100% success rate at loss prevention.
ISABELLA is a rescue from Puerto Rico who had three litters before the age of 2. Some consider that inappropriately promiscuous behavior but she just considers that proof of her capacity for highly efficient productivity (a DNA test revealed her heritage to be of Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier, Rat Terrier, Flat Coated Terrier, Poodle, & Pekingese, so she’s just carrying on the family tradition). “Bella” is a vital component of our tasting and blending committees, ensuring that no members suffer from frostbite of the lap.