Pat Daniel 
Pat Daniel is the owner of Uptown Wine and Spirits. She is a Certified Public Accountant by training but has been in the beverage alcohol industry since 1986, when she purchased her first store, The Forrest Road Package Store, which she continues to own and operate.
Pat began her quest for a store in Uptown Columbus in 2014. She purchased the location at 1208 Broadway in 2015 and spent 18 months renovating the property. Uptown Wine & Spirits opened in December of 2016.
Pat has a passion for wine and has visited many wine regions around the globe and has personally hand chosen all of the wines in the store’s vast selection. She writes a column, “Crush”, about wine, in Columbus and the Valley magazine.
She is a longtime member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Alcohol Dealers Association, the retail liquor store owners’ association in Georgia. In March of 2018, she was awarded the Brown Foreman Retailer of the Year for Georgia at the Alcohol Beverage Licensees national meeting.
Pat is a member of the North Columbus Rotary Club, the Board of Directors of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Board of Advisors of the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, the Board of Directors of the National Monuments Foundation in Atlanta and is a co-chair of the National Board of Visitors for the Bo Bartlett Center for Fine Art at Columbus State University. She is a longtime member of Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, the Georgia Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.
Pat is a native of Savannah, Georgia, but has resided in Columbus since 1986.
Richard Edwards
Richard is a native of the north Georgia mountains and an 11 year resident of Columbus after living for many years in Florida.
Richard authors a spirits column in The Local, a monthly Columbus arts and entertainment newspaper.
Summer weekend afternoons are spent on Richard’s porch sampling his latest cocktail concoction. Last summer his Facebook friends were treated to pictures of the current offering, and an open invitation to join in the fun !! Items from his container vegetable garden and his herb garden serve as ingredients or garnishes for his cocktails.
Mary Dana Knight
Mary Dana was born a Midwesterner in Sturgis, Michigan to an American mother and a naturalized British father. After high school, she attended Pine Manor Junior College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. From there, she moved to New York to study voice with a famous Italian dramatic Tenor, Bernardo DeMuro, while also attending classes at Julliard and Columbia.
It was during this time that she travelled to Italy to continue her operatic studies, which culminated with Mary Dana portraying the role of “Mimi” in Puccini’s “La Boheme”. She performed this opera six times in Rome and Sicily.
While skiing in New Hampshire the winter before, she met a true southern gentleman by the name of James Bartow Knight III. As their love blossomed, they were engaged on Christmas Day in England and married the following July in Michigan. Putting her singing career on hold, the couple moved to Columbus, GA in August of 1953 and Mary Dana began her new life as a converted southerner.
When dining out, Mary Dana enjoys a Tanqueray or Beefeater extra dry martini with 3 olives. At home, you can find Mary Dana enjoying a nice Balvenie scotch or a glass of wine.
An interesting side note for Mary Dana is that she shares a birthday with Adolf Hitler, and of course, National Pot Day. Make sure you stop by and wish her Happy Birthday every 4/20!
Jesus Rivera
Jesus is a native of Puerto Rico and recently relocated to Columbus, Georgia in 2017. Prior to working at Uptown Wine & Spirits, Jesus was the Supervisor for the Bacardi Corporation Visitor Center located in Puerto Rico for 15 years. Jesus is married to Lucia and they have two chihuahuas named Paolo and Max. In his free time, Jesus is avid movie-goer (his favorite movie series is Star Wars—so, May the Force be with you). He also enjoys video games and cooking—his signature dish is the Puerto Rican classic dish of steak with onions (Bistec).
Because of his background with Bacardi, Jesus is knowledgeable in Rum and Rum-based cocktails. His favorite rum is the Bacardi Ocho Años, served neat.
Hank Standridge
A Columbus native, Hank is an internationally certified Brewmaster. He holds degrees from the oldest brewing school in America, the Siebel Institute in Chicago, as well as the second oldest brewing school in the world, the Doemens Academy in Munich. He has an eclectic palate and a tremendous passion for professional wrestling. With his extensive knowledge of brewing and distillation, he can answer any question from production to pairings. His favorite wine varietal is the Petite Syrah, his favorite Bourbon is Blanton’s, his favorite beer is free and even thought it was often reversed, his favorite finishing move is Ric Flair’s “Figure Four Leg Lock,” because, “In order to be the man, you have to beat the man. Woooooo!”
