Originally from Connecticut, Michael Boughton worked his way up the restaurant chain to land his first bartending job at 21 years old. He quickly learned that bartending was second nature to him and then went on to become a certified sommelier. In 2013, Michael and his wife moved to Boston to see what the city had to offer: most recently, he was the Corporate Beverage Director for Boston Nightlife Ventures before joining the Smoke Shop team.

As our Beverage Director, Michael channels his passion for bar operations into curating our lists of 200+ American whiskeys, our beer lists, and our seasonally-changing cocktail menu. Michael trains and educates all of our bar and front-of-house staff on our beverage program and all things whiskey, and he also helps coordinate partnerships and curriculums for special events like our monthly whiskey classes.

A little more about Michael:

Favorite thing about BBQ: The smell! I never get tired of it.

What he loves most about working for The Smoke Shop: My colleagues; I feel honored to be part of such a hardworking, energetic and positive team that takes guest satisfaction as seriously as I do.

Where you can find him on a day off: Mowing my lawn!

A fun fact about him: My first car was an ’89 Dodge Colt Hatchback with two 12” Kicker speakers in the back. They rattled like hell, but I rocked them anyway.