Kyle N. McHugh
"The Boozehound"
Chicago, IL & Beyond
Fractional Senior Operations Executive + Brand Builder for Hire
Current Clients:
USBG National Charity Foundation President & Board Chair
Kyle N. McHugh is a growth-oriented operating executive, nationally recognized spirits educator, and industry leader with more than 25 years of experience building brands, scalable systems, and high-performing teams across beverage, hospitality, and emerging growth sectors. Known throughout the industry as “The Boozehound,” Kyle has built his career at the intersection of education, execution, and strategic leadership—elevating both brands and the professionals behind them.
Kyle began bartending in Washington, DC in 1998 and spent the next decade mastering nearly every role in restaurants and bars across the U.S. In 2007, he founded The Boozehound, a consulting and events company dedicated to beverage education and brand strategy. He went on to open the award-winning retail boutique Drinks Over Dearborn while also serving as an adjunct professor at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and teaching for Southern Glazer’s Academy of Spirits & Fine Service.
From 2011 to 2016, Kyle served as a Diageo Master of Whisky. He later joined the founding executive team at Samson & Surrey, where he led brand advocacy, education strategy, and national activation initiatives that supported double-digit portfolio growth and positioned the company for acquisition by Heaven Hill Brands. There, he built scalable ambassador programs, hybrid education platforms, and KPI-driven reporting infrastructure that aligned brand storytelling with measurable commercial impact.
Today, Kyle serves as Chief Operating Officer of CanaB, Inc., where he oversees day-to-day operations, implements scalable performance frameworks, aligns cross-functional leadership teams, and drives capital-disciplined growth initiatives. He also leads U.S. market launch and training strategy for Curado Tequila, guiding distributor relations, sales force training, and brand development across the USA.
A lifelong champion of hospitality professionals, Kyle has been deeply involved with the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild (USBG), serving as National President and Chairman of the Board and as a long-standing Board Member. He currently serves as President & Chairman of the Board of the USBG National Charity Foundation and was inducted as a Lifetime Member in recognition of his service to the industry.
Kyle’s expertise is supported by extensive global certifications, including Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), General Certificate in Distillation – Cereals (Institute of Brewing & Distilling, London), Advanced Diploma in Single Malt Whisky (Edinburgh Whisky Academy), and numerous advanced credentials in spirits education and production.