Mary Allison Wright

The Proper Pour - Denver, CO

Originally from Chattanooga, TN, one recurring theme throughout Mary Allison Wright’s life is her infatuation with eating and drinking. She began her professional life serving various roles in restaurants, followed by a detour through the music industry attributed to her love of music and touring with bands. After several trips to Denver in 2011 and witnessing its burgeoning food and drink scene, she found herself gravitating back to the culinary world and pivoted her lens of hospitality, focusing on wine and front-of-house operations. She is the co-owner and director of hospitality and wine of Denver’s Yacht Club, which was named Best U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2024 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards and Most Sustainable Bar at 2023 North America’s 50 Best Bars, as well as Rougarou, a cocktail & wine-focused Southern restaurant that opened in August 2025. Mary Allison and her husband McLain are two-time James Beard Award nominees for “Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.” She is also the co-owner of Door Prize, a meat & three pop-up concept; and a facilitator at Jelly Bone, a hospitality consulting agency. While each has its own identity, a common influence throughout is her commitment to genuine hospitality, great music, natural wine, and accessibility to a good time. She worships at the altar of Dolly Parton.