In March of 2019, after 18 months of searching for answers to the seemingly mysterious symptoms Karen had been experiencing, she was diagnosed with Chronic Vestibular Migraine. Post diagnosis, she learned about the Johns Hopkins Migraine Diet through Dr. David Buchholz’s book, “Heal Your Headache”, and started to undergo the tedious elimination process to figure out her personal migraine triggers.

In May of 2020, during the Covid pandemic quarantine, Karen launched a blog focused on migraine-friendly cocktails for the at-home bartender, Tartt Drinks. This creative outlet, along with an online audience of fellow migraineurs, provided a space for her to explore the cocktails, flavors and spirits that were missing from the lives of those affected by migraine. In this space, she was able to take requests, as she would from behind a bar, and understand how the at-home bartender thought about and enjoyed cocktails. As it turns out, migraineurs are not that different from the best day, worst day and everyday guests she was accustomed to serving from behind a well in a physical space.

In spring of 2021, after being accepted into the Speed Rack Advisory Squad, Karen launched Clear Spirit & Mind through a series of 3 migraine-friendly cocktail pop-ups under the direction of mentor Dana Cowin. This series of pop-ups allowed Karen to combine creativity and over a decade of experience in cocktail creation to use common food and cocktail techniques as a means to get around the dietary guidelines of the migraine diet in tasty, thoughtful ways.

Her migraine-friendly cocktails have since been featured in the Bombay Sapphire Artist Showcase, Speed Rack Trading Cards, Dizzy Cook’s first book release party, Miles for Migraine Social Events and an upcoming cocktail book. She hopes to one day write her own cocktail book, full of migraine-friendly recipes and anecdotes from folks who have helped her along the way.

Karen received her WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits, passing with distinction, in May 2022 via a scholarship from Women of the Vine & Spirits. She hopes to one day study and sit for her WSET Level 3 exam in Spirits.

Karen was a patient representative for the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine’s GRACE-3 panel that provided recommendations for doctors treating folks going to the ER with dizziness. She is most proud of the 2 major perspectives she contributed- earlier referrals to vestibular rehabilitation and a more comprehensive advisement of any financial aid available to uninsured folks suffering from dizziness. She also co-authored an article, “Nothing About Me Without Me: “GRACE-fully Partnering with Patients to Derive Clinical Practice Guidelines”, about her experience as a patient representative. Karen moved to San Francisco in October of 2021 to be in a clinical trial at UCSF for Emgality, a drug she had been told she was a great candidate for that still currently has no FDA approval in treating vestibular migraine. She was recently honored to be included with the California cohort for Headache on the Hill 2024. She maintains the stance that the current healthcare system we tolerate in the US often fails those who need consistent care the most. She is also actively advocating for better options in affordable healthcare for folks with chronic conditions.

She currently resides in San Francisco, CA, with her cat, Olivia, and works at Wildhawk in the Mission District. She’s currently researching gas chromatography analysis in spirits to more clearly define what makes a spirit migraine-friendly. She’s also studying different ways to create more complete citrus alternatives.

Karen can be reached for consultations and inquiries at clearspiritandmind@gmail.com.