Janel has been a valued BevTest panelist since 2022. She studied culinary arts at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. After completing her Associate's program Janel continued on to receive her Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Management from the Illinois Institute of Art Chicago. While in school, she began working at bars and restaurants across the city and surrounding suburbs where she discovered a love of wine.

As part of her management training at IIAC she cultivated her own career path and went on to earn a Sommelier Certification from the International Sommelier Guild. She also holds wine certifications in Wine and Food Pairing from UC Davis and the Spanish Wine Educator Association with an emphasis on Sherry.

After managing several wine programs in retail stores in Chicago and Skokie Janel started operating Life's a Cabernet in Wicker Park in 2011. In 2014 the opportunity arose to take over as owner and she drank it up. The shop became Liquor Park and Janel is the resident authority on all things wine.