Beverage Testing Institute
Beverage Testing Institute operates the first international wine, beer, and spirits competitions in the United States, founded in 1981 in Chicago. It serves beverage producers with ASTM-vetted blind tasting reviews published on Tastings.com, cross-posted on wine-searcher.com, and supported by go-to-market consulting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Beverage Testing Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Beverage Testing Institute
- Legal name
- Beverage Testing Institute
- Website
- https://bevtest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Beverage Testing Institute operates the first international wine, beer, and spirits competitions in the United States, founded in 1981 in Chicago. It serves beverage producers with ASTM-vetted blind tasting reviews published on Tastings.com, cross-posted on wine-searcher.com, and supported by go-to-market consulting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Beverage Testing Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Beverage Testing Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Competition Entry Fees: Beverage brands pay entry fees to participate in BTI's various competitions including World Wine Championships, World Beer Championships, and World Spirits Championships. Two entry options: Competition Only (basic participation) and Full Published Review (two-year publication on Tastings.com with additional marketing deliverables).
- Review Publication Services: Fees for full published reviews on Tastings.com including score, medal, tasting notes, pairing suggestions, and category information, with results cross-posted on wine-searcher.com.
- Marketing Materials Sales: Sale of promotional materials including metallic stickers, shelf-talkers, trophies, medals, and printed awards that winners use for marketing purposes.
- Confidential Trade Feedback: Private consulting reviews released to clients with option to publish and license results, providing publication-optional confidential ratings and trade feedback.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Competition Only Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Full Published Review |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Luxury Spirits Review |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Beverage Testing Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Beverage Testing Institute conducts blind tasting competitions for wine, beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages, then publishes ratings and reviews on Tastings.com for consumer reference. Producers receive three service tiers — Competition Only, Full Published Review, and Luxury Spirits Review — along with à la carte marketing collateral including medallions, shelf-talkers, shelf-tags, labels, and case cards, plus confidential trade feedback for product development.
Product overview
Beverage Testing Institute operates a portfolio of beverage review and competition services built around its three flagship championships: the World Wine Championships, World Beer Championships, and World Spirits Championships. These are complemented by its consumer-facing publication Tastings.com, which hosts over 100,000 reviews with 'Buy-It-Now' e-commerce functionality. The company also offers Go to Market consulting services, Event Management, and an annual Packaging Competition. Products are organized into review calendars spanning beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic categories including specialized reviews like Hemp Beverage Championships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- World Beer Championships: The first international beer competition in the US, created by BTI
- World Wine Championships
- World Spirits Championships
- The Drop
Products and services
- Beverage Competition Programs (Wine, Beer, Spirits, Non-Alcoholic)
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ reviews completed since 1981
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Beverage Testing Institute
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Beverage Testing Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Beverage Testing Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- New York Wine & Grape FoundationcoreBTI has maintained a multi-year partnership with the New York Wine Classic competition, providing consistent and transparent tasting processes, Cornell-developed methodology, and expert sensory panels to evaluate New York State wines.
- Michigan Wine CollaborativecoreBTI partners with the Michigan Wine Collaborative for the annual Governor's Cup competition, providing promotional and marketing tools, competition organization, and industry support for Michigan wineries.
- Garden State Wine Growers AssociationminorBTI partnership with the Garden State Wine Growers Association for the New Jersey Governor's Cup competition, elevating the state's wine competition to a higher level.
- Cornell UniversitycoreBTI co-developed its sensory panel methodology with Cornell University, creating the ASTM-International-vetted tasting procedures that ensure consistent and transparent product evaluations.
- ASTM InternationalcoreBTI's tasting methodology has been vetted by ASTM International, providing independent third-party validation of the organization's evaluation standards and procedures.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Beverage Testing Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Beverage Testing Institute social profiles
Digital presenceBeverage Testing Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Beverage Testing Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Beverage Testing Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Beverage Testing Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Beverage Testing Institute
What does Beverage Testing Institute do?
Beverage Testing Institute conducts blind tasting competitions for wine, beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages, then publishes ratings and reviews on Tastings.com for consumer reference. Producers receive three service tiers — Competition Only, Full Published Review, and Luxury Spirits Review — along with à la carte marketing collateral including medallions, shelf-talkers, shelf-tags, labels, and case cards, plus confidential trade feedback for product development.
Is Beverage Testing Institute a public or private company?
Beverage Testing Institute is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Beverage Testing Institute founded?
Beverage Testing Institute was founded in 1981. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Beverage Testing Institute based?
Beverage Testing Institute is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Beverage Testing Institute make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Competition Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are review Publication Services, marketing Materials Sales and confidential Trade Feedback.
Does Beverage Testing Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Beverage Testing Institute.