What The Spirits Business does

The Spirits Business is an international trade publication serving the global spirits industry, operating under the legal entity Union Press Limited (registered in England and Wales, headquartered at Wigglesworth House, Fourth Floor, 69 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HH). The company describes itself as the world's only international trade magazine and website dedicated solely to the global spirits industry, with a stated circulation of more than 50,000 spirits professionals worldwide, including senior drinks buyers in on-trade (bars, restaurants) and off-trade (retail), brand managers, distillers, importers, distributors, and influential bartenders.

The product surface spans print magazine, the thespiritsbusiness.com website, segmented email newsletters (Latest, Products, Travel retail, People, Marketing, Opinion), the SB Podcast (distributed via Acast), SBTV video content, and the SB Store e-commerce property. The technology stack is a standard digital publishing platform with Google Analytics and Google Doubleclick for audience measurement, email newsletter delivery infrastructure, and an e-commerce front end for SB Store. Editorial leadership includes Editor-in-Chief Melita Kiely, Deputy Editor Nicola Carruthers, Digital Editor Georgie Collins, Bars Editor Lauren Bowes, Senior Staff Writer Rupert Hohwieler, and Content Writer Miona Madsen, supported by an Art Director, sub-editor, and production team.

The business model combines four revenue streams: (1) advertising in the magazine and on the website sold to beverage and spirits brands; (2) recurring print and email subscriptions to industry professionals; (3) entry fees and sponsorship revenue from the Global Spirits Masters blind-tasting competition series (covering Vodka, Luxury, Travel Retail, Amaro, and Autumn Blind Tasting editions) and the SB Awards program; and (4) SB Store merchandise sales. Specific subscription and advertising pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company sits within a diversified publishing group, Union Press Limited, which also publishes The Drinks Business, The Drinks Business Hong Kong, and Wine List Confidential.

Name

The Spirits Business

Legal name

Union Press Limited

Website

https://thespiritsbusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Spirits Business is an international B2B trade publication serving the global spirits industry, reaching 50,000+ professionals via a print magazine, website, newsletters, podcast, video, and the Global Spirits Masters blind-tasting competition series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Sale of advertising space in magazine and on website to beverage and spirits brands
2. Subscriptions: Print magazine subscription and email newsletter delivery to industry professionals
3. Competitions and Events: Global Spirits Masters blind-tasting series, SB Awards, and brand-sponsored cocktail competitions generating entry fees and associated revenue
4. Product Sales: SB Store selling merchandise and related products

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Spirits Business is an international trade magazine, website, and multi-platform media brand dedicated to the global spirits industry, reaching over 50,000 spirits professionals worldwide. Its portfolio includes the print magazine and website, the Global Spirits Masters blind-tasting competition series, the SB Awards program, SB Podcast, SBTV video content, email newsletters, and the SB Store e-commerce shop selling branded merchandise.

Product overview

The Spirits Business operates as a multi-platform media company offering the world's only international trade publication dedicated to the global spirits industry. The core offering consists of the magazine and website (The Spirits Business), complemented by the Global Spirits Masters competition series, The SB Awards program, SB Podcast, SBTV video content, and a newsletter subscription service. The company also maintains an e-commerce store (SB Store) for merchandise. Together, these products serve over 50,000 spirits professionals including senior drinks buyers, bartenders, and industry stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global Spirits Masters: Blind-tasting competition series for spirits brands
• SB Awards
• SB TV (SBTV)
• SB Podcast
• The Brand Champions
• The GSMC Yearbook

Products and services

• The Spirits Business (Magazine & Website) The flagship international trade magazine and website dedicated to the global spirits industry, reaching over 50,000 spirits professionals worldwide with news, features, product launches, market analysis, bartender interviews, and travel retail coverage.
• Global Spirits Masters Internationally recognised blind-tasting competition series including Vodka Masters, Luxury Masters, Travel Retail Masters, Amaro Masters, and the SB Autumn Blind Tasting, open to spirits brands globally.
• The SB Awards Annual awards program recognising excellence in the spirits industry across brand, bar, and distillery categories.
• SB Store Online e-commerce store selling Spirits Business branded merchandise and related products.
• SB Podcast Audio podcast covering spirits industry news, interviews, and discussions, distributed via Acast.
• SBTV Video content platform featuring industry news, interviews, and coverage of spirits events.
• Spirits Business Newsletter Email newsletters delivering the latest spirits industry news with categories including Latest news, Products, Travel retail, People, Marketing, and Opinion.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• California Rum Fest & Congress 2026minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026The Spirits Business is listed as a Key Partner for the California Rum Fest & Congress 2026 event, taking place September 19-20, 2026 at Trader Vic's in Emeryville, CA. TheRumLab is the event organiser.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Drinks Business: Sibling trade publication under the same parent (Union Press Limited), covering wines, spirits, and broader drinks for the global on- and off-trade. Direct comparable in audience, format, and revenue model (advertising + events), and the most natural peer given shared ownership and overlapping coverage.
• Just-Drinks: Global B2B trade publication covering the soft and alcoholic drinks industries, owned by William Reed. Closely comparable online-first trade media model, audience of drinks industry professionals, and similar advertising/newsletter/data revenue mix.
• Decanter: Long-established international wine media brand with adjacent spirits coverage, events, and awards. Comparable as a drinks-trade magazine/website monetized through subscriptions, advertising, events, and competitions.
• Whisky Magazine: Dedicated international whisky trade and enthusiast publication with print, digital, and events (including World Whiskies Awards). Most directly comparable as a category-specific spirits trade title competing for the same professional audience.
• Beverage Daily: B2B digital trade publication covering the global beverage industry including spirits. Comparable as an advertising- and events-driven drinks trade media outlet targeting brand owners, buyers, and suppliers.
• Drinks International: Global B2B magazine for the spirits, wine, and bar trade, with rankings (Brand Champions), awards, and events. Highly comparable in audience, editorial depth, and recurring supplements/rankings business model.

Broad incumbents

• Wine Spectator: One of the largest wine-focused trade and consumer media brands globally, with significant spirits coverage and ratings. Comparable as a premium subscription + advertising + events drinks-media business, though broader in scope and primarily wine-led.
• Wine Enthusiast: Major drinks media brand spanning editorial, ratings, events, and e-commerce. Comparable multi-platform B2B/B2C drinks media model with strong events and merchandising revenue, broader than The Spirits Business but overlapping in audience and advertisers.

Emerging players

• The Spirits Report: Specialist online trade publication covering the spirits industry. Comparable in category focus and B2B trade audience, but smaller and digital-only, positioning it as a more focused emerging competitor.
• Alcohol Professor: Digital-first drinks editorial platform covering spirits, wine, and beer with industry professional contributions. Comparable as a niche spirits/drinks editorial outlet monetized through sponsored content and partnerships, though smaller and digital-only.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spiritsbusiness
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheSpiritsBusiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpiritsBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spirits-business
• Instagraminstagram.com/spiritsbusiness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Spirits Business