33 Books Co.

What 33 Books Co. does

33 Books Co. is a privately held, bootstrapped publishing operation headquartered in Portland, Oregon, founded by Dave Selden in 2009. The company designs, produces, and sells a catalog of pocket-sized tasting journals, letterpress prints, and tasting accessories aimed at food and beverage enthusiasts who want to record and remember tasting experiences across categories including beer, wine, whiskey, cocktails, cheese, coffee, tea, oysters, chocolate, cider, mezcal, rum, gin, champagne, sake, bourbon, and books. The core product line consists of the "33" series of journals, which feature proprietary flavor wheels for visual tasting-note recording and a distinctive secret-ingredient ink formulation that incorporates real beer, whiskey, or freshly-mixed cocktails into the printing ink of each edition.

Production is anchored in handcrafted letterpress printing using vintage 1909 Chandler & Price and Vandercook equipment with soy-based inks on 100% recycled papers sourced from Pacific Northwest suppliers, and the company has expanded into upcycled-barrel picture frames, Flight Deck tasting card sets, curated tasting bundles, and branded apparel. The business monetizes through a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront, wholesale distribution via the Faire.com marketplace and direct B2B orders with Net 30 terms, custom co-branded corporate gifting programs, and in-person sales at regional gift shows and corporate pop-ups. Distribution spans global retail stores alongside an active direct-to-consumer base, with no institutional investment, no parent company, and operating leadership concentrated in the founder.

Name

33 Books Co.

Legal name

33 Books Co.

Website

https://33books.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

33 Books Co. is a bootstrapped Portland-based publisher, founded by Dave Selden in 2009, that designs and sells handcrafted letterpress tasting journals, prints, and accessories for food and beverage enthusiasts worldwide via DTC, wholesale, and corporate gifting channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Stationery & Letterpress Publishing

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA), Scrapbooking & Paper Crafts Retail (CRALACAD)

Keywords

• Tasting journals
• Letterpress prints
• Tasting accessories
• Craft beverage gifts
• Specialty publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time product sales through Shopify storefront. Products include tasting journals ($6-$20), letterpress prints ($12-$30), flight deck tasting cards ($18), and barrel-framed products ($95-$125). Bulk pricing available for 3-packs, 30-packs, and 100-packs.
2. Wholesale Revenue: B2B wholesale through Faire.com marketplace and direct wholesale orders. Offers bespoke displays, Net 30 terms for domestic re-orders, worldwide shipping, and custom co-branded orders.
3. Custom/Co-branded Orders: Custom book collaborations with like-minded brands. Corporate gifting programs and bespoke product development for brand partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

33 Books Co. designs, prints, and sells pocket-sized "33" branded tasting journals, handcrafted letterpress prints and posters, Flight Deck tasting cards, curated tasting sets, and tasting accessories for food and beverage enthusiasts. All products are produced in Portland, Oregon on vintage letterpress equipment using 100% recycled papers and soy-based inks, and sold direct-to-consumer online as well as wholesale to specialty retailers globally.

Product overview

33 Books Co. is a one-man publishing operation based in Portland, Oregon, founded by Dave Selden in 2009. The company produces tasting journals and tasting tools designed to help people appreciate and record notes on beverages and fine foodstuffs. The core product line consists of pocket-sized tasting journals in the "33" series (33 Bottles of Beer, 33 Glasses of Whiskey, 33 Cocktails, 33 Cups of Coffee, 33 Bottles of Wine, 33 Cigars, 33 Drams of Scotch Whisky, 33 Pieces of Cheese, 33 Leaves of Tea, 33 Oysters on the Half Shell, 33 Pieces of Chocolate, 33 Mugs of Cider, 33 Drops of Hot Sauce, 33 Roasts Coffee Roasting Log, 33 Bottles of Beer Professional Edition, 33 Brews Homebrewing Log, 33 Champagnes, 33 Doughnuts, 33 Scoops of Ice Cream, 33 Jícaras de Mezcal, 33 Bottles of R(h)um, 33 Gins, 33 Cider Pressings, 33 Bottles of Bourbon, 33 Cups of Saké, 33 Caballitos de Tequila, 33 Glasses of Whiskey Double-Barrel Edition, 33 Tins of Fish, 33 Slices of Salumi, 33 Burgers, 33 Mazers of Mead, 33 Bottles of Beer Fresh Hop Edition, 33 Bottles of Olive Oil, 33 Bottles of Japanese Whisky, 33 Wheels of Cheese, 33 Slices of Pizza, 33 Glasses of Amaro, 33 Martinis, 33 Reads Book Journal, 33 Houses, 33 Hot Dogs, and 33 Tacos). Supporting products include letterpress prints and posters (beer glassware, cocktail glasses, wine bottles, oysters, apples, tropical cocktails, cigar taxonomy, gin cocktails, bourbon cocktails, whiskey barrel taxonomy, hops varieties, cheese cutting, espresso drinks, popular peppers, aquavit cocktails, rum cocktails, and grafting guides), Flight Deck tasting card sets for beer, wine, coffee, whiskey, cider, gin, cheese, tea, sake, and rum, curated tasting sets (whiskey, doughnut, ice cream), and branded gear (t-shirts, sweatshirts, drinking wallet, gift cards). All products are designed, tested, and printed in Portland, Oregon, using recycled paper and soy-based inks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 33 Series Tasting Journals Pocket-sized tasting journals in the "33" series (e.g., 33 Bottles of Beer, 33 Glasses of Whiskey, 33 Cocktails, 33 Reads Book Journal) designed for individual enthusiasts to record tasting notes at breweries, distilleries, bars, coffee shops, and home tastings. Features include a flavor wheel system, checkbox formats, and real-spirit ink additives on beverage-themed editions; made with 100% recycled papers and soy-based inks.
• Letterpress Prints and Posters Handcrafted letterpress prints and posters on topics such as essential beer glassware, tequila cocktails, cocktail glassware, wine bottle taxonomy, oysters of North America, apple anatomy, tropical cocktails, and regional tasting maps (US of beer, scotch, coffee, French wine). Sold unframed or in bespoke barrel-upcycled frames; produced on 1909 Chandler & Price and Vandercook letterpress equipment.
• Flight Deck Tasting Cards Sets of 20 tasting cards printed on heavy recycled stock (10.5x4 inches, 60 glass capacity) used to organize guided tasting experiences in Beer, Wine, Coffee, Whisk(e)y, Cider, Gin, Cheese, Tea, Sake, and Rum editions.
• Tasting Sets (gift kits and bundles) Curated gift kits bundling tasting journals with accessories, including the Whisk(e)y Tasting Set (three whiskey-themed journals), Deluxe Doughnut Tasting Set, Deluxe Ice Cream Tasting Set, DIY Advent Calendar kit, and Devil's Share Sneaky Sample Sharing Kit.
• Branded Apparel and Gear 33 Books Co.-branded apparel and accessories including the Powered by Gluten, Flavor Wheel, Make Luck Ringer, United States of Beer, and Cider-Maker's Favorite t-shirts, the 33 Books Co. Worldwide Sweatshirt, and The Original Drinking Wallet.
• 33 Books Co. Gift Card Digital gift cards issued in $10 denominations and redeemable on any 33 Books Co. products via the Shopify storefront at 33books.com.
• Tasting Storage and Accessories (Collector Caddy, DIY Flight Board Clip, Tasting Mugs) Storage and accessory products for tasting enthusiasts, including the Collector Caddy storage/display case ($60.00), DIY Flight Board Clip ($7.50) for attaching Flight Deck cards to boards, and The Original Cider Tasting Mug ($60.00 specialty tasting mug).
• Wholesale and Bespoke Corporate Gifting Program B2B wholesale program and bespoke corporate gifting services, including bulk ordering of the full product catalog via the Faire.com marketplace and direct email/phone orders (Net 30 terms on domestic re-orders), bespoke in-store displays, custom co-branded product collaborations, and corporate pop-up shops at companies such as DNTA, Nike, and Starbucks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products sold in retail stores around the world
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Faire.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing wholesale marketplace partnership. Faire allows retail buyers to shop from maker brands like 33 Books Co. from their own location. Direct referral link available with no commission charge.
• Jeff Alworth (Beervana)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Essential Beer Glassware Letterpress Print. Alworth is a renowned beer writer with four books on beer. His expertise in beer glassware history and beer styles is integrated into the print design.
• Tess Rose LampertminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Essential Tequila Cocktails Print and 33 Tequilas tasting notebook. Lampert introduced founder Dave Selden back to tequila through incredible cocktail recipes.
• Julie Qiu (In A Half Shell)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Oysters of North America Letterpress Print and 33 Oysters tasting notebook. Qiu is an international oyster sommelier and founder of In A Half Shell oyster blog.
• Jason Patrician (The Fish Bindery)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 33 Reads book journal cover design. Patrician is a Portland-based book restorer, binder, and paper marbler who created custom marbled paper covers for the journal.
• Steve Temple PhotographyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLongtime photo collaborator who photographs marbled paper and product images for 33 Books Co. His high-quality photography brings analog art into digital design process.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Field Notes: Maker of iconic pocket-sized notebooks with a similar format and price point to 33 Books Co.'s tasting journals, sold direct-to-consumer and through specialty retail. Comparable in pocket form factor, DTC-first distribution, and design-led hobbyist positioning.
• Rifle Paper Co. Design-led stationery, paper goods, and lifestyle brand selling through DTC and global wholesale. Comparable in artisanal paper-products positioning, gift-shop retail channel, and collaboration-driven product extensions.
• Wine Folly: Wine education and tools brand producing maps, tasting journals, and learning content for wine enthusiasts. Highly comparable in serving the wine-enthusiast niche with educational content, maps, and printed tasting tools.
• Hatch Show Print: Heritage letterpress poster and print shop. Comparable in vintage letterpress production on traditional equipment, handcrafted artisan positioning, and a portfolio of limited-edition printed goods sold through retail and DTC.
• Poketo: Design-led lifestyle brand producing stationery, prints, and gifts sold DTC and in museum/design retail. Comparable in artist-collaboration model, premium gift positioning, and specialty paper goods portfolio.
• Baronfig: Design-led notebook and stationery brand sold DTC and through specialty retail. Comparable in curated, design-forward notebooks for the thinking-and-creating audience and reliance on direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
• Knock Knock: Stationery, journals, and novelty gift brand sold through specialty retail and DTC. Comparable in mass-market hobbyist and gift positioning, with similar category-broad product portfolio including journals and paper-based tools.

Emerging players

• Papier: DTC-first personalized journal and stationery brand. Comparable in custom/personalized journal offering, premium pricing, and Shopify-driven direct-to-consumer commerce model targeting gift purchasers.

Broad incumbents

• Moleskine: Global incumbent in blank notebooks, journals, and writing instruments sold through premium retail, bookstores, and own stores. Comparable in producing pocket journals for hobbyist segments, but operates at vastly greater scale across many product categories beyond food/beverage.
• Leuchtturm1917: Premium notebook and journal brand with deep DTC and retail presence. Comparable in numbering systems, indexed layouts, and quality paper positioning — features that overlap with 33 Books Co.'s flavor-wheel and tasting-note layouts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/33BooksCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/33BooksCo
• Instagraminstagram.com/33BooksCo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 33 Books Co.