Bartenders Business

What Bartenders Business does

Bartenders Business is a digital media platform and events business serving the on-premise beverage industry, with editorial content targeted at bartenders, mixologists, bar managers, bar owners, and on-premise wine and spirits buyers. The platform operates bartendersbusiness.com as its flagship digital publication, hosting 342+ articles across categories including Insights (129+), News (221+), Interviews (122+), Suppliers Spotlight (66+), and Operations & Management (23+), supplemented by YouTube video content, a SoundCloud podcast series (Spirits Styles), and a weekly email newsletter. The platform maintains an active social media presence across LinkedIn (14,492+ followers), Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and supports career development through a job posting service.

The company's product portfolio centers on five international spirits competitions and trade events — the Bartender Spirits Awards, London Spirits Competition, Asia Spirits Ratings, Sommeliers Choice Awards, and the International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (IBWSS) — with events scheduled through 2027 across North America, Europe, and Asia. In March 2025, the platform expanded into adjacent service lines with the launch of BTN Media Services (paid digital advertising for beverage industry clients) and BTN Data Services (market intelligence for the beverage sector). The underlying technology stack is a standard content management system powering a digital media publication and a competition entry/judging/tracking platform; no proprietary AI, machine learning, or differentiated software architecture is disclosed.

Bartenders Business is a wholly controlled brand under Beverage Trade Network, operating with approximately 26 employees and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The business was established in its current form in 2022 (previously operating under the name "Sommelier Business"). Revenue is generated through five streams: paid advertising via BTN Media Services, event and conference fees, competition entry fees paid by spirits brands and distillers, newsletter subscriptions, and job posting fees from bar industry employers. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, external shareholders, or financial reporting.

Name

Bartenders Business

Legal name

Bartenders Business

Website

https://bartendersbusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bartenders Business is a digital media platform and events company that provides editorial content, international spirits competitions, advertising, and market intelligence services to bartenders, bar managers, on-premise spirits buyers, and spirits brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Services: The platform offers paid advertising through BTN Media Services, providing beverage industry digital advertising opportunities to reach the professional audience.
2. Event and Conference Services: Revenue generated from event tickets, sponsorship, and participation fees for industry events including IBWSS, Bartender Spirits Awards, London Spirits Competition, Asia Spirits Ratings, and Sommeliers Choice Awards.
3. Competition Entry Fees: Spirits brands and distillers pay entry fees to participate in competitions judged by bartenders and industry professionals.
4. Subscription/Newsletter: Weekly newsletter subscription service providing industry news and updates to registered users.
5. Job Posting Services: Platform allows employers to post job offers for bartender and bar industry positions with exposure to the professional audience.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bartenders Business is a digital media platform serving the bartending and broader bar/hospitality industry with editorial content, a job board connecting bars with bartender candidates, industry event coverage, and bartender-focused educational resources. It is operated by Beverage Trade Network and serves bars, restaurants, beverage brands, and hospitality companies seeking to reach and recruit bartending professionals.

Product overview

Bartenders Business is a media and events platform operated by Beverage Trade Network, offering a portfolio of content products and industry competitions. The core offering includes the Bartenders Business digital publication providing articles, news, interviews, and multimedia content for beverage industry professionals, complemented by several award and event products: the Bartender Spirits Awards (spirits competition), International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (trade expo), Asia Spirits Ratings, London Spirits Competition, and Sommeliers Choice Awards. Additional services include BTN Media Services (advertising), BTN Data Services (market intelligence), newsletter subscription, and job posting. The platform is primarily a content and events business rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bartender Spirits Awards: An international spirits competition judged by bartenders, bar managers, and beverage directors that evaluates spirits based on taste, value, packaging, and mixability.

Products and services

• Bartenders Business Editorial/Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• The platform features coverage of multiple international spirits competitions including Bartender Spirits Awards, London Spirits Competition, Asia Spirits Ratings, and IBWSS
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Beverage Trade NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBartenders Business is operated by Beverage Trade Network, the parent company that manages a portfolio of industry events and media platforms. The relationship provides cross-promotional opportunities with related events including IBWSS, London Spirits Competition, Asia Spirits Ratings, and Sommeliers Choice Awards. The network also includes BTN Media Services for advertising and BTN Data Services for market intelligence.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SevenFifty Daily: Digital trade publication covering the on-premise beverage industry for bartenders, sommeliers, and buyers. Closest direct competitor in content, audience, and advertiser target.
• The Spirits Business: International spirits industry trade publication covering producers, brands, competitions, and on-premise trends — a direct competitor for spirits industry readership and brand-side advertising.
• Imbibe Magazine: Trade media brand covering bartenders, bar programs, and beverage culture with editorial, events, and educational content aimed at the same on-premise professional audience.
• Decanter: Established wine and spirits trade media running competitions and editorial coverage aimed at on-premise buyers and producers, parallel to Bartenders Business's competition + content model.
• Cheers Magazine: On-premise beverage trade publication covering bar operations, beer/wine/spirits, and operator education — comparable trade-media model serving a similar professional audience.
• Beverage Dynamics: B2B beverage trade media for on-premise operators covering bars, restaurants, and beverage programs; competes for the same operator and buyer audience.
• The Somm Journal: Trade publication for sommelier and on-premise wine professionals — relevant peer for editorial/audience overlap, especially given Bartenders Business's origin as Sommelier Business.
• Punch: Digital beverage publication covering bars, bartenders, and the drinks industry with editorial depth aimed at professionals and enthusiasts overlapping with Bartenders Business's audience.

Broad incumbents

• Wine Enthusiast: Larger, broader beverage media brand with competitions, events, and editorial — broader-portfolio incumbent that competes for brand-side sponsorship and on-premise audience attention.
• Beverage Trade Network: Parent company and direct operating peer — operates the broader portfolio of spirits competitions (IBWSS, London Spirits Competition, Asia Spirits Ratings, Sommeliers Choice Awards) and BTN Media/Data Services that Bartenders Business sits within. Same business model, shared audience, and overlapping management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bartendbusiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bartender-Business-191286118447206
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bartender-business
• Instagraminstagram.com/bartendersbusiness

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 Bartenders Business