Dublin Bar Academy

What Dublin Bar Academy does

Dublin Bar Academy is a privately held Irish hospitality education company founded in 2012 in Dublin. It operates from a purpose-built training facility at 141 North King Street in Smithfield, replicating a real bar and restaurant environment with fully stocked practice bars, demo bars, and POS systems. The business delivers in-person bartending, mixology, and wine training to aspiring bartenders, working hospitality professionals, cocktail enthusiasts, bar owners/managers, and corporate groups, and is led by founder Richard Linden alongside a small team of four additional staff including Head Instructor Gary Kelly.

The company's core product is a portfolio of four courses: a 2-Week Bartender Course (€1,100), a 2-Day Introduction to Cocktails Course (€299), a 2-Day Cocktail Programme (€399), and a 1-Day Wine Course (€220). Supporting offerings include corporate cocktail events (€65 per person), digital gift cards (€50–€3,000), retail products such as The Cocktail Kitchen book (€25) and Home Bartender Kit (€59), and curated accommodation partnerships for international students. Its proprietary curriculum covers advanced mixology techniques (syrups, foams, tinctures, clarification, fat washing, sous-vide), and it distributes a Cocktail GP Calculator as a bar profitability tool.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time course fees, supplemented by corporate events, gift cards, and retail. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via an e-commerce-enabled website with Stripe payments, with an additional channel through an exclusive Restaurant & Hospitality Skillnet partnership offering 50% subsidies to Irish hospitality professionals. GTM partnerships with major spirit brands (Beefeater, Jameson, Plantation) and a coffee partner (Lara Coffee) provide brand-ambassador masterclasses and content. The company has no public funding, operates as a micro-business with six employees, and provides no AI-driven or software-platform features.

Name

Dublin Bar Academy

Legal name

Dublin Bar Academy

Website

https://dublinbaracademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dublin Bar Academy is a privately held Dublin-based hospitality education company founded in 2012. It delivers in-person bartender, mixology, and wine courses from a purpose-built training bar, serving aspiring bartenders, hospitality professionals, bar owners, corporate groups, and cocktail enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bartending & Mixology Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Bar & Beverage (Bartending/Mixology/Coffee/Tea) (EDAOAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beverage & Mixology (Coffee, Tea, Wine, Cocktails) (EDAAAGAH), Bar & Beverage Catering (Mobile Bar, Bartending) (HSACAGAF), Beverage Services (Bar Catering, Mixology, Beverage Programs) (THAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Bartending courses
• Mixology training
• Hospitality education
• Cocktail classes
• Professional bartender school

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: Primary revenue from intensive bartending and mixology courses ranging from 1-day to 2-week programs. Prices range from €220 to €1,100 per student with flexible payment options including deposits.
2. Corporate Events: Bespoke cocktail experiences for corporate groups, team-building events, and private functions. Priced at €65 per person with minimum group requirements.
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations from €50 to €3,000, providing flexible gifting options for recipients.
4. Retail Products: Sale of branded merchandise including The Cocktail Kitchen book (€25) and Home Bartender Kit (€59).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dublin Bar Academy delivers hands-on bartending and mixology training courses from a purpose-built training bar facility in Dublin's Smithfield area. Courses range from a comprehensive 2-Week Bartender Course to focused 1-Day and 2-Day modules covering cocktail foundations, advanced mixology, wine service, and barista techniques. The Academy also runs corporate cocktail events, subsidized hospitality training through Restaurant & Hospitality Skillnet, and sells branded retail merchandise including a cocktail book and home bartender kit.

Product overview

Dublin Bar Academy offers a portfolio of in-person hospitality training courses centered around bartending, mixology, and beverage education. The core offerings include four main courses: the 2-Week Bartender Course (comprehensive entry-level training), the 2-Day Introduction to Cocktails Course (beginner-friendly), the 2-Day Cocktail Programme (advanced mixology), and the 1-Day Wine Course (sommelier-led wine education). Supporting products include corporate cocktail events for team-building, subsidized hospitality staff training through Skillnet partnerships, gift cards (€50-€3000), The Cocktail Kitchen book (€25), The Home Bartender Kit (€59), and student accommodation services. The academy operates from a purpose-built facility in Dublin's Smithfield area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2-Week Bartender Course An intensive two-week bartending course for aspiring bartenders covering mixology, draught beer, barista techniques, and real-world bar operations. Includes job support, a certificate upon completion, and a Classic Cocktail Bible. Priced at €1,100 with deposit option.
• 2-Day Introduction to Cocktails Course A beginner-friendly two-day course exploring cocktail foundations, history, essential tools, and hands-on training. Includes a Classic Cocktail Bible with 80 recipes and a certificate of completion. Priced at €299 per person.
• 2-Day Cocktail Programme An advanced two-day programme for bartenders and bar owners focusing on cocktail menu development, cost control, homemade products, and advanced garnishing techniques. Includes personalized cocktail consultation and the Cocktail GP Calculator tool. Priced at €399 per person.
• 1-Day Wine Course An immersive one-day wine course led by Ireland's top sommelier (Anke Hartmann, Best Sommelier of Ireland 2022) covering wine regions, grape varieties, winemaking, tasting techniques, and food pairings. Includes tastings of premium wines and food pairings. Priced at €220 per person.
• Corporate Cocktail Events Bespoke cocktail-making experiences for corporate groups including team-building activities, cocktail competitions, and Tiki Takeover moments. Priced at €65 per person for 2-2.5 hours with 4 cocktails per person, welcome cocktail, and bar snacks.
• Hospitality Staff Training (Skillnet) Subsidized training courses for Irish hospitality professionals through the Restaurant & Hospitality Skillnet partnership, offering 50% discount on all Academy courses for verified hospitality workers. No membership required beyond employment verification.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards sold in denominations of €50, €100, €250, €500, €1,000, €1,500, and €3,000, redeemable against Academy courses and valid for up to one year from purchase.
• The Cocktail Kitchen Book A cocktail recipe guide featuring homemade cocktail recipes and mixology techniques for home bartenders. Priced at €25.
• The Home Bartender Kit A premium cocktail companion package curated alongside The Cocktail Kitchen book, containing essential bar tools for home bartending. Priced at €59.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates receive job references and employment support to find positions in Ireland's best bars
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Restaurant & Hospitality SkillnetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership offering 50% subsidies on all courses for professionals within the Irish hospitality sector. No membership required—just employment verification. Subsidized courses include 2-Week Bartender Course (€475), 2-Day Introduction (€150), 2-Day Cocktail Programme (€200), and 1-Day Wine Course (€110).
• BeefeaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership providing access to brand ambassador masterclasses for students and brand visibility at the academy.
• JamesonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpirit brand partnership including private distillery tours with whiskey tasting, brand ambassador masterclasses, and industry connections for students.
• PlantationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership providing spirit brand exposure and educational content for mixology students.
• ZingibeerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIrish ginger beer brand partnership featured in courses and brand collaborations.
• Lara CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee partner supplying specialty coffee for barista training modules.
• Hendrick HotelminorOthersDublin city center hotel offering discounted accommodation rates for Dublin Bar Academy students. Features modern luxury, complimentary Wi-Fi, 24-hour reception, and on-site dining.
• easyHotel DublinminorOthersBudget-friendly hotel accommodation partner near Dublin Bar Academy offering clean, comfortable rooms with Wi-Fi access.
• Generator Hostel DublinminorOthersVibrant Smithfield neighborhood hostel partner offering dormitory-style and private rooms for students with communal atmosphere, bar lounge, and social events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• European Bartender School: Global bartending school with multi-city footprint (including where DBA's founder previously taught). Operates similar intensive bartending courses, making it the most direct competitive comparison in terms of curriculum, target student, and delivery model.
• ABC Bartending School: Largest US bartending school chain with multi-location presence, intensive courses, and job placement. Provides a benchmark for what scaled, multi-city bartender education looks like and the operational complexity Dublin Bar Academy would face if it expanded.
• London Academy of Bartending: UK/Ireland regional bartending school offering intensive courses in cocktail making and professional bartending, with similar target segments (career changers, hospitality professionals) and pricing structure to Dublin Bar Academy.
• New York Bartending School: Established US bartending school offering similar intensive multi-day and multi-week courses with job placement support. Comparable in operational model though geographically distinct; useful for benchmarking course pricing and curriculum design.
• Mixology Training UK: UK-based mobile mixology training provider serving both consumer and corporate events with on-location cocktail masterclasses. Closest competitor for DBA's corporate events revenue stream and similar in operating model (small team, premium positioning).

Emerging players

• BarSmarts (Pernod Ricard): Spirits-industry-funded online mixology training program. While online-only and free, it competes for the same beginner-to-intermediate cocktail enthusiast segment and represents a digital alternative that could erode DBA's lower-tier course value proposition.
• Shaker & Bar / Bar Convent: Beverage industry education events and training resources for hospitality professionals. Represents alternative education format (conferences/expos vs. in-person courses) competing for the same hospitality professional development budget.

Broad incumbents

• WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust): Global leader in wine and spirits education with structured certification tiers (Levels 1-4). Dublin Bar Academy's wine course competes for the same student consideration set; WSET represents the formal certification alternative to DBA's 1-Day Wine Course.
• Tales of the Cocktail Foundation: Industry-leading cocktail education organization running annual conferences, seminars, and certified educational programs. Comparable in addressing bartender professional development but at industry-event scale rather than school format.

Regional players

• Imbibe (UK) / Imbibe Live: UK-focused drinks industry education platform with live events, training, and certification. Adjacent competitor in bartender professional development; not directly Irish-market but represents the broader UK/Ireland drinks training ecosystem DBA operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dublin-bar-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Dublin Bar Academy