Barrel & Flow Fest

Name

Barrel & Flow Fest

Legal name

Drinking Partners, LLC

Website

https://barrelandflow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Festival Events & Live Entertainment

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE), Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups) (THAJAGAL), Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Craft beer festival
• Brewery events
• Music festivals
• Vendor marketplace
• Event ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Multi-tier ticket sales including VIP, Early Admission, and General Admission tickets for the main festival event. Single-day passes are also available for specific events (conference, bottle share, brewer's brunch). Tickets are sold via Ticket Tailor.
2. Vendor Booth Fees: Food vendors, artisans, goods vendors, and community organizations pay fees to participate in the Crafter's Market. Applications are open through a vendor application process.
3. Sponsorship: Corporate and organizational sponsors pay for visibility and association with the festival. Sponsorship opportunities are actively marketed on the website. Listed sponsors include Dollar Bank, PA Lottery, Mike's Beer Bar, Hit the Angles Photography, Weirton Rental Center, Zimmer Kunz, Buy Local, Babesburgh, Slappers N Bangers, Fair Future Initiative, CLS Farms, and Fuhrer Wholesale.
4. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise is sold through a Square-powered storefront (barrelandflow.square.site).
5. Hotel Packages: Hotel and travel packages offered in partnership with Marriott, providing bundled accommodation and event access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Barrel & Flow Fest produces an annual three-day Black arts and craft brew festival in Pittsburgh, PA featuring 30+ Black-owned breweries and distilleries, live music and DJs, visual art, food and artisan vendors in the Crafter's Market, plus ticketed ancillary events (Craft Beer Conference, Bottle Share, After Party, Brewer's Brunch). Revenue is generated through tiered ticket sales, vendor booth fees, corporate sponsorships, branded merchandise, and Marriott hotel packages.

Product overview

Barrel & Flow Fest is a three-day Black arts and craft brew festival held annually in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event comprises multiple integrated offerings: the main festival (Barrel & Flow Festival) featuring Black-owned breweries, live music performances, and visual arts; a Crafters Market with food vendors and artisans; the Flow section showcasing music and artists; the Barrel section featuring breweries and exclusive collaborations; and various ticketed events including VIP packages, hotel accommodations, merchandise, pre-festival events (Welcome to Pittsburgh, Ditch Day, Craft Beer Conference), the Bottle Share, After Party, and Brewer's Brunch. The festival was voted America's favorite brew festival by USA Today readers and is managed by Drinking Partners LLC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Barrel & Flow Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 99% of post-event survey respondents ranked the quality of Barrel & Flow as high or excellent.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dollar BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDollar Bank is a sponsor of Barrel & Flow 2026. As a financial institution sponsor, Dollar Bank supports the festival's mission of celebrating Black culture, brewing, art, and community in Pittsburgh.
• PA LotteryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPA Lottery is a sponsor of Barrel & Flow 2026, supporting the festival's community and arts celebration.
• Mike's Beer BarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMike's Beer Bar is a sponsor of Barrel & Flow 2026, providing brewing and hospitality industry support for the festival.
• StewardsofBeercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStewardsofBeer provides Brew Crew (general festival staffing) services for Barrel & Flow. They manage the hiring and coordination of paid independent contractor staff for the festival, including setup, teardown, vendor load-in/load-out, and on-site support. They manage first shift ($20/hr) and second shift ($25/hr) workers.
• Draught SeasonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDraught Season is the presenting partner for the Official Barrel & Flow After Party on August 8, 2026, hosting a Hip Hop, R&B & Trap experience at The Stacks at 3 Crossings.
• Slappers N BangersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSlappers N Bangers presents '400 Hundred Degreez' during Barrel & Flow Weekend, a 21+ Hip Hop, R&B & Trap experience featuring Arie Cole, DJ QRX, DJ KK, and Digital Dave.
• Farm To TableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFarm To Table is a sponsor of Barrel & Flow 2026 and is the presenting sponsor for the live performers lineup on the main festival day (Saturday, August 8).
• Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR)minorOthersPAAR provides Bystander Intervention training to Brew Crew team members as part of the mandatory walkthrough/training for festival staff, contributing to the festival's commitment to a safe and welcoming environment.
• Pittsburgh Marriott City CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Pittsburgh Marriott City Center (112 Washington Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15219) serves as the venue for the Annual Craft Beer Conference and the Bottle Share event during Barrel & Flow Week. It is also the hotel package partner for festival attendees.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB): Chicago-based annual beer festival focused on barrel-aged craft beers. Direct peer as a specialty beer competition and tasting event serving craft beer enthusiasts with tiered ticketing and brewery showcases.
• NYC Craft Beer Festival: Multi-session craft beer tasting festival in New York. Comparable as a tiered-ticket tasting event featuring breweries and beer-food pairings in a metropolitan setting.
• BeerAdvocate Extreme Beer Fest: Boutique craft beer tasting festival held in Boston and other cities. Direct peer as a curated, multi-day beer tasting event with tiered ticketing and brewer showcases.
• San Francisco Beer Week: Ten-day regional craft beer festival across the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable as a multi-event craft beer festival with ticketed tastings, brewery showcases, and affiliated events.
• Great American Beer Festival: The largest U.S. craft beer festival, run by the Brewers Association in Denver. Direct peer since it is a multi-day ticketed beer festival featuring breweries from across the country, though broader and not Black-focused.
• Dark Lord Day: Annual cult beer festival hosted by 3 Floyds Brewing in Indiana. Comparable as a high-demand single-day craft beer release and tasting event with limited ticketing.
• Burning Can Festival: New Belgium Brewing's craft beer and outdoor lifestyle festival. Direct peer as a multi-day beer festival blending breweries, music, and outdoor recreation.

Broad incumbents

• ESSENCE Festival of Culture: Large-scale annual Black culture festival in New Orleans. Comparable as a major Black-culture celebration with music, food, and community programming, scaled far beyond Barrel & Flow's current footprint.

Emerging players

• Afropunk Festival: Multi-day music and culture festival celebrating Black art, music, and community. Comparable as a Black-culture-centered festival with music, vendors, and community activation, though music-led rather than beer-led.

Regional players

• Atlanta Summer Beer Fest: Regional craft beer festival in Atlanta. Comparable as a multi-day ticketed beer tasting event with brewery showcases, though operating in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/barrelandflow
• Facebookfacebook.com/barrelandflow
• Instagraminstagram.com/barrelandflow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Barrel & Flow Fest