The Bartender Company - Company of the Year
Company: The Bartender Company, San Francisco, CA
Company Description: The Bartender Company is San Francisco's highest quality, luxury mobile bartending service, and a leader in entrepreneurial innovation for the beverage catering industry
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Food & Beverage - Small
Nomination Title: The Bartender Company
The Bartender Company (TBC) was the firstcompany in the United Statesto offer craft cocktails for private parties (in 2010), and continues to focuson being the highest quality beverage catering company in the country.We created California's first mobile food truck for alcoholic beverages (in 2016), leading to the 2020 American Business Award for "Entrepreneur of the Year - Food and Beverage", and have received many awards for the quality of the organization over the past decade.
When COVID-19 destroyed the catering industry (in March 2020), we were the first company in the country to offer "Virtual Happy Hours" via Zoom. Based on the premise that 'social distancing doesn't mean you can't be social', we send each virtual event participant a customized gift box;with bartending tools, farmer’s market ingredients, and everything they need to create luxurious craft cocktails in the safety of their own home. During their virtual event, one of our master mixologists leads everyone through a short mixology experience; complete with an ice-breaker, prepping their new tools, learning their recipe, crafting their cocktails (and non-alcoholic mocktails), and (most importantly) bonding with the members of their virtually-connected group.
As we saw our partner companies permanently closing their doors around us, we decided to share the secrets of our newfound source of revenue with them, in hopes of saving the Bay Area's beverage industry. As San Francisco is considered one of two "cocktail culture centers" in the United States (along with New York City), we felt that upholding the institutions that created that culture was far more important than maximizing our company's revenue. Through our efforts, we were able to teach our process to both SF Mixology (www.yelp.com/biz/sf-mixology-san-francisco-2) and the California Academy of Bartending and Mixology (www.yelp.com/biz/california-academy-of-bartending-and-mixology-san-franc...); which in turn lead to the creation of a new company called SF Cocktail Class (www.sfcocktailclass.com). As a newly created collaboration of four companies, our extended reach has now totaled over twenty other catering companies and bars, all of which are now able to remain in business by offering a variation of a Zoom cocktailclass.
At The Bartender Company, we believe the strongest evidence of our success is the extent to which our ideas have spread... From articles in the Mercury Post (https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/07/22/zoom-cocktails-mixology-tips-meet-tiki-drinks-when-the-party-moves-online/) to offerings via Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/ginapace/2020/03/31/digital-classes-to-become-a-cocktail-beer-and-wine-expert-while-youre-socially-distancing/?sh=1db3326d65ba), we're now seeing brilliant variations of our original idea being offered across the nation. Not only is this allowing the survival of our industry in a time when many of our previous products are not legally permitted (such as indoor dining, and even outdoordining in many California cities), it also allows our patrons to continue to partake in enjoyable social activities in a time when the value of interpersonal interaction is priceless.
Our favorite recent review comes from Penny Tsih of BNY Mellon, who has now hosted five "Virtual Happy Hours" for her clients:
"Virtual Events (are) the future folks. Or at least for the next few months? And no one runs a virtual event like The Bartender Company. Carlos and his team hosted a team building mixology class for us and these guys have perfected the Mixology Class virtual experience. Their cocktail kits have everything and anything one would need to make a cocktail from the comforts of your own home. The white glove service Carlos and his team provides is out of this world. I'm excited and look forward to working with them more in the future! Seriously, no need to look any further, call Carlos at The Bartender Company NOW."