25 Bartending Blogs You Should be Reading in 2024

These days, there are so many different bartending blogs & websites that cover the hospitality industry. It’s great for the industry and anyone who wants to be a part of it. But with so much information out there, it can be difficult to sort through the good from the bad.

So I’ve decided to make it easier for you and compile a list my favorite blogs & websites that I think will help you become a better bartender. From the latest in industry news & culture to beautiful cocktails, to the deadly specific details on the different types of liquor, you’ll find the answers to all of your bartending questions (and more) throughout these websites.

Let’s get to it.

1. Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Author of ‘The Bar Book,’ Jeffrey Morgenthaler is one of the most influential bartenders/bar managers/owners in the industry. One could argue that his blog, jeffreymorgenthaler.com, is where it all began. He’s one of the best bartending bloggers based purely on the quality of his content. And if bartenders worldwide were to vote for their favorite blog on this list, I’m pretty sure Jeffrey would come out on top. For those of us looking to learn more about bartending, mixology, and the industry in general, from a man who’s done/seen it all, look no further.

Favorite Post: Bartender Story Problems

2. Punch

Punch is a James Beard Award-winning online magazine that writes about wine, spirits, beer, and cocktails. Stories and journalism are at the core of the PUNCH vision, making them one of the most enjoyable websites to read on this list. Whenever I stumble onto their website, I usually leave an hour later wondering where the time has gone and genuinely amazed at how interesting the drinks world is. In 2021, Punch was acquired by Vox Media, the publisher of food website Eater.

Favorite Post: The Art of the Free Pour

3. Tales of the Cocktail

Tales of the Cocktail isn’t just an amazing blog (seriously, it’s awesome), it’s a community of bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts that was founded way back in 2002. They’re so well-known that they host a number of industry events that have become very popular within the American bartending scene. Throughout their blog, they write about bartending, industry news, culture, and cocktails & products in general.

Favorite Post: The Bartenders Guide to Taking Care of Your Feet, Part One

4. VinePair

The VinePair team is a group of people obsessed with experiences centered around drinking (could this be the best place on earth to work?!). One of their goals is to remove the elitism often associated with the beverage industry (wine in particular) by writing articles on these topics that can be easily understood by anyone. I think they do a pretty good job of it. Their articles are always fun and interesting to read and they cover a lot about bartending too.

Favorite Post: I Went to Bartending School & Here’s What Happened

5. Stir & Strain

Stir & Strain isn’t a bartending blog. It’s a beautiful cocktail blog written by home-enthusiast Elana, and it’s still one of the best cocktail blogs in the industry. To prove it, she’s been a finalist for Saveur’s 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 best cocktail blog award. Needless to say, Elana knows what’s she’s doing and her experimentations with various ingredients are endless! So despite her being a home enthusiast, every bartender passionate about cocktails will learn something at Stir & Strain.

Favorite Post: An Amaro Hot Chocolate for Every Taste

6. Bev Spot

Although the Bev Spot blog does a great job covering industry news in general, they really shine when it comes to writing about effectively managing bars. Out of all the websites on this list, this is the one I’d recommend most to managers. Their articles are inspiring, educational, and most importantly, they provide actionable advice you can implement today.

Favorite Post: 5 Essential Soft Skills for Great Bar Managers

7. r/bartenders

Whilst r/bartenders isn’t a blog (it’s a forum on Reddit), it has some of the most useful and accurate accounts of what working as a bartender is actually like. If you’re a bartender (or you want to be one) and you haven’t already joined this amazing community, you should. Not only will you learn a lot about bartending, but you’ll gain access to an army of bartenders ready to help you and answer all of your questions. 

Favorite Post: The Most Unbiased Account of Bartending School I’ve Ever Read.

8. A Bar Above

Founded by the wonderful couple Chris & Julia Tunstall, A Bar Above is easily one of the best resources out there for bartenders. Whilst their primary focus is on cocktails & mixology for bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts alike, there’s something for everyone here. From learning how to break into the industry to becoming a barback, to eventually managing/running your own bar, A Bar Above has got you covered.

Favorite Post: What is a Barback? The Ultimate Guide to the Bartender’s Sidekick

9. Imbibe Magazine

Imbibe Magazine has been described as the ultimate guide to drinks culture. Since launching back in 2005, they’ve received numerous awards and accolades for their work. You’ll learn a lot about drinks from their magazine, but in my opinion, what really makes these guys stand out are their interviews with the masters’ of their craft (i.e. brewers, bartenders, distillers, authors, sommeliers, etc). Also, their guides to drinking in different destinations are amazing.

Favorite Post: Jim Meehan on Cocktail Trends for the Next Decade

10. Art of Drink

Founded by Darcy O’Neil, Art of Drink covers the world of bartending, cocktails, and the industry in general from a bartender’s perspective. His articles give you a no BS look at our industry in general and not only are they entertaining to read, they’re practical and useful as well.

Favorite Article: My First Shift as a Bartender

11. The Drink Blog

What I love about the Drink Blog’s founders, Morgan and Alice, is how fun they are. They’re serious about cocktails but they don’t take themselves too seriously which makes them very easy and enjoyable to read. Throughout their blog, they’ll guide you through various cocktails they’re experimenting with, change up the recipe, and then explain why they’re changing it. Anyone passionate about cocktails (and even those with a slight interest) will appreciate what these guys do.

Favorite Post: The Grasshopper 

12. liquor.com

When it comes to spirits, cocktails, bartending, and lifestyle, Liquor.com is king. On top of their day-to-day content where they cover everything mentioned above, hundreds of bartenders from all over the world contribute to their archives with recipes and stories. If you’re a bartender or cocktail enthusiast with an interesting story or recipe, you should seriously consider contributing too! Liquor.com was acquired by DotDash, but their content only seems to have gotten better. 

Favorite Post: Bartenders Reveal What it’s like to Take a Break from Bartending

13. Drinkhacker

The essential site for the discriminate drinker, Drinkhacker tastes and rates an enormous amount of spirits, wine, and beer. If you’ve ever been looking for specific tasting notes on a spirit, you should check out Drinkhacker first. On a side note, I’ve got a lot of respect for the founder Christopher Null. He’s made it a strict rule to NOT accept cash payments or other financial considerations in return for coverage. That means that you know you’re getting honest, unbiased reviews when you come to this site.

Favorite Post: The Debate Over Whiskey Age Statements: A Drinkhacker Conversation

14. Difford’s Guide

Difford’s Guide’s aim is to provide discerning drinkers with factual and impartial information on what to drink and where to drink it, along with their opinion on what’s good, bad, or just indifferent. Over the years, they’ve built it into an insane resource I mean encyclopedic insane. The amount of in-depth research and information that goes into their articles is crazy. So if you want to learn about anything related to the beverage industry in-depth, I recommend you start here.

Favorite Post: Tequila

15. Good Drinks

Alcohol-free, also known as zero-proof, drinks are one of the fastest growing areas of the alcohol market. Every day, alcohol-free bars are popping up around the world. Enter, Good Drinks, a newsletter written by Julia Bainbridge, author of a book called Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason, which was named one of the best cocktail books of 2020 by the Los Angeles Times, Wired, and Esquire. Julia’s writing is fun, on trend, and necessary for any bartender to read in the 2020’s.

Favorite Post: Nonalcoholic Beer Is Trending, BUT

16. Wine Folly

You said you were going to talk about bartending blogs, not wine blogs. Well, I’m sorry. I like wine and I think learning about wine is an important part of being a great bartender too. Among all the websites out there teaching wine, Wine Folly is my favorite. All of their articles and infographics are easy to understand and well-presented. Wine Folly is great at writing and they’re even better at designing.

Favorite Post: Common Types of Wine (the top varieties)

17. Beervana Blog

I know, I know I’m supposed to be talking about bartending blogs right? Well, knowing about beer is important too. And where better to learn about beer than from the author of The Beer Bible, Jeff Alworth. From brewing to culture, to the business side of beer, Jeff’s blog covers it all. Like Difford’s Guide, these articles are really in-depth.

Favorite Post: What Makes a Good Pilsner

18. Chilled Magazine

Chilled Magazine has been set up as a chilled part of the web for readers to relax and read about the beverage industry. With a focus on cocktails, bartending, culture, celebrities, and the latest industry news, it achieves exactly that. Their articles are easy and fun to read, and they’re a great place to catch up with some of the more entertaining aspects of our industry. 

Favorite Post: If You Bill it, They Will Come

19. The Alcohol Professor

As the name suggests, The Alcohol Professor is a website dedicated to teaching you about alcohol. They write about spirits, beer, wine, and cocktails, but they’ll also mix it up with articles and videos on books, bartending, bars, and travel. This is another one of those in-depth resources you’ll find hard to get away from. 

Favorite Post: Last Call!

20. Gastronomer Lifestyle

Gastronomer Lifestyle is fast becoming a top place for recommendations of some of the best bars in Asia. The site also provides cocktail recipes, spirit reviews and Christopher Menning, their Managing Director, hosts a drinks podcast named On the Back Bar where he interviews industry leaders and experts across the globe.

Favorite Post: Bartender Podcast: Millie Tang

21. Cocktails With Suderman

Emerging out the Covid crisis, with bars around the country closed and thousands of bartenders being furloughed, Peter Suderman launched his newsletter to help you “make delicious, high-quality cocktails on your own, in the comfort of your own home.” Peter focuses not only on the story of the cocktails, but also the technique, ingredients, recipe variations and theory. As he puts it, “I don’t just want to teach you how to make cocktails, but how to think about them.”

Favorite Post: The Single Most Important Bottle In Your Home Bar

22. Cocktails & Bars

Founded by Corinne Mossatti, Cocktails & Bars is a website dedicated to cocktail culture, bars, and spirits. Similar to other websites on this list, Cocktails & Bars targets the discerning drinker (bartenders included) and features the best bar reviews, industry experts, spirits reviews, and cocktail recipes. I personally love her best bar’ reviews because she features bars from all over the world.

Favorite Post: Martinis & Tinctures: The Barber Shop’s Martini Project

23. The Spirits

The Spirits calls itself “a book club but for cocktails,” which seems to ring true. Started by Richard Godwin, The Spirits, contains interviews, cocktail history, tips, techniques, and of course recipes.

Favorite Post: 10 Rules for Making Cocktails

24. Be a Better Bartender

As the name suggests, Be a Better Bartender is all about teaching you how to become the best bartender possible. Founder Joel Mitchell writes articles on anything that he thinks will help you get better. More specifically, you’ll find articles on bartending training, product knowledge, hangover cures, and interesting facts you might not have heard of.

Favorite Post: 7 Amazing Facts About Alcohol That You Don’t Know

Bonus: Crafty Bartending

I know, a shameless plug here, but we HAD to do it! As I’m sure many of you know, Crafty Bartending’s aim is to become the ULTIMATE resource for new & aspiring bartenders. And we also want to inspire bartenders to make the most of their careers by traveling the world, developing essential skills, and becoming better people in general. Join us as we embark upon this journey and I promise you won’t regret it :-).

Favorite Post: How to Become a Professional Bartender – No Experience Required