Our Experience at Bar Convent Brooklyn 2024!
On June 11 and 12, New York hosted the sixth edition of BCB Brooklyn, the U.S. counterpart to one of the world’s biggest spirits events, Bar Convent Berlin. Jigger Daily attended with full accreditation and came back to share its impressions!
The Bar Convent Brooklyn has become a must-attend event for professionals in the spirits and cocktail industry. The 2024 edition took place in sweltering heat on June 11 and 12 at the former Industry City docks in Brooklyn, right on the waterfront of Upper New York Bay. And once again, this leading event (which has also branched out to São Paulo, Singapore, and soon London) brought together brands from around the world, offering an unparalleled spotlight on the latest trends and innovations in the industry.
📷 BCB Brooklyn
With the highest attendance in its history, the event welcomed more than 5,300 industry professionals, an 18% increase from the previous year. It also provided unmatched opportunities for networking and exploring industry innovations. Visitors could explore 230 exhibiting brands from 47 states and 48 countries worldwide, with more than 550,000 drinks served over the two days!
A world away from French regulations under the Evin law, BCB—held both indoors and outdoors—stands out for the abundance of freebies and giveaways of all kinds. Caps, sunglasses, T-shirts, pins, bags, bar tools, samples... they’ll stop at nothing to entice visitors and fill up their suitcases (we speak from experience).
Editor's note: in the same vein, you can also check out our recap of Tales of the Cocktail 2016, which was also brimming with freebies (photo evidence included!)
Frederic Roginska
While the range of brands is quite broad, we are in the USA. Naturally, bourbon and tequila are much more prominent than they are back home. Among the standouts that drew plenty of attention were the White Claw vodka; Brother's Bond whiskey from Vampire Diaries co-stars Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder; Australian distillery Four Pillars and its unique gins; Canadian liqueur Thunder Bitch with chili pepper and cinnamon; Empirical and its surprising Doritos-based spirit (!) or even Jameson whiskey, whose giant cask-themed booth alone was worth the trip.
French brands also stood out at this BCB, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to the event. Aside from a strong presence of Calvados at a booth featuring various Norman brands (Coquerel, Père Magloire, Busnel, Dupont...), the La Martiniquaise group brands also had a strong presence, with Saint James among others. Meanwhile, Suze, Grand Marnier, Dolin, Ortolan and Grand Comte Armagnacs, the flavored gins Bartavelle, and the Fleur Charmante liqueur (designed for the US market) rounded out this oh-so-French lineup.
Alongside all these tastings—no spit buckets in sight (apparently an unknown concept here)—various conferences and roundtables offered in-depth perspectives on a number of bar-industry issues that have become standard (and even expected) at events like this: eco-responsibility, hospitality, inclusivity, alcohol-free options, etc.
📷 Bar Convent Brooklyn
Looking ahead, the Bar Convent Brooklyn team is already planning the 2025 edition, scheduled for June 10 and 11. With promises of new programming, additional exhibitors, and expanded opportunities for industry professionals, next year's event looks set to raise the bar even higher.
