They're calling it MixBurgh.
Elevating Pittsburgh's Cocktail Scene
A collaboration of bars, distilleries, and hospitality leaders positioning Pittsburgh for international recognition in craft cocktails and spirits.
Build the scene together.
An institutional membership for bars, distillers, producers, and hospitality organizations. Partners share a calendar, share audiences, and build talent pipelines through programs that are tight, repeatable, and well-run.
Cooperative Marketing
- Partner directory profile
- Placement in MixBurgh campaign moments—seasonal guides, maps, editorial picks
- Event promotion through MixBurgh channels and Visit Pittsburgh
Collaborative Events
- Guest shift exchanges and bar takeovers
- Producer education nights and tasting programming
- Panels, salons, and pop-ups with clear run-of-show
Workforce Development
- Quarterly skills sessions—technique, service, leadership
- Training pipelines and apprenticeship pathways
- MixBurgh Partner badge as a hiring signal
Pick your level.
- Directory listing and Partner badge
- MixBurgh partner calendar and public event listings
- One co-promoted activation per year
- Two seats per quarterly training session
- Partner toolkits—run-of-show templates, checklists
- Everything in Partner
- Two co-promoted activations per year
- Two content spotlights per year
- Four seats per quarterly training session
- Priority for campaign moments and visiting-guest programming
- Everything in Featured Partner
- Four co-promoted activations per year
- One signature collaboration—series, takeover chain, or workforce initiative
- Eight seats per quarterly training session
- Seat on the Partner Council—quarterly working session
What counts as an activation
- Guest bartender night at a partner venue
- Distiller-led education tasting
- Cross-promotion week with a shared theme
- Hiring and training night with an education partner
- Menu collaboration with disclosed sponsorship
Partner standards
- Responsible service and compliance first
- Clear sponsor labeling when applicable
- No exclusivity requirements
- Respectful, inclusive hospitality is the baseline
Imagine a MixBurgh Conference.
Two days. The world’s top bartenders, distillers, and educators—in Pittsburgh. Expert seminars. Hands-on workshops. An exhibitor showcase. Evening receptions in the city’s most inventive venues. A mini Tales of the Cocktail, right here.
World-Class Speakers
The best bartenders, distillers, and makers in the world—many household names (for bartenders) already expressing interest.
Exhibitor Showcase
Craft distilleries, liquor brands, and barware vendors on a trade-show floor. Sample new spirits, discover tools, connect with suppliers.
Industry Recognition
Competitions and awards hosted in Pittsburgh. Media coverage beyond anything our scene has generated. Spirits companies investing in the market.
“Regular people can make something weird and authentic in Pittsburgh with regular people money. You don’t have to be a millionaire to be creative here. What’s happening is the same spirit as Portland in the 90s and Austin in the 2000s.”— Dale Vaughn, Owner of Space Bar & Founder of MixBurgh
A creative cauldron.
Grit meets craft. Pittsburgh’s cocktail scene is as diverse and inventive as the city that made it.
Space Bar
A molecular mixology lounge aboard a starship. Immersive cocktail theater meets cutting-edge technique.
Hidden Harbor
A nationally acclaimed tiki bar with the largest rum library in America.
Poetry Lounge
A dive bar that publishes poetry anthologies. Anchored by Pittsburgh’s godfather of craft cocktails.
Fig & Ash
Wood-fired cuisine and bespoke cocktails on the North Side. Chef Cory Hughes turned Sunday dinner into destination dining—with a bar program to match.
Liberty Pole Spirits
Artisan spirits rooted in Pennsylvania’s deep distilling heritage—whiskey, gin, and beyond.
Tina’s
A Bloomfield cocktail bar and bottle shop. Fifty-plus classic cocktails, organic wines, and the conviction that great drinks are a celebration, not a status symbol.
Apply to the Partner Network
Tell us what you want to build. We’ll follow up with a short intake call and plug you into the next calendar cycle.
Get access to the scene.
Early access to events, smart recommendations, and small-format experiences from the people who build Pittsburgh’s cocktail culture.
- Dispatch emails with new menus, pop-ups, and recommendations
- Early RSVP window for public MixBurgh events
- Member calendar—tastings, pop-ups, guest shifts, releases
- Voting access on themes and future programming
- Everything in The List
- Monthly Field Guide (PDF)
- First access to limited-seat events
- Member ticket pricing on select experiences
- Everything in Society
- Reserved seat at each quarterly Patron Salon
- One guest pass per year
- Priority help planning celebrations and experiences
- Patron recognition on the site (optional)
Join MixBurgh
Sign up for The List. Upgrade anytime.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The grit and determination that sparked the creative renaissance is the same force behind our world-class cocktail scene. Come see for yourself.
FAQ
What is MixBurgh?
How is MixBurgh different from USBG?
Do partners get guaranteed press coverage or sales?
Can suppliers and venues collaborate through MixBurgh?
Does MixBurgh handle legal compliance?
What if I don’t have capacity for multiple events?
What about the MixBurgh Conference?
Talking Points
Recruiting Partners
- Pittsburgh-focused. Execution-led. Shared calendar, shared audiences, shared lift.
- Cooperative marketing, repeatable activations, and workforce development.
- Templates, run-of-show, and coordinated promotion reduce the operational burden.
- No exclusivity. Clear deliverables by tier.
Recruiting Individuals
- Early access to limited-seat events.
- A Monthly Field Guide that turns into a plan the same week you read it.
- Clean signal: calendar, recommendations, small experiences. No noise.
Terms
- Membership is non-transferable.
- Benefits may evolve. Core benefit changes will be announced in advance.
- Events are subject to capacity, venue rules, and safety policies.
- Alcohol service follows applicable law and venue policy.