TOP: The most talked about session this year was the Cannabis and CBD Beverages panel moderated by Krystina Skibo( left) and featuring Michael Cooper from NCIA and Kim Stolz from CABA. MIDDLE: Beverage Incubator competition emcee David Gee( left) with contestants Dee Robinson from Good Trouble Bourbon, Faith Anderson and Fiona McEntee from Nouvie NA Wine and Thinh Nguyen from Do Asian Cocktails. BOTTOM: The first-annual Top 100 afterparty took honorees to Towson, Maryland to visit Socialize Liquors and Wine Bar. Thank you to G. Singh for hosting everyone and showing off his store and bar!
day, my wife likes to buy experiences for me and the kids, and you can engage with your customers in that same way.”
INCUBATOR AND LOOKING AHEAD
The 2025 conference included the return of our incubator program, which gave three emerging beverage brands the opportunity to pitch their products to win a package of promotional prizes. The impressive participants this year included Do Asian Cocktails, and the winners, Good Trouble Bourbon and Nouvie De-Alcoholized Wine.
After incubator wrapped up, the conference continued into our annual Top 100 Retailers Banquet. This program recognized the best of the best in the beverage alcohol industry, including our 2025 Retailer of the Year, Garfield’ s of Chicago. We congratulate all the winners!
For the first time ever, BARC 2025 officially organized the afterparty that many retailers had held after our event each year. A bus transported attendees to Socialize in Towson, MD, an innovative business and Top 100 Retailer that’ s part liquor store, part chic club. We thank G Singh once again for hosting this party at his incredible spot.
If you missed this year’ s event, do not worry. BARC will be back in 2026 for our tenth annual year. We will return to where it all began: Minneapolis. We look forward to visiting the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association stores, as well as Top Ten Liquors. See you all in the Land of 10,000 Lakes next year! •
24 Beverage Dynamics • 2025 Top 100 Issue www. beveragedynamics. com