Like last year, it felt like the booze industry was taking a small step back. Some bigwig brands sat out BCB. The convention felt smaller because the second floor of the Industry City space was limited to educational events and not additional brand booths. Unlike last year, I did not get a tattoo<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bar Convent Brooklyn<\/p>\n Kirk Miller<\/p>\n That said, this was certainly the most fun I\u2019ve had at Bar Convent and possibly the most constructive time I experienced while attending the conference. I met bartenders from around the globe and tried dozens of new spirits. Some things don\u2019t change: Tequila is still the big player, and Espresso Martinis in some form were everywhere. But I was surprised that other industry trends (non-alc options and ready-to-drink cocktails) were less present than in previous years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Below, my fellow editor Amanda and I highlight a few of the boozy trends of 2026, as experienced through the lens of BCB. Oh, and while I didn\u2019t get another tattoo, shoutout to Chicken Cock Whiskey for moving their pop-up tattoo studio from the back of a bar in 2025 to the convention itself. Possibly regrettable decisions should have more of a crowd!<\/p>\n Tequila Rimari, straight outta NOM 1414 <\/p>\n Kirk Miller<\/p>\n Everyone Wants Tequila From the Same Distillery\u00a0<\/p>\n There are roughly 200 tequila distilleries in Mexico but literally thousands of brands. So each distillery, which is given a Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) number, produces multiple tequilas. This year, literally half of the agave spirits I tried hailed from NOM 1414, based in Arandas, Jalisco and known as Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados, S.A. de C.V. Agave Matchmaker<\/a> has them as the 11th-highest rated NOM, so you know they\u2019re good (they produce Alma del Jaguar<\/a> and Siempre<\/a>, two favorites of mine). This year, I tasted juice from the distillery via ArteNOM 1414, Viva Mexico, Escalon and Rimari, four of the eight tequilas I tried at BCB. Honestly, they were all really good and, no, they didn\u2019t all taste the same.\u00a0\u2014 KM<\/p>\n A McTanga cocktail from Smokehead<\/p>\n Kirk Miller<\/p>\n I Have a New Favorite Caffeinated Drink, and It\u2019s Not the Espresso Martini<\/p>\n Last year at BCB, my drinks cohort Amanda fell in love with the Bloody Mary made with Smokehead<\/a>, an affordable peaty Scotch brand that doesn\u2019t take itself too seriously (it has a Punisher-like skull on its bottle). This year, it was the same team with a new drink: a McTanga, a riff on a Batanga (or a Smoky Cokey<\/a>, though with the addition of lime juice and a smoked salt rim). Given that half of my home drinks are Batangas \u2014 Coke, tequila, lime juice, a bit of salt \u2014 I fell for this smokier take. Now I wish another industry trend would be Scotch brands being less stuffy, but we\u2019ll have to be satisfied with Smokehead\u2019s noble and cheeky efforts for now. \u2014 KM<\/p>\n Menus from industry favorite pop-ups before BCB began<\/p>\n Kirk Miller<\/p>\n It\u2019s Becoming More About the Pre- and Post-BCB Parties<\/p>\n I called the soft opening of Jaywalker, the new cocktail bar and distillery from New York Distilling Company<\/a> in Bushwick, the unofficial launch party for Bar Convent, and it\u2019s important to note that this event took place five days before the actual convention kicked off. I also had several pre-event weekend invites. Monday saw most of the industry folks camped out at Sip & Guzzle, there were events each night of BCB and even a few stragglers on Thursday since people were in town (and to mourn the passing of Shinji\u2019s<\/a>). Most, if not all, of these events were unofficial, but it\u2019s definitely a case of Bar Convent going from a single-day, single-venue convention to a multi-day, multi-venue bacchanalia that\u2019s beginning to resemble Tales of the Cocktail. \u2014 KM<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Vermouth Is Stepping Into the Spotlight<\/p>\n While not an afterthought in the world\u2019s best bars, when it comes to cocktails, vermouth typically takes a backseat to the spirit it\u2019s modifying. Obviously, quality vermouth is what separates passable Martinis and Manhattans from great ones. But unless you\u2019re at a bar that specifically specializes in vermouth, you\u2019re not often asking for the aromatized wine on its own. But I think that\u2019s about to change. Some of the best things I tasted at BCB were vermouths, which were a welcome respite in a sea of strong cocktails and overproof whiskeys. Cueva Nueva Vermut Rojo<\/a> is crafted from Spanish Garnacha Blanca and Air\u00e9n grapes, aromatized with 88 botanicals and perfect for drinking over ice. Both vermouths from Method Spirits<\/a> sing in cocktails, but their Finger Lakes ingredients shine when sipped neat. As heritage brand Cocchi<\/a> celebrates its 135th anniversary this year, its offerings feel more relevant than ever. If your local cocktail bar doesn\u2019t have a vermouth list, I expect it will soon. \u2014 Amanda Gabriele<\/p>\n Farm-to-Bottle Spirits Are Everywhere<\/p>\n And I can\u2019t get enough! My journey started with Isolation Proof<\/a> Gin, where I tasted their iconic ramp expression, followed by tomato, both of which are beyond excellent. Not only do they source 80% of their ingredients from New York State, but many of them also come from their distillery grounds. Two hundred miles east in Franklin, Massachusetts, GlenPharmer<\/a> is infusing its spirits with farm-fresh ingredients. Their cranberry and blueberry-infused vodkas were particularly delicious. And across the pond, the farmers-turned-distillers at Warner\u2019s<\/a> are making gorgeous gins with everything from raspberry and rhubarb to owner Tina\u2019s personal favorite, elderflower. \u2014 AG<\/p>\n \t\t\tMeet your guide<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tKirk Miller<\/p>\n Kirk Miller is InsideHook\u2019s Senior Lifestyle Editor (and longest-serving resident). He writes a lot about whisk(e)y, cocktails, consumer goods and artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMore from Kirk Miller \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore Like This<\/p>\n![\"Bar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BCB.jpg\")
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