MICHAEL MCAVENA

March 5, 2021
by Julia Gordon

Michael is an Ohio-native-turned-Chicagoan. After graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago, his passion for hospitality became profession as he worked his way through the ranks of the industry, landing coveted positions at some of the city’s most-renowned outlets like The Violet Hour and The Publican. Michael’s hard work and innovation earned him the StarChefs Chicago Rising Star Sommelier award in 2010 and he was recognized in 2013 in Zagat’s 30 Under 30 list for Outstanding Industry Excellence. He honed his sales skills as East Coast Sales Manager with Virtue Cider and eventually joined Heisler Hospitality as a corporate beverage director, curating programs at many of Chicago’s dearly beloved haunts. Most recently, after cultivating and combining his extensive knowledge and experience, Michael formed a consulting company through which he provides top-notch beverage programming and manages national sales for his clients.

Tasting Rum is More Than Fun

February 15, 2023
by Andrew Moldenhauer

For many of us Rum is a drink first associated with fun; beach vacations with a Pina Colada or Daiquiri, a Hurricane at Mardi Gras, rum and cokes at a college party, or Mai Tais and Painkillers keepin...

A New Time for Amphora Wines to Shine

February 8, 2023
by Liz Barrett

Amphora wines, which date back thousands of years are being rediscovered and embraced by restaurants, winemakers, and passionate wine drinkers. “Everything old is new again.” says Aldo Zaninotto, ...

The Saga of “Poor Man’s Pappy”

November 23, 2022
by Andrew Moldenhauer

And How We Came to Also Love Other Wheated Bourbons The hype surrounding Weller Bourbon starts with the air of mystique and luxury surrounding Pappy Van Winkle. For those of you haven’t drank much ...

Tastings Journal – 2022 Hofgut Falkenstein Tasting

October 27, 2022
by Andrew Moldenhauer

This is best viewed in fullscreen mode. Click the fullscreen icon below. [flipbook id="3"] ...

Best of the Year 2022

October 17, 2022
by Andrew Moldenhauer

Looking back at the year 2022 so far, and we have quite a list of Best of Year selections covering the world of Spirits, Wine, Beer, Ready-to-Drink, Seltzers, and more. We also had the opportunity to ...

"The consistency and broad consumer reach of BTI ratings and reviews really solidified the quality message of our artisan brand and helped us build a well-distributed and highly regarded specialty portfolio of beers."

Laurent-Xavier Gilbert,

VP Development at La Brasserie Unibroue

"The BTI rankings have an effect on what restaurants put on their wine lists, and ultimately on what you might be drinking."

Joe Gray,

Editor, Chicago Tribune

"BTI is still the outstanding tasting organization, uniquely independent. Keep up the good work!"

Jan Wells,

VP of Marketing, Cannon Wines

"Beverage Testing Institute is a professional operation with a professional approach. I like that they are committed to truly blind tastings and that their reviews are comprehensive and informative. We highlight the reviews in our tasting room and post them on social media; the consumer response is very positive. "

Edwin Richards,

Winemaker/Owner, Adastra

“Our BTI awards have helped us with our US distribution. Sales have increased form 0 cases to 250 cases in just a couple of months. We opened two new accounts in Seattle and New York.”

Eduardo Aguirre Victoria,

Terre de Vignerons

“[BTI's] Tastings.com is well known as a main reference for connoisseurs, experts and followers of spirits.”

Otto Flores,

Ron Barcelo

"We have used Tastings.com (BTI) for the last 5 years and couldn’t be happier. They always have great customer service and support! Not only do they have detailed professional reviews and tasting notes, the addition of the metallic stickers and shelf-talkers help us capture customers, and drive bottle sales. The trophies, medals, and printed awards are displayed as center pieces in our tasting room. Their website is easy to navigate and has great product information."

Mike Huffman,

Whidbey Island Distillery

“Our winery has had BTI rate our wines for a number of years. We use the bottle stickers and shelf talkers for both education and to enhance our marketing. We have had distributors request bottle stickers, and during wine pourings, we use the shelf talkers as a customer take away. We appreciate the information written by BTI since we find it to be concise, descriptive, informational, and a well rounded review of our wines.“

Janet Soderberg,

Alamira Wines, Vistaflores Estate

When we found out that our 20 year Pappy Van Winkle had been entered in BTI's 1997 World Spirits Championships and received their 99-point rating, that’s when we started getting calls from distributors around the country looking for our whiskey.

That was a benchmark moment for our business. Every time we received a high rating from BTI over the years, interest increased for our brand.

We owe a lot to the Beverage Testing Institute for our success.

Julian P. Van Winkle, III,

President, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery

BTI has been our go-to partner for our alcohol awards program for years now, providing quality reviews of our wide selection of wines, beers and hard seltzers. The unique quarterly submission process allows our team to highlight new, trending and seasonal offerings and the staff at BTI is always responsive, collaborative and supportive to help us reach our goals.

Carrie Reitz,

Corporate Buying US, ALDI Inc.

The trust that consumers, major retailers, distributors and suppliers have for BTI makes their reviews and recommendations an invaluable complement and a huge asset to the success of Atlas’ bespoke label brands. I enthusiastically recommend their tools and services to anyone in the control or private label beverage program spaces.

Jim Cosma,

Atlas Imports

Brand Partners

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