David Kaplan
Co-Founder, Death & Co · CEO, Gin & Luck
Seattle
Death & Co, and the book that reshaped the craft.
MixBurgh 2026: Shaking things up in Pittsburgh
Cocktail Weekend · Conference · Gathering
November 8 to 10, 2026
Downtown Pittsburgh
A cocktail weekend, a conference, and an industry gathering for Pittsburgh and every bar within a day's drive of the Paris of Appalachia. The birthplace of the speakeasy, home of the original whiskey rebels, and the place the craft comes back together.
For bartenders, bar owners, distillers, and the teams who run the room. Pittsburgh Cocktail Weekend opens the week citywide, November 6 to 7.
The Event
Five days, two halves.
Two days for public enthusiasm. Three days for the trade, at the center of a scene on the rise.
6-7
Nov · Fri & Sat
Pittsburgh Cocktail Weekend
Specialty cocktails, guest shifts staffed by Pittsburgh's own, and late-night events across the city.
8-10
Nov · Sun-Tue
The MixBurgh Conference
Education-forward seminars, tastings, and panels led by the biggest names in the craft, with a closing event at Heinz Hall.
About MixBurgh
Who we are.
MixBurgh is a nonprofit collective. We work to raise the floor for workers and small businesses while raising the ceiling of education and recognition across the industry, in Pittsburgh and throughout the region. We are supported by Visit Pittsburgh, the City of Pittsburgh, and the collaborative effort of more than 30 bars.
Why MixBurgh
Meet the best in the craft.
MixBurgh is a straightforward invitation. Meet, learn from, and share a drink with some of the most accomplished people in cocktails, in a city quickly earning its place on the world's cocktail map. Education first, peers in the room, and talent that travels here from around the world.
i.
Learn from the best
Seminars and panels with leading bartenders, distillers, and writers from around the world. Technique, menu, service, and the business of a bar program that lasts.
ii.
Taste widely
A dedicated tasting room with visiting distillers and blind flights. Spirits you cannot get poured for you at home, side by side, with the people who make them.
iii.
Build your bench
Bring three or four from your bar and develop the whole team at once. Trade shifts and ideas with peers from across the country. Go home sharper.
The Faculty
The world's best, in your backyard.
The biggest names and thought leaders in the craft come to Pittsburgh for three days, on stage and behind the bar. A world-class cocktail conference, a short drive from home.
Tato Giovannoni
Owner, Florería Atlántico
Buenos Aires · Washington DC
South America's most celebrated bar, now pouring in Georgetown as well. World's Best Bartender, 2020.
Lance Winters
Master Distiller, St. George Spirits
Alameda, California
The distiller behind St. George's cult bottles.
Camper English
Writer & Educator, Alcademics
San Francisco
The writer who gave the world clear ice.
Robert Simonson
Cocktail Writer, The New York Times
Milwaukee
Author of A Proper Drink, and a leading historian of the craft.
Mary Kate Murray
Managing Editor & Photographer, The Mix
Milwaukee
The editor and photographer behind The Mix.
Everyone on the program
Adam Henry
Co-Owner and Cocktail Director, Hidden Harbor
Pittsburgh
Allison Harnden
Nighttime Economy Manager, City of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
Andrew Volk
Co-Owner, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club
Portland, ME
Angela Santucci
Content creator, Sip With Angela
Pittsburgh
Ann Walczak
Senior Editor, Edible Nashville
Nashville
Arum Krause
Chief Mixologist, Space Bar
Pittsburgh
Brian Maxwell
Beverage Director, Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group
Pittsburgh
Camper English
Writer and educator, Alcademics
San Francisco
Christian Kahle
Co-Owner, Lucky Sign Spirits
Millvale and Gibsonia, PA
Dale Vaughn
Founder, MixBurgh Foundation
Pittsburgh
Daniel Conlon
Co-Chair, Hospitality Group, Tucker Arensberg
Pittsburgh
David Kaplan
CEO, Gin & Luck; Founder, Death & Co
New York
Elaine Zedack
Culinary Tourism Lead, VisitPITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh
Elizabeth Menzel
Co-Owner, Space Bar
Pittsburgh
Eva Kobylar
Bartender, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club
Portland, ME
Garret Richard
Chief Cocktail Officer, Sunken Harbor Club
Brooklyn
Jeremy and Angie Jones
Founders, Discover the Burgh
Pittsburgh
Jim Hough
Co-Founder, Liberty Pole Spirits
Washington, PA
Lance Winters
Master Distiller, St. George Spirits
Alameda, CA
Mary Kate Murray
Managing Editor, The Mix
Milwaukee
Massimo Zitti
Founder, Mother
Toronto
Matt Strickland
Master Distiller, Iron City Distilling
Creighton, PA
Mel Babitz
Founder, The Open Road
Pittsburgh
Meredith Boyle
Co-Owner, Balvanera
Pittsburgh
Noah Livingston
Bar Lead, Fig & Ash
Pittsburgh
Phil Ward
Bartender, The Long Island Bar
Brooklyn
Raheem Manning
Director, Nighttime Economy, City of Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Rob Hough
Co-Founder, Liberty Pole Spirits
Washington, PA
Robert Simonson
Cocktail writer, The New York Times
New York
Spencer Warren
Owner, The Warren Bar & Burrow
Pittsburgh
St. John Frizell
Partner, Gage & Tollner and Sunken Harbor Club
Brooklyn
Stefan Was
Founder, Porco Lounge & Tiki Room
Cleveland
Tato Giovannoni
Owner and head bartender, Florería Atlántico
Buenos Aires
Will Groves
Co-Owner, Second Story Spirits
Pittsburgh
The roster keeps growing. More names through the fall.
The Exchange
Guest shifts from the world's best bars.
For one night, a visiting team takes a well at a Pittsburgh bar. Six rooms are booked to travel in.
Floreria Atlantico
Buenos Aires
No. 3 on The World's 50 Best Bars, and Best Bar in South America eight times over. Owner Tato Giovannoni took the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award, the one his peers vote on.
Long Island Bar
Brooklyn
Pittsburgh-born Phil Ward pours. He came up through Pegu Club and Death & Co, created the Oaxaca Old-Fashioned, and opened Mayahuel, winner of the Spirited Award for World's Best New Cocktail Bar.
Sunken Harbor Club
Brooklyn
Garret Richard runs the bar, VinePair's Next Wave Bartender of the Year and co-author of Tropical Standard. Time Out ranks the room No. 3 among the best bars in New York.
Mother
Toronto
No. 22 on North America's 50 Best Bars, built on house ferments from its own cellar. Massimo Zitti, World Class Canada Bartender of the Year, leads it.
Porco Lounge and Tiki Room
Cleveland
A seven-time Spirited Awards Regional Top 10 honoree, and the first tiki bar Cleveland had seen since the Kon-Tiki closed in 1976.
The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club
Portland, Maine
A two-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program. Owner Andrew Volk co-wrote the book on it, Northern Hospitality.
Stay tuned as we announce more.
The Program
Four tracks, one industry.
Programming runs across four parallel tracks, so your team can split up, cover more ground, and compare notes over a drink. Open any day for the sessions as they stand.
Behind the Bar
Technique, hospitality, and the craft of the shift.
Business of Bars
Ownership, economics, and models that keep neighborhoods served.
Culture & the Future
Where the craft is heading and who it serves.
Distillers & Spirits
Production and provenance, led from the still.
Sun · Nov 8Opening night
6:00 to 9:00
Opening night, presented by BessemerDowntown · venue to be announced
After 9:00
Guest shifts around townVisiting bartenders behind Pittsburgh wells
Mon · Nov 9Full conference day
10:00 to 10:30
Wellness warmupsPeirce Studio
10:30 to 11:45
Behind the BarStorytelling through drinks, with Tato Giovannoni
Business of BarsSo you want to start a bar or restaurant? Launching your dream business
Culture & the FutureThe evolution of whiskey
12:00 to 1:00
Lunch on your own, downtown
1:00 to 2:15
Behind the BarFermentation in cocktails, with Massimo Zitti
Business of BarsLeveraging your local destination management, with VisitPITTSBURGH
Culture & the FutureFireside: Mary Kate Murray and Camper English
Distillers & SpiritsReady to drink
2:30 to 3:45
Behind the BarTiki, with Garret Richard
Business of BarsHow to make it in cool second and third tier cities
Culture & the FutureVibe design: interiors, furniture, music, lighting, glassware and service
Distillers & SpiritsNon-alcoholic spirits
4:00 to 5:15
Behind the BarMolecular foundations, with Arum Krause
Business of BarsSo you want to start another bar? When to expand, sell, or partner
Culture & the FutureUnconventional distilling, with Lance Winters
5:00 onward
Happy hours at participating bars across the city
8:00 onward
MixBurgh Night Out in the Strip DistrictGuest shifts and late-night stops
Tue · Nov 10Full conference day
10:00 to 10:30
Wellness warmupsPeirce Studio
10:30 to 11:45
Behind the BarBehind the bar with Camper English
Business of BarsMarketing: curating trust
Culture & the FutureTiki Modern, hosted by Brian Maxwell
12:00 to 1:00
Lunch on your own, downtown
1:00 to 2:15
Behind the BarThe future of cocktails
Business of BarsEvolving your bar after the initial shiny object phase
Culture & the FutureFinding money: grants, community investment, loans and creative capital
Distillers & SpiritsThe future of distilling: a distillers roundtable
2:30 to 3:45
Behind the BarNon-alcoholic cocktails, with Brian Maxwell
Business of BarsEngaging the civic layer: grants, marketing and partnership
Culture & the FutureBars and the written word
Distillers & SpiritsFlavor versus taste: the chemistry of yummy and gross
4:00 to 5:15
Culture & the FutureClosing keynotePeirce Studio
6:00 to 8:00
Taste of MixBurghHeinz Hall, 600 Penn Avenue
After 9:00
Guest shifts around town
Sessions run 75 minutes with 15 minutes between to move rooms. The program is a working draft and sessions may shift before November.
The Footprint
Six minutes, end to end.
Five venues downtown in the Cultural District, three tenths of a mile from the first door to the last. Every track, the hotel, and the closing all sit inside one walk.
Heinz Hall closes the week, two blocks from the last room.
Tickets
Pick your pass.
One ticket covers both days of programming and the Taste of MixBurgh at Heinz Hall. Bring your team and the math gets a lot better.
Most popular
Conference Pass
$149
Both full days, and the closing night.
- Both days of programming
- Every track: seminars, panels, tastings
- Access to the distiller tasting room
- Taste of MixBurgh at Heinz Hall
Limited
VIP Pass
$275
The full run, front row.
- Everything in the Conference Pass
- Opening night reception
- Reserved seating at marquee sessions
- Limited-seat masterclasses
- Priority entry to limited-seat tastings
- VIP lounge and concierge
For Bar Programs
Bring your bar. The fourth seat is on us.
Buy four Conference Passes and pay for three. Develop the whole team at once, and let the people who pour every night learn together.
4 passes for $447You save $149. The discount applies automatically at checkout.
Get the Bar Team Pass
Every conference ticket includes the Taste of MixBurgh at Heinz Hall on Tuesday night. Attendees must be 21 or older for any session with alcohol service. Responsible service in compliance with Pennsylvania law.
Sponsorship
Put your name on the week.
MixBurgh is still taking on partners for 2026. There is real estate left at every level, from a single guest shift to naming rights on opening and closing night.
200+
Industry professionals in the room: bartenders, owners, distillers, writers
$149K
In earned media value, nine national placements in ten weeks, every one naming Pittsburgh
Backed by
Visit Pittsburgh, the City of Pittsburgh's Office of Nighttime Economy, and the PA Restaurant & Lodging Association
Up to 10 · own one moment
Activation Partner
$1,000 to $2,500
- Fund a guest shift or a single session
- Your name on the activation you choose
- One complimentary conference pass
- Logo and directory listing on the site
Own a category
Category Partner
$5,000 to $10,000
- Official partner of your category: water, mixers, ice, glassware, beer, media, workforce
- Shout-out at welcome remarks
- Two complimentary conference passes
- Tasting room access and registration bag inclusion
Four slots · own a track
Track Partner
$15,000 to $25,000
- Your name on a track for all three days
- Introduced at every session in your track
- Four complimentary conference passes
- Reserved tasting room and guest-shift night access
One slot · exclusive
Opening & Closing Night Partner
$35,000 to $50,000
- Naming rights to the welcome party and Heinz Hall
- Open the welcome party and introduce the Heinz Hall keynote
- Six complimentary conference passes
- Logo on all print and digital advertising, and on the registration bag
Pick a single moment
Each option sits inside the Activation Partner level. Take one, or combine a few.
Guest Shift Sponsor$1,000
Fund and be named as the sponsor of one visiting bartender's guest shift and travel.
Style Hour Sponsor$1,000
Signage and a verbal credit at one of the four style hours: speakeasy, tiki, aperitivo, or fermentation.
Happy Hour Sponsor$1,500
Signage at the 5:00 happy hours across participating bars, both conference days.
Coffee Break Sponsor$1,500
Signage at the afternoon coffee break, both conference days.
Strip District Zone Night Sponsor$2,000
Logo on the trolley loop map and signage at the Monday night guest-shift stops.
Conference Lanyard Sponsor$2,000
Your logo printed on every attendee lanyard.
Tasting Room Sponsor$2,500
Branded signage throughout the dedicated distiller tasting room, all three days.
Ticket BlockFace value
Buy a block of ten or more Conference or VIP passes and hand them to your own people.
Pay It ForwardFace value
Cover the next passes bought by the public. Buyers see that the pass was sponsored by you.
Want something that is not listed?
We build one-off packages around what a partner actually wants. The MixBurgh Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3), so sponsorship may qualify for a community-giving budget as well as a marketing budget. We invoice on commitment, with net-30 terms and installments available.
Talk to us about sponsoring
In the Press
The industry is watching Pittsburgh.
VinePair covered Pittsburgh's push to put itself on the cocktail map. The work behind MixBurgh and Space Bar has drawn national coverage from the rooms that set the conversation.
Good to Know
Questions, answered.
Is this really built for working bartenders?
Yes. The conference is designed for bartenders, bar owners, distillers, producers, and writers who want programming that meets them at the level of the work they do. Serious enthusiasts are welcome too.
Can I bring my whole team?
That is the idea. The Bar Team Pass gives you four Conference Passes for the price of three. For larger crews, reach out and we will sort out a rate that works.
Where is it, and what about the rest of the week?
The conference runs November 8 to 10 in Downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District. It opens with a welcome reception on Sunday evening, November 8, runs two full days of programming on Monday and Tuesday, November 9 and 10, with evenings out at top bars across the city, and closes at Heinz Hall on Tuesday, November 10. Pittsburgh Cocktail Weekend comes first, Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7, a citywide activation at participating bars.
How do I get there, and where should I stay?
Pittsburgh International Airport is a short ride from downtown, and the conference sits in the Cultural District. The Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of MixBurgh and sits in the middle of the conference footprint. We also recommend the Atterbury. Both are downtown, walking distance to every venue.