For distilleries and RTD producers, earning a bar listing starts with understanding how the product will work in service. A buyer needs to see how your cocktail fits the venue, appeals to guests, and makes commercial sense.

What would make a bartender choose your RTD? How should you present it to a buyer? Which serving occasion gives it the strongest commercial role?

These questions will be at the heart of “How RTDs Can Win in the Bar,” an upcoming webinar hosted by Bartender Spirits Awards and London Spirits Competition.

Taking place on November 27, 2026, at 12 p.m. EST, the session will explore how RTDs can earn bar listings, improve service efficiency, and create profitable new drinking occasions.

Register for the webinar here.

Understand How Bartenders Will Use Your Product

An RTD’s convenience is only part of its sales story. Producers also need to explain where it belongs in a drinks program and why a bartender would reach for it.

Does it help a busy bar serve guests faster? Could it support poolside service, hotel minibars, or events? Should it be served directly from the can, poured over ice, or presented with a particular garnish?

The answers influence how you develop your sales pitch, prepare samples, and support the account after a listing. Understanding the bartender’s workflow helps you present a practical use for your product alongside its flavor and brand story.

This webinar will help producers look at their RTDs through the eyes of the people buying and serving them.

Hear From Both Bar Managers and RTD Brands

The panel will bring together two bar managers and two successful RTD brands that have been growing their bar listings.

Bar managers will share the considerations behind selecting and serving RTDs. Brand representatives will discuss their experience approaching accounts, communicating their products’ value, and building an on-premise presence.

Together, these perspectives will connect what buyers need with how producers can respond.

What the Discussion Will Cover

Earning a bar listing: What makes an RTD worth considering, sampling, and stocking?

Presenting to a buyer: How to explain taste, price, serving format and the product’s role in the venue.

Improving service efficiency: Where RTDs can help teams deliver consistent drinks with simpler preparation.

Finding the right occasion: Identifying opportunities across bars, hotels, outdoor service, events and other hospitality settings.

Supporting sales after the listing: Serving suggestions, staff education, and clear communication that help an account use the product effectively.

Learning from brands: Practical experiences from RTD businesses expanding their presence in bars.

Who Should Attend?

The session is designed for distillers, RTD brand founders, producers, sales teams, and brand managers looking to build their on-premise business.

Importers and distributors representing RTD portfolios will also benefit, alongside bartenders and beverage buyers exploring how these products could fit their programs.

Whether you are launching your first ready-to-drink cocktail or expanding an established range, the discussion will help you prepare for more informed conversations with hospitality buyers.

Enter Your RTDs in the 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards

Alongside learning how to approach the bar market, producers are invited to enter their RTDs in the 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards for evaluation by U.S. bartenders and on-premise professionals.

Entries have the opportunity to earn medals and compete for RTD of the Year, which recognizes the highest-scoring individual RTD entry.

The new RTD Producer of the Year award will recognize consistency across a qualifying portfolio. Producers must enter at least four distinct RTDs, earn at least two Gold medals or higher, and achieve an average score above 85 points across all their entered RTDs. The qualifying producer with the highest average portfolio score wins.

Visit here for entry information.

Register: How RTDs Can Win in the Bar
Date: November 27, 2026
Time: 12 p.m. EST
Hosted by: Bartender Spirits Awards and London Spirits Competition
Panel: Two bar managers and two successful RTD brands growing their bar listings

Bring your questions about buyer expectations, serving occasions, and selling into hospitality.

Register now and learn how to give your RTDs a stronger role in the bar.

Also Read:
Bartender Spirits Awards Introduces RTD Producer of the Year Award for 2027
Bartender Spirits Awards Introduces Non-Alcoholic Producer of the Year Award for 2027