Beverage Testing Institute

One of the world’s foremost authorities on alcoholic beverages, and the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) was founded in 1981 as America’s premier independent alcoholic beverage review organization. Our mission is to create fair and reliable reviews of wines for consumers.

"We applaud your ruthless, objective testing methodology. BTI sets the standard for others to follow."— Bill Samuels, Jr., President, Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc.

In 1994, BTI began reviewing beers and spirits and founded the World Beer Championships and the World Spirits Championships—now named the International Review of Spirits. BTI regularly reviews thousands of beverages every year.

BTI was the first organization to publish wine reviews online —managing the America Online Food and Drink Network from 1989 to 1999. All of our reviews, including over 30,000 of our most recent reviews, plus hundreds of articles, now appear on our website,

Leading producers and marketers participate in BTI’s reviews and competitions because they recognize the Institute’s ability to identify and describe the best products and get that information out to consumers.

Additionally, BTI partners with many other websites and media that feature its reviews. Examples include: CNBC, BusinessWeek TV, the Chicago Tribune, WGN Radio, Martha Stewart Radio, BBC Radio International, All About Beer magazine, Restaurant Hospitality magazine, and many others.