BarBees Mobile Cocktail Class Update | Shark Tank Season 15

When in-person bartending gigs were cancelled during the pandemic, Jess Blakeley and Willow Sprague lost their main source of income. To keep going, they launched BarBees, a mixology class experience for groups offered online and now in person. People bring their own alcohol, and BarBees provides the mixers, tools, and everything else for a 90-minute class that feels like a party. Will the sharks toast to the idea? Let’s find out in our BarBees update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to BarBees after Shark Tank.

Jess and Willow pitched their cocktail company on Shark Tank Season 15, seeking $75,000 for 10% equity. After their pitch, they made a deal with guest shark Daniel Lubetzky for $75,000 and 20% equity.

In terms of a BarBees update, the company closed its deal with Daniel and used the investment to expand into ten cities while keeping their original business model. Further, it has steadily increased its revenue year over year.

Shark:	Result:
Daniel Lubetzky	Accepted deal for $75,000 for 20% equity
Mark Cuban	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Daymond John	No offer
Kevin O’Leary	No offer

Shark Tank BarBees Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Jess Blakley and Willow Sprague
• Business: Mobile cocktail class
• Ask: $75,000 for 10% equity
• Result: $75,000 for 20% equity
• Shark: Daniel Lubetzky

Friends and business partners Jess and Willow created a business that leads groups in cocktail-making classes

Customers book online, provide the liquor and the location, and a BarBees instructor shows up with mixers, tools, and everything needed for a 90-minute cocktail-making class.

The company launched in 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee, as an event bartending company. While it was just Jess and Willow back then, they have already grown to a team of 25.

To start their pitch, they served the sharks two signature drinks: a Rosemary Honey Paloma and a Strawberry Old Fashioned. The sharks enjoyed both.

Jess and Willow explained their sales growth. In 2019, they grossed $19,000 in revenue. In 2020, they transitioned to virtual classes during the pandemic and grossed $38,000.

Then, in 2021, they went back to in-person classes, grossing $76,000. In 2022, they expanded to 4 cities and grossed just under $190,000.

Their main clients were bachelorette groups (52%) and corporate teams (24%).

They asked the sharks for $75,000 and laid out how they would use it. $20,000 would go toward building an automated booking system.

Another $20,000 would improve their onboarding process for hiring and training instructors.

The remaining funds would help them expand to new cities, which costs around $5,000 per location.

Mark Cuban said they were doing great but felt the business would ultimately be too hard to scale. He passed.

Daymond John said he liked the concept but didn’t want to invest in a service-based business. He also passed.

Kevin O’Leary praised their execution but said cocktails weren’t his market as he was focused on wine, so he dropped out.

Guest shark Daniel Lubetzky made them an offer of $75,000 for 20% equity. He said he already had systems that could support them.

Lori Greiner said Daniel’s offer was strong and better than what she could offer. She stepped out and encouraged the ladies to take it.

At this point, Willow countered Daniel for $75,000 for 15% equity, but Daniel warned that if they pushed too hard, he might raise his ask to 25%.

She then countered again for $115,000 for 20% equity. Daniel declined to move.

Ultimately, Jess and Willow accepted Daniels’s original offer and left with a deal.

To find out what happened next for their company, keep reading our BarBees update.

Shark Tank BarBees Update

Our BarBees update found that the deal with Daniel Lubetzky successfully closed after the show aired.

The deal was later confirmed on their official website and through a follow-up LinkedIn post.

Shortly after their episode aired, BarBees experienced a big spike in bookings. Their cocktail classes, both in-person and virtual, expanded across the U.S., and their brand got national attention.

They began offering discounts and special re-air promotions, like the one they ran in June 2024, giving $50 off in-person classes and $20 off virtual ones for bookings made before June 26.

BarBees invested in tools like an automated booking system and improved onboarding to help scale more efficiently.

They reported spending around $20,000 on these upgrades, which allowed them to grow without hiring extra staff early on.

The company now offers a wide range of cocktail class experiences in cities like Nashville, New York, Austin, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and more, as well as virtual events that anyone around the world can join.

Customers get to pick 2–3 cocktails, and BarBees provides everything from the ingredient list to garnish suggestions. Some packages include extras like cheese and charcuterie pairings.

Jess and Willow in April 2024, they shared reflections on the three-month anniversary of their episode airing.

In August 2024, they appeared together on a leadership podcast to talk about how saying “yes” to BarBees changed everything.

They also celebrated five years in business in early 2024, noting that nearly half of startups don’t make it that far.

If you are planning a bachelorette party, you can book a fun cocktail class directly from their website. And for updates, trends, and behind-the-scenes moments, follow them on Instagram.

We’ll bring you more news when we have it in our next BarBees Bartending update.

In the meantime, you can check out our other company updates from Season 15 Episode 12 by following the links below!

• Jay’s Pet Butter Update
• Mama Sing My Song Update
• Meat the Mushroom Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 15 products.