The Cocktail Bar League

Scout for the league

Trained, anonymous, paid in drinks. Bring your palate. Bring your poker face.

What a scout does

You visit assigned bars during off-peak hours, order three drinks and read the room, score everything on a standardized rubric, and submit your report within 24 hours. It runs on your palate and your discretion.

It isn't food critic work. It isn't public criticism. It isn't a paid gig. You're part of a scoring system built to be fair, and the reward is the drinks in front of you and a look inside the best bars in the city.

What you get

  • The round you order is on the bar. That's your compensation.
  • Training on the scoring rubric and voice guidelines
  • Anonymous credentials via QR profile
  • Front-row seat to New York's best cocktail bars
  • Season-end scout dinner

What we need from you

  • Working knowledge of cocktail categories and technique (former or current bar experience preferred but not required)
  • Availability during off-peak hours (typically weeknights, weekend afternoons)
  • Discretion. Your identity stays private.
  • Ability to write a clean, honest 200-word tasting note

Apply to scout

Availability