About BarBudget

BarBudget helps people build a home bar that makes great drinks without overspending. We do not sell alcohol. Instead, we do the research — scoring bottles, writing about them, and tracking retail prices — so you can decide what to buy and then purchase from the retailer of your choice. The tools here are aimed at home bartenders getting started, and at bar managers comparing what is trending and what things cost.

How our expert scores work

Every bottle carries an expert score from 0.0 to 10.0. That score reflects how a bottle performs in an actual drink relative to its price — not its prestige or packaging. A modest gin that makes an excellent gin & tonic can outscore a far pricier bottle that mostly buys a heavier label. Scores are our own editorial judgement, written in our own words; we never copy review text from other publications. Where we cite a source, it is for attribution only.

Audience scores

Alongside the expert score, each bottle shows an audience score: the average of ratings submitted by visitors. Anyone can rate a bottle without an account; we limit repeat voting per browser so the average stays meaningful. The two numbers are deliberately separate so you can see where our judgement and the crowd agree or diverge.

Budget tiers and pricing

We sort bottles into budget, mid-range, and premium tiers so the calculator can match suggestions to your spending level. Prices are shown as a low–high range and are refreshed from retailer product feeds where available, and entered by hand otherwise. Because prices move and vary by store and state, we show the date of the last price check and always link out to the retailer for the current figure. Nothing is purchased on this site.

Affiliate disclosure

Some of the retailer links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships never influence our scores or which bottles we recommend — the score is decided before any link is added, and we link to multiple retailers so you can compare. We also run display advertising to support the site.

Responsible enjoyment

This site is for adults of legal drinking age and is about enjoying good drinks in moderation. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol, please seek help from a qualified resource in your area.