Culinary & hands-on workshops
Books and taxes for cocktail and mixology classes.
Class tickets, bachelorette party deposits, premium liquor for tastings, and tips that belong to the bartender, not the business. Gus sorts it all, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
June came in at $15,000. A bachelorette group tipped your bartender well, so I kept that separate from what the class itself earned.
- Bachelorette party depositPrivate events
- Classpop payoutClass ticket sales
- Southern Glazer's orderLiquor and mixers
- Instacart, fresh citrusGarnish and ingredients
- Liquor liability premiumInsurance
Why your books are different
Cocktail and mixology books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees liquor buys and class tickets. Your business is bartender tips that are not your revenue, premium spirits that cost far more than a standard bar, private parties booked months out, and bring-your-own-bottle nights next to fully licensed ones. When the books do not separate those, pricing gets guessed.
-
1
Tips get mixed into class ticket revenue
A bartender-led class often includes cash and card tips left at the end of the night, separate from the ticket price charged for the class itself. Rung up together, you cannot tell what the class earned from what a generous group tipped the instructor.
What we doKeeps tips in their own line, separate from ticket sales, so the class price and the tips your bartenders earned both stay honest. -
2
Premium liquor gets filed the same as standard bar stock
A case of good bourbon or a few bottles of aged rum for a whiskey tasting class costs vastly more per bottle than the citrus and bitters for a standard cocktail night. Lumped into one liquor line, you cannot tell which class needs the pricier pour.
What we doKeeps premium spirits separate from standard bar stock, so you can see what a specialty class's liquor really costs. -
3
Private event deposits get booked too early
A bachelorette party or a corporate happy hour often books and pays a deposit two or three months before the event. Counted as income the day it lands, a slow month can look busy on a party that has not happened yet.
What we doKeeps deposits tagged to the date of the event they are for, so revenue lines up with the night that was actually poured. -
4
Bring-your-own-bottle classes get mixed with licensed ones
A class where guests bring their own bottle costs you almost nothing in liquor, while a fully licensed class where you pour everything costs considerably more. Combined into one average, neither number tells you anything useful about pricing.
What we doKeeps bring-your-own-bottle and fully licensed classes in separate lines, so pricing reflects what each format actually costs to run. -
5
Bar tools and glassware breakage get buried in supplies
Shakers, jiggers, and glassware break or walk off regularly at a hands-on bar class, and replacing them regularly gets lumped in with garnish and mixer purchases, hiding a real and recurring cost of running the class.
What we doKeeps bar tools and glassware replacement in its own line, so you can see how much breakage is really costing you.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a cocktail and mixology business.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Class ticket salesClasspop, Cozymeal, and direct bookings for cocktail and mixology classes.
- Private eventsBachelorette parties and corporate happy hours, booked by deposit and a final invoice.
- TipsCash and card tips left for bartenders, tracked apart from ticket sales.
- Retail add-onsBar tools, bitters, and house-made syrups sold after class.
- Gift cardsSold year-round, tracked as owed until a class is taken.
Money out
- Liquor and mixersSpirits, wine, and mixers from a distributor like Southern Glazer's.
- Garnish and fresh ingredientsCitrus, herbs, and bitters, often bought same-day for freshness.
- Bar tools and glasswareShakers, jiggers, and glassware, replaced regularly for breakage.
- Bartender and instructor payPayroll wages and one-off guest bartenders, kept apart from tips.
- Liquor liability and general insuranceCoverage required to pour alcohol for a paying group.
- Booking and payment feesClasspop, Cozymeal, and card processing fees.
- MarketingLocal ads, bachelorette party listings, and class photography.
What we watch for you
- Cost per pour
Liquor cost against the ticket price, so premium tastings are priced right.
- Private event share
How much of the month came from parties instead of open classes.
- Tip totals
What bartenders actually earned in tips, tracked apart from the business's own revenue.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things cocktail and mixology owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
No. I keep tips in their own line, separate from your ticket sales, so what the class earned and what the bartender was tipped both stay honest.
Yes. I keep premium spirits apart from standard bar stock, so you can see what a specialty class's liquor really costs against what you charge for it.
That depends on your state and city, and it is worth a real look rather than a guess. I am flagging it for the accountant.
The tax side
The tax side of a cocktail and mixology business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Deposits booked too early, and tips mixed in with what the class itself earned.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Tip reporting for bartendersTips are income to the bartender who earned them and usually owe payroll tax, though a deduction for tips is available for some occupations through 2028, up to $25,000. Gus keeps tips visible and separate so this gets handled right.
- Liquor as cost of goodsSpirits, wine, and mixers used directly in a class are cost of goods, the direct cost tracked against ticket sales, not a general supply expense.
- Contractor 1099sA guest bartender not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC if you pay them $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions cocktail and mixology classes miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Spirits and mixers
- Fresh citrus and garnish
- Bar tools and shakers
- Glassware replacement
- House-made syrups and bitters
- Liquor liability insurance
- Classpop and Cozymeal fees
- Bartender uniforms
- Class photography
- Local event listings
- Cleaning supplies
- Ice and specialty ice molds
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A cocktail and mixology year, kept every month.
Wedding season carries the summer and happy hours carry the fall. Your team keeps you ahead of both, and ahead of taxes too. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the guest bartender 1099 list is finalized, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill this spring, because the set-aside has been building since January.
- July
Wedding season in full swing
Bachelorette parties and wedding-adjacent bookings run heavy through summer. Gus keeps deposits, tips, and liquor costs sorted while the calendar stays full.
- October
Before the holiday parties
Corporate happy hour bookings pick up before December. Gus looks at liquor stock and anything worth doing before the year closes.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for cocktail and mixology classes. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions cocktail and mixology owners ask first.
Our bartenders keep their own tips. Does that count as business revenue?
No. Gus keeps tips in their own line, separate from your ticket sales, so what the class earned and what the bartender was tipped both stay clear.
Do you handle the liquor license for our classes?
No. Liquor licensing and alcohol permits vary a lot by state and city, and getting one is not part of the subscription. Gus keeps the books ready and the accountant can point you toward what to check on.
We run some classes bring-your-own-bottle and some fully licensed with our own bar. Can Gus tell those apart?
Yes. He keeps bring-your-own-bottle and fully licensed classes in separate lines, so your pricing reflects what each format really costs to run.
A bachelorette party booked and paid a deposit three months out. When does that count as income?
Against the date of the party, not the day the deposit lands. That way a busy booking month does not make a quiet one look better than it was.
Do I need a 1099 for a guest bartender who worked one private event?
If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. Gus keeps that list running all year.
Our books are behind from a busy wedding season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in culinary & hands-on workshops
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Blacksmithing & forging classes
- Chocolate & truffle making classes
- Cookie decorating classes
- Cooking schools & recreational cooking classes
- Kids cooking classes
- Pasta & bread making classes
- Welding classes for hobbyists
- Wine blending experiences
- Woodturning & woodworking classes
- Candle making studios & candle bars
- Craft party franchises & mobile craft parties
- DIY wood sign & woodworking workshops
- Flower arranging workshops
- Glass fusing studios
- Glassblowing studios
- Kids art studios & art classes
- Knitting & yarn shops
- Leathercraft workshops
- Makerspaces
- Mosaic studios
- Paint-and-sip studios
- Paint-your-own-pottery (PYOP) studios
- Painting & drawing studios for adults
- Perfume & fragrance bars
- Pottery wheel & ceramics studios
- Resin art studios
- Scrapbooking & paper craft stores
- Sewing & quilting studios
- Soap & bath bomb making studios
- Stained glass studios
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever