Fund Me, KC: Good Bitter Best hopes to mix cocktails with community, pivots to add virtual bartender
September 22, 2020 | Startland News Staff
Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Jennifer Agnew’s Good Bitter Best campaign — to share their crowdfunding stories to gain a little help from their supporters.
Who are you?
I am Jennifer Agnew, public school art teacher by day, entrepreneur by night. I love the outdoors, working out, and connecting with friends. My mission is to grow my mind, body, and soul to love as the universe loves and to promote empowerment for myself and others.
What is Good Bitter Best?
We offer unique cocktail bitters, kits, and virtual classes. Some of our flavors include Cherry Cacao, Smoke, Strawberry Basil, and Apple Cinnamon. We also create flavor-infused sugar cubes and dehydrated fruit garnish to elevate your home bartender game.
Click here for the Good Bitter Best Kickstarter page.
What’s your ‘why’?
People connecting with people. In our social media-saturated age, it can feel more lonely than ever. My original goal was to host cocktail classes where folks would learn how to make delicious drinks in a party-like atmosphere. Because of COVID, we have made a pivot and will soon offer Virtual Bartender classes. This has very exciting implications as we could eventually employ bartenders from across the world to teach folks how to make cocktails from their region. During class, there would be built-in time for connection questions, so people are enjoying each other’s company as well as learning a new skill.
How much do you hope to raise with the crowdfunding campaign?
$8,000 (Kickstarter ends Oct. 8)
What do you plan to use the funds for?
I will use the funds to scale: buying ingredients in bulk to make large batches of bitters in order to sell to local shops, restaurants, and bars. If I reach my stretch goals of $10,000 to $15,000, I will also be able to offer Good BItter Best barware and merch including a to-go cocktail kit.
How are you differentiating your campaign?
My campaign offers awesome rewards! My favorite is working with backers to create a cocktail named after them, and at the top tier working with backers to create new bitters according to their favorite flavors!
Is there anything quirky with your campaign?
The to-go cocktail kit is pretty dope. It comes with a fanny pack and collapsible cups. Imagine going on a hike with your boo, then at the halfway point taking everything out of your fanny pack to have a freshly muddled cocktail? Pretty impressive.
Anything else readers should know about Good Bitter Best?
Our fall flavors will be up on our online shop soon! We have recently added curbside pick up and local delivery options. Check us out at GoodBitterBest.com and follow us @goodbitterbest on IG/FB!

2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Rewriting the playbook: ESHIP Summit eyes new model of economic development
Whether it be in art, technology or science, fledgling fields of study often face challenges of legitimacy when they enter the mainstream. Such is the case for the domain of ecosystem building, which struggles to find validity for and unity among those working to create vibrant communities in which entrepreneurs thrive, said Victor Hwang, vice…
Manual entrepreneurship, refuge: ‘Farming is just the vehicle,’ says BoysGrow founder
“What’s the word?” “Respect!” shouted the teenage farmhands at BoysGrow, a two-year program dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship to urban youth through agriculture and farming. The 10-acre BoysGrow farm outside Grandview plays host to 30 to 40 boys, ranging in age from 15 to 17. They work, eat and learn on the nonprofit farm three days…
High-growth additions: PayIt, Main Street Data earn slots in $19M KCRise Fund portfolio
Investing in Kansas City startups ultimately brings greater interest from outside funding sources, said Darcy Howe, KCRise Fund founder and managing director. “We continue to be impressed by the increasing early stage deal flow in our region,” Howe said Tuesday in announcing the additions of Kansas City-based PayIt and Main Street Data to the fund’s…



