The United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) has announced that award-winning actor William H. Macy will feature as the keynote speaker for Bar Summit 2026. The event will be held throughout Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood April 26-29, with the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square serving as the event hub. Macy will appear on behalf of Woody Creek Distillers.
“We’re so excited to welcome William H. Macy to Bar Summit 2026 as our keynote speaker,” said USBG President Ingrid Shawn Rodriguez. “There’s a throughline between performance and storytelling that connects the work of a great actor and a great bartender. We can’t wait to welcome him to the event.”
“I have so much respect for bartenders,” said Macy. “When I started my career, I made friends with a bartender in Vermont. I don’t recommend this when you’re as broke as I was, but I offered to work for free if he’d just teach me how to bartend. Eventually, I started making cocktails well enough to earn a little money and have a good time. What I didn’t understand then that I fully appreciate now is, being a great bartender is art and skill and craft and hospitality and grace, demonstrated simultaneously at an extremely high level. I’d be lucky to do maybe two of those, but not all five at once.”
Bar Summit is an annual event that brings together the entire bar, beverage, and hospitality community—seasoned veterans, newcomers, and enthusiasts alike—in a welcoming space for meaningful connections and inspiration. Attendees are immersed in the latest trends, best practices, and the latest innovations shaping the bartending craft.
Macy is an Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, an Emmy and SAG Award winning actor, and a writer in theater, film, and television. He starred in the Showtime series Shameless, for which he was nominated twice for a Best Actor Emmy Award and has won twice for the SAG Award. Macy’s film credits include Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Jurassic Park III, Fargo, Wild Hogs, and many more. He made his feature directorial debut with Rudderless, the closing film at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Macy can next be seen in the highly anticipated remake of The Running Man, as well as the forthcoming Netflix series Train Dreams, Soul On Fire, and the new Hulu series from Dan Fogelman, The Land. Macy is also a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company.
When he’s not wow-ing audiences on the big and small screens, Macy can be found in his other job, “Spokesdude” for Woody Creek Distillers. The Colorado-based craft distiller of rye, bourbon, gin, and vodka will also have a presence at Bar Summit as the event’s lead spirits sponsor.
Registration for Bar Summit 2026 is open now at barsummit.usbg.org.