Major bourbon distilleries from across the country will gather in Owensboro this spring as part of the bourbon programming for the annual BBQ & Barrels Festival.
Visit Owensboro organizes the bourbon portion of the festival, which organizers said continues to expand as the event grows into a national-caliber celebration of bourbon, barbecue, and music.
This year’s bourbon experiences are supported by sponsorship from RW Baird Private Wealth Management and will feature a lineup of well-known distilleries.
Distilleries currently scheduled to participate include Bard Distillery, Brothers of the Leaf, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Castle & Key, Chicken Cock Whiskey, Coal Pick Distillery, Copper & Kings Distillery, Field of Dreams Whiskey, Green River Distillery, Hemingway Whiskey, Jeptha Creed Distillery, Leipers Fork Distillery, Limestone Branch Distillery, Maker’s Mark, Pursuit Spirits, Rivulet Pecan Liqueur Whiskey, Silk Velvet Whiskey, Starlight Distillery, Ten Day Bourbon, True Story, Wenzel Whiskey, and Western KY Distilling Co.
The weekend includes curated dinners, educational experiences, and premium tastings designed to give attendees an opportunity to learn more about bourbon while interacting directly with distillers and industry experts.
The centerpiece event is the Grand Bourbon Tasting scheduled for May 9 at the Owensboro Convention Center along the city’s riverfront.
Activities will begin at 2 p.m. with educational tasting sessions and bourbon- and food-pairing experiences. The VIP portion of the event begins at 3 p.m., offering early access, specialty pours, and a curated selection of barbecue-themed cuisine.
The Grand Bourbon Tasting opens to ticket holders from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., allowing guests to sample bourbons from distilleries across the country.
Ticket options include VIP tickets for $120, which include specialty pours and food; premium tasting tickets for $70 that provide access to the distillery tasting experience; and companion tickets for $20 for guests who want to attend but not participate in the bourbon sampling.
Tickets for the Green River dinner and the bourbon tasting event are available at BBQandBarrels.com or through Owensboro Tickets.
Seth Thompson, owner and publisher of The Bourbon Review, is assisting Visit Owensboro with the festival’s bourbon programming.
“Owensboro is stepping onto the national bourbon scene in a big way,” Thompson said. “The biggest and most respected distilleries in the country are coming here for this event. When you combine that level of bourbon with great food and the energy of the community behind it, it becomes something bourbon fans across the country want to experience.”
Daylin Tolgo of Visit Owensboro said the bourbon experiences help distinguish the BBQ & Barrels Festival from other events.
“The exclusive dinners and tastings give people a chance to experience great bourbon in a way you don’t normally get,” Tolgo said. “You’re tasting unique pours, meeting the people behind the distilleries, and experiencing it all as part of a full festival weekend that’s drawing attention well beyond Kentucky.”
Event organizers say additional distillery announcements and festival updates will be released in the coming weeks.
