How I did not know this was a “thing” I do not know. Frankly, now that I do know this is the kind of trip I would love to take. I have never been to kentucky. Strange as I have been to three continents and about 20 countries but I missed this little gem. Scroll down and see the amazing, better than wine tasting, event that you too could be a part of each year. Now most of the tickets are sold out for this weekend. You can click here to register for the few spots left. Every year their $1500 VIP tickets sell out quickly so if this is something you want to do, go get on their mailing list. If you can’t make it this week end there is always the Urban Bourbon Trail. A selection of distilleries and restaurants you should not miss in Louisville Kentucky.
Kentucky Bourbon Affair
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, June 3rd | Barrel Selections | Opening
Four Roses Private Barrel Selection | 1pm-4pm | Four Roses Distillery
$250
SOLD OUT
Experience a Private Barrel Selection with Four Roses Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge
Jim Beam Private Barrel Selection | 10am-2pm | Jim Beam $200
Experience a Private Barrel Selection with Jim Beam Master Distiller, Fred Noe.
Wild Turkey Private Barrel Selection | 1pm-4pm | Wild Turkey Distillery
$225
SOLD OUT
Experience a Private Barrel Selection with Wild Turkey Master Distillers, Jimmy & Eddie Russell.
Bourbon Under the Rocks | 7pm-9pm | Louisville Mega Caverns $150
Kentucky’s limestone shelf produces the sweetest water supply in the world – this precious water is what makes our thoroughbreds fast, our women pretty and our Bourbon delicious. Descend below Louisville’s city lights into the 100 acre manmade limestone cavern for a night of delectable adventure. Guests are invited to test their strength and agility on the only completely underground aerial ropes course and zip line in the world. Sample daring Bourbon cocktails and extreme Kentucky cuisine. “Rock out” to Louisville’s original Bourbon Jazz Band, Billy Goat Strut Revue. We guarantee you have never experienced a cocktail party like this before. Leave your little black dress at home. For the full experience you will want to dress casual and wear closed-toed shoes. When was the last time you had to sign a waiver to attend a cocktail party?
Thursday, June 4th | Distillery Day Events
The Woodford Reserve Special Edition | 10am-3pm | Woodford Reserve Distillery
$150
SOLD OUT
Char barrels, make mash and craft a unique Woodford Reserve small batch Bourbon under the expert guidance of Master Distiller Chris Morris. Take home an exclusive Kentucky Bourbon Affair bottle and enjoy a gourmet Bourbon lunch while sampling from the very first barrel of Woodford Reserve.
Fishing with the Noe Family: Uncovering Booker’s Honey Hole | 10am-3pm | Jim Beam $175
Join Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe in a day of fishing at his father’s coveted honey hole. Enjoy a rare private tour and a good ole Southern fish fry, while Freddie tells the timeless stories of life in the Beam family and memories with Booker Noe.
The Wild Turkey Experience | 10am-3pm | Wild Turkey Distillery $135
Talk about living legends. Spend a day with Jimmy and Eddie Russell, the father-son duo who are enshrined in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, as they put you to work in the iconic Wild Turkey Distillery. Sample the distillery’s portfolio including Rare Breed and Russell’s Reserve.
A Day’s Work at Maker’s Mark | 10am-3pm | Maker’s Mark Distillery $150
Join the Maker’s Mark team! Work alongside the experts that craft Maker’s Mark every day and learn, first-hand, the art and science behind their signature red wax. Enjoy lunch overlooking their spring-fed lake and test your skills dipping bottles on the Maker’s Mark line.
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience | 10am-2pm | Bulleit at Stitzel-Weller $135
Venture behind the scenes with Bourbon legend Tom Bulleit into the laboratory of historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery, where you will work with Master Blenders to learn the art and science of mingling custom brands. Guests will sample whiskeys and receive an engraved, autographed bottle of Bulleit.
Train Ride Through the Bluegrass with Town Branch | 10am-3pm | Town Branch Distillery $150
All aboard! Embark on a Lexington dinner train for a four-course meal and spirits pairing with Town Branch Distillery as it winds along the scenic waterway for which this Lexington Bourbon was named and picturesque horse farms. Guests will experience a behind-the-scenes tour and fill their own keepsake Bourbon bottles – and maybe a barrel or two!
Become a Four Roses Aficionado | 10am-3pm | Four Roses Distillery $175
Get a hands-on tutorial in every step of the Bourbon-making process, from milling to final distillation, at Four Roses Distillery, recently named Whisky Magazine’s Distillery of the Year! Sign up for two, two-hour sessions as Distillery Manager; Distillery Operator; Fermenter Operator; Utility Operator; Quality Lab Manager; Small Batch Mingling; or Bourbon Food Pairing.
Coopers & Cupids – Finding your Single Barrel Soul-mate | 10am-3pm | Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center $175
Find your single barrel soul mate as you explore and sample Bourbon from different floors and locations within one of Heaven Hill’s finest open-rick warehouses. Heaven Hill Master Distillers and Bourbon experts will be stationed throughout to discuss aging factors. You’ll be able to take home a personal single barrel bottle from the location you like the best.
Thursday, June 4th | Night Cap Events
Bourbonque at the Historic Family Home of Jim Beam | 7pm-10pm | Beam Family Home, Bardstown $150
Join Fred Noe, 7th generation Master Distiller and great grandson of Jim Beam, at the historic Beam family home in Bardstown. Start the night with an exclusive tour and tasting, followed by a down-home barbeque dinner. Cap off the evening with some of Beam’s newest expressions in Fred’s private Man Cave.
Maker’s Mark Progressive Dinner | 7pm-10pm | Downtown Louisville – begin at Bourbons Bistro $150
Dine your night away with a savory Maker’s Mark experience along Louisville’s Historic Frankfort Avenue. Hosts Bill Samuels, Jr., Rob Samuels and Master Distiller Greg Davis will treat you to Maker’s inspired dishes with some of Louisville’s renowned chefs.
Master Distiller’s Dinner at Woodford Reserve | 7:30pm-10:30pm | Woodford Reserve Distillery $175
An evening of Bourbon and culinary indulgence. You’ll start by making your own $1,000 mint julep under the guidance of our Master Distiller, Chris Morris. We’ll have a toast on the distillery floor with a very rare Woodford Reserve spirit followed by a multi-course Bourbon dinner prepared by our 5-times James Beard-nominated Chef-in-Residence, Ouita Michel.
The Art of Cooking with Michter’s Bourbon | 7pm-10pm | Frazier History Museum $150
Savor an interactive Michter’s culinary adventure on the rooftop of the Frazier History Museum overlooking the Ohio River. Famed chef Patrick Roney of the Seelbach Hotel will lead you in the preparation of a delicious Bourbon-inspired meal with signature cocktails perfected by renowned mixologists.
Wild Turkey: Dinner with the Russells | 7pm-9:30pm | Seelbach Hotel
$125
SOLD OUT
Join legendary Wild Turkey Master Distiller, his wife Joretta and son, Eddie Russell, for a “family affair” dinner at the historic Seelbach Hotel in Louisville. Guests will be treated to a unique culinary and cocktail experience at The Oakroom, Kentucky’s only AAA Five-Diamond Awarded restaurant, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the grand hotel where notorious figures such as Al Capone, George Remus, Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz once stayed.
Heaven Hill: An Evening with the Shapira Family | 7pm-10pm | Evan Williams Bourbon Experience $150
Enjoy an intimate catered dinner with three generations of the Shapira family, founders and owners of Heaven Hill Brands, in the Speakeasy lounge at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville. There will be lots of personal interaction and a guided tasting of some rare and historic Heaven Hill bottlings throughout the years.
Old Forester Speakeasy | 10pm–1am | Seelbach Hotel, Rathskeller $50
Travel back in time with Old Forester, the only Bourbon still in existence today that was produced before, during and after Prohibition by its original distiller. Join us at the legendary Rathskeller for a night of delicious appetizers, craft cocktails, and live music. Dress in your best Prohibition-era speakeasy attire!
Flavor Affair: How Kentucky Women Breathed Life into the Bourbon Industry | 6:30pm-9:30pm | Kentucky Governor’s Mansion $75 – does not include transportation, $100 – includes transportation from Marriott Lou East
The production will be the centerpiece of a spirited evening hosted by Bourbon Women at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort in conjunction with the Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s second annual Bourbon Affair. The exclusive event will also feature tastings led by Kentucky’s craft distillers, famed Kentucky cocktails created by the mansion mixologists, an original performance by the Eve Theatre Company, as well as the culinary expertise of some of Kentucky’s most renowned female chefs.
Friday, June 5th | Distillery Day Events
The Woodford Reserve Special Edition | 10am-3pm | Woodford Reserve Distillery
$150
SOLD OUT
Char barrels, make mash and craft a unique Woodford Reserve small batch Bourbon under the expert guidance of Master Distiller Chris Morris. Take home an exclusive Kentucky Bourbon Affair bottle and enjoy a gourmet Bourbon lunch while sampling from the very first barrel of Woodford Reserve.
Fishing with the Noe Family: Uncovering Booker’s Honey Hole | 10am-3pm | Jim Beam American Stillhouse $175
Join Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe in a day of fishing at his father’s coveted honey hole. Enjoy a rare private tour and a good ole Southern fish fry, while Freddie tells the timeless stories of life in the Beam family and memories with Booker Noe.
The Wild Turkey Experience | 10am-3pm | Wild Turkey Distillery $135
Talk about living legends. Spend a day with Jimmy and Eddie Russell, the father-son duo who are enshrined in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, as they put you to work in the iconic Wild Turkey Distillery. Sample the distillery’s portfolio including Rare Breed and Russell’s Reserve.
A Day’s Work at Maker’s Mark | 10am-3pm | Maker’s Mark Distillery $150
Join the Maker’s Mark team! Work alongside the experts that craft Maker’s Mark every day and learn, first-hand, the art and science behind their signature red wax. Enjoy lunch overlooking their spring-fed lake and test your skills dipping bottles on the Maker’s Mark line.
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience | 10am-2pm | Bulleit at Stitzel-Weller $135
Venture behind the scenes with Bourbon legend Tom Bulleit into the laboratory of historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery, where you will work with Master Blenders to learn the art and science of mingling custom brands. Guests will sample whiskeys and receive an engraved, autographed bottle of Bulleit.
Train Ride Through the Bluegrass with Town Branch | 10am-3pm | Town Branch Distillery $150
All aboard! Embark on a Lexington dinner train for a four-course meal and spirits pairing with Town Branch Distillery as it winds along the scenic waterway for which this Lexington Bourbon was named and picturesque horse farms. Guests will experience a behind-the-scenes tour and fill their own keepsake Bourbon bottles – and maybe a barrel or two!
Become a Four Roses Aficionado | 10am-3pm | Four Roses Distillery $175
Get a hands-on tutorial in every step of the Bourbon-making process, from milling to final distillation, at Four Roses Distillery, recently named Whisky Magazine’s Distillery of the Year! Sign up for two, two-hour sessions as Distillery Manager; Distillery Operator; Fermenter Operator; Utility Operator; Quality Lab Manager; Small Batch Mingling; or Bourbon Food Pairing.
Coopers & Cupids – Finding your Single Barrel Soul-mate | 10am-3pm | Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center $175
Find your single barrel soul mate as you explore and sample Bourbon from different floors and locations within one of Heaven Hill’s finest open-rick warehouses. Heaven Hill Master Distillers and Bourbon experts will be stationed throughout to discuss aging factors. You’ll be able to take home a personal single barrel bottle from the location you like the best.
Friday, June 5th | Night Cap Events
Craft to Cocktail | 6pm-10:30pm | Distilled Spirits Epicenter $100
What happens behind the closed doors of a beverage research and development laboratory? Debunk the mystery on Friday June 5th at the Distilled Spirits Epicenter. Serve on a craft distillers’ formal focus group and be the first consumers to provide these emerging distillers with your evaluation of new and innovative creations coming to market. Grab your lab-coat and meet the Flavorman himself in his state-of-the-art beverage development center to create, blend, and label your own customized cocktail mixer. Think your mixer is the best? Take a sample vial of your creation to the mixology experts’ stationed down the road at Copper & Kings Distillery and enter to win a prize package. Enjoy live music, hearty eats and delicious cocktails provided by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association Craft Members.
Bourbonque at the Historic Family Home of Jim Beam | 7pm-10pm | Beam Family Home, Bardstown $150
Join Fred Noe, 7th generation Master Distiller and great grandson of Jim Beam, at the historic Beam family home in Bardstown. Start the night with an exclusive tour and tasting, followed by a down-home barbeque dinner. Cap off the evening with some of Beam’s newest expressions in Fred’s private Man Cave.
Chords & Cocktails: Bulleit’s Homage to the Bakersfield Sound | 7pm-10pm | Silver Dollar
$125
SOLD OUT
Join Tom Bulleit and the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience team at Louisville’s renowned Silver Dollar (one of GQ’s 10 best whiskey bars) for an entertaining and educational evening of Southern comfort food, stripped-down cocktails and vinyl music pairings inspired by the Bakersfield sound movement – demonstrating that simple can be revolutionary.
Four Roses’ Culinary Celebration | 7pm-10pm | Bourbons Bistro
$125
SOLD OUT
Join Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge for a one-of-a-kind culinary experience at Bourbons Bistro, recently awarded the Gold Medal for Whisky Magazine’s “Whisky Bars of the World.” This hands-on event will feature cooking demonstrations, food pairings and cocktail creations. Guests can taste what makes Four Roses unique – 10 distinct Bourbon recipes.
Maker’s Mark: Southern Style Crab & Crawfish Boil | 7pm-10pm | Bill Samuel’s House
$175
SOLD OUT
It doesn’t get more Southern than this. Bill Samuels, Jr., opens his home on the Ohio River for a true crab and crawfish boil. See Bill’s historic Maker’s Mark treasures, savor his unforgettable stories and sample the signature spirit that made red wax famous.
Saturday, June 6th | Distillery Day Events
Woodford Reserve: Exploring our 5 Flavor Sources | 10am-3pm | Woodford Reserve Distillery $75
Join Woodford Reserve’s sensory experts in this guided palate training through Bourbon’s subtle nuances of fruit, floral, spice and nut. The class will finish with a culinary-inspired cocktail and gourmet Bourbon lunch.
Fishing with the Noe Family: Uncovering Booker’s Honey Hole | 10am-3pm | Jim Beam American Stillhouse $175
Join Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe in a day of fishing at his father’s coveted honey hole. Enjoy a rare private tour and a good ole Southern fish fry, while Freddie tells the timeless stories of life in the Beam family and memories with Booker Noe.
The Wild Turkey Experience | 10am-3pm | Wild Turkey Distillery $135
Talk about living legends. Spend a day with Jimmy and Eddie Russell, the father-son duo who are enshrined in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, as they put you to work in the iconic Wild Turkey Distillery. Sample the distillery’s portfolio including Rare Breed and Russell’s Reserve.
A Day’s Work at Maker’s Mark | 10am-3pm | Maker’s Mark Distillery $150
Join the Maker’s Mark team! Work alongside the experts that craft Maker’s Mark every day and learn, first-hand, the art and science behind their signature red wax. Enjoy lunch overlooking their spring-fed lake and test your skills dipping bottles on the Maker’s Mark line.
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience | 10am-2pm | Bulleit at Stitzel-Weller $135
Venture behind the scenes with Bourbon legend Tom Bulleit into the laboratory of historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery, where you will work with Master Blenders to learn the art and science of mingling custom brands. Guests will sample whiskeys and receive an engraved, autographed bottle of Bulleit.
Train Ride Through the Bluegrass with Town Branch | 10am-3pm | Town Branch Distillery $150
All aboard! Embark on a Lexington dinner train for a four-course meal and spirits pairing with Town Branch Distillery as it winds along the scenic waterway for which this Lexington Bourbon was named and picturesque horse farms. Guests will experience a behind-the-scenes tour and fill their own keepsake Bourbon bottles – and maybe a barrel or two!
Become a Four Roses Aficionado | 10am-3pm | Four Roses Distillery $175
Get a hands-on tutorial in every step of the Bourbon-making process, from milling to final distillation, at Four Roses Distillery, recently named Whisky Magazine’s Distillery of the Year! Sign up for two, two-hour sessions as Distillery Manager; Distillery Operator; Fermenter Operator; Utility Operator; Quality Lab Manager; Small Batch Mingling; or Bourbon Food Pairing.
Coopers & Cupids – Finding your Single Barrel Soul-mate | 10am-3pm | Heaven Hill Distillery $175
Find your single barrel soul mate as you explore and sample Bourbon from different floors and locations within one of Heaven Hill’s finest open-rick warehouses. Heaven Hill Master Distillers and Bourbon experts will be stationed throughout to discuss aging factors. You’ll be able to take home a personal single barrel bottle from the location you like the best.
Michter’s Rare Tasting & Tour | 10am-2pm | Michter’s Distillery
$200
SOLD OUT
Don’t miss this rare “celebration” at Michter’s new distillery, the first time it’s been opened to the general public. Tour and taste Michter’s small batch and single barrel brands, including Celebration, the distillery’s luxury sour mash offering blended from special barrels over 20 and 30 years old. Hand-label your own souvenir bottle of Michter’s on the bottling line and enjoy signature cocktails and a Bourbon-inspired lunch. SOLD OUT
Saturday, June 6th | Closing Event
CasaBourblanca | 7pm-11pm | Bowman Air Field $125
Just picture it — The scene, laid-back all white tropical elegant lifestyle. Enjoy a refreshing white Dog mojito under the cool evening night. Savor the flavor of a freshly cut cigar while listening to a live pianist play “As Time Goes By”. Indulge your desires with some of the most premium sought after Bourbons inside the hanger. Taste farm fresh Kentucky delicacies prepared by talented chefs from Louisville – named a top foodie city. While we are pouring the Bourbon & Mojito’s, the party will heat up with dancing and live music.
Sunday, June 7th | Send-off Event
Polo on the Waterfront | 11am-3pm | Waterfront Park, Louisville (varied ticket prices)
The morning’s festivities will kick off with a premium VIP Kentucky Proud brunch overlooking the Ohio River. A five-course meal will be served on a beautiful salvaged barn-wood table adorned with gorgeous wildflowers. And of course, we will have plenty of Bourbons to sample thanks to Heaven Hill Distilleries, Jim Beam, Michter’s, and Town Branch. Following brunch, four polo teams will compete to be the Kentucky Bourbon Affair polo champion. In addition to the polo match, general admission guests will enjoy a festival-like atmosphere with multiple activations including an onsite Kentucky Proud farmers market where guests can purchase products directly. And don’t forget the match-side tailgating spots which are perfect for a group of friends to have some of the best seats available.
$15 General Admission
$100 Polo Brunch
SOLD OUT
$125
Polo Tailgate Spots
SOLD OUT