Fall is a time of festivals galore, many of them featuring booze or beer. We just finished the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, and this weekend, Sept. 23-24, at Champions Park, 2050 River Rd. you can find Bourbon & Beyond, the new music and Bourbon festival that will include chefs from near and far cooking with Bourbon, distilleries from around the state showing off their products, and some big-name music acts.
National and local chefs who will conduct demonstrations and cooking workshops and provide chow to the masses will include Tom Colicchio, Carla Hall, Edward Lee, Chris Cosentino, Amanda Freitag, Jose Salazar, Cosmo Goss and Erling Wu-Bower, Kevin Ashworth, Anthony Lamas and Anthony Falco. Local restaurants getting in on the action include Doc Crow’s, Gospel Bird, Seviche and The Manhattan Exchange.
Highlights of these food events include a Big Easy Crawfish Boil with Seviche chef Lamas; a Southern Soul BBQ with chefs Kevin Ashworth and Stacie Stewart of 610 Magnolia and Milkwood; several live cooking demos; and a discussion titled “The Wonder Women of Whiskey” led by local author and bourbon expert Susan Reigler.
Major distilleries participating include Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Angel’s Envy, Barton 1792, Jim Beam, Bulleit, Boone County Distilling Co., Four Roses, Maker’s Mark, MB Roland Distillery, Michter’s, New Riff, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Kentucky Peerless, Rabbit Hole, Smooth Ambler and Limestone Branch Distillery.
Several of the master distillers and brand ambassadors will be on hand to host panel discussions and tastings. The festival will feature a Big Bourbon Bar, looking to be the city’s longest bar, where most of the drinks and tastings will be served. Pop-up speakeasies will be popping up as well, so keep your eyes peeled.
Music acts lined up to perform include Stevie Nicks, Eddie Vedder, Steve Miller Band, Band of Horses, Trombone Shorty, Gary Clark Jr. and others. For tickets, click here.
