It’s common knowledge that every week is bourbon week in Bardstown.
But now, the Bourbon Capital of the World has made it official.
Bookending National Bourbon Day on June 14th will be an entire week of festivities (June 11-16) focusing on….you guessed it, bourbon.
The smooth amber liquid that made Bardstown famous will be the star during the week-long schedule of activities.
Those activities will include bottle releases, pop-up distillery events, food and drink specials at downtown restaurants and bars, extended downtown shopping hours, and the 26th annual Bourbon City Street Concert.
The release party for the 2024 Bardstown Collection will get things started on June 11th at My Old Kentucky Home’s Garden Rotunda.
This year seven distilleries – Bardstown Bourbon Company; Heaven Hill Distillery; James B. Beam Distilling Co.; Log Still Distillery; Lux Row Distillery; Preservation Distillery + Farm; and the newest member, Limestone Branch Distillery – will showcase their bourbons for the collection.
This partnership, one that emphasizes collaboration over competition, is unprecedented in the bourbon industry.
In that collaborative spirit, each distillery will select two barrels of its premium bourbon, often with contrasting flavor profiles, and blend them to create something unique. Those bourbons will then be packaged in a signature blue and gold box for sale in the participating distilleries’ gift shops.
As the new kid on the (bourbon) block, Stephen Beam is excited about being included in the 2024 Bardstown Collection. As Master Distiller at Limestone Branch Distillery, Beam says, “although we have a friendly competition with one another, our strength lies in our support of each other.”
“It has never been so important to keep Kentucky bourbon as the gold standard, and collaborations such as this ensure we will continue to lead the way,” he adds.
Throughout the week, each distillery will have its own release event, kicking off with Preservation and Heaven Hill Distilleries on June 12th.
Also on the 12th, Lux Row will host a Double Distillers Dinner with Limestone Branch Distillery. The dinner will offer an opportunity to taste and purchase both distillery collections.
The two distilleries will then follow the joint dinner on June 13th when both, along with Log House Distilleries, will hold their official release events (Log Still will have food trucks and live music as well).
Bardstown Bourbon Company and James B. Beam Distilling Co. will take the stage with their releases on June 14th, while that night will see a dual celebration of National Bourbon Day and Bill Samuels, Jr. ‘s birthday.
Maker’s Mark Distillery will take over the Brindiamo Penthouse at Spalding Hall for an evening of cake-cutting, story-telling and Maker’s 46-enjoying.
It will be a different kind of morning after when the celebration continues at Preservation, as Bardstown’s premier craft distillery introduces its collection at an upscale bourbon brunch on June 15th.
Why be satisfied with one bourbon brunch when two will be even better? National Bourbon Week in Bardstown will conclude with a brunch at Heaven Hill Distillery featuring brunch cocktails and food from their Five Brothers Kitchen & Bar. Who knows? You might even get a pour of their 2024 Bardstown Bourbon Collection selection.
Some may think this sounds like bourbon overload, but then in Bardstown, there’s no such thing as bourbon overload.
Sam Lacy, executive director of the Bourbon Capital Alliance, explains it this way:
“The Bourbon Capital of the World deserves more than just one day to celebrate its signature beverage,” he says.
“That’s why the Bourbon Capital Alliance and Visit Bardstown are partnering to bring visitors and consumers this first ever week of bourbon-focused events.”
During the week, Lacy will also be holding special Bourbon Academy courses in the Brindiamo Penthouse for those who want to learn about bourbon as well as drink it.
Attention, all you bourbon lovers. Circle your calendars now for June 11-16 for what promises to be one of Bardstown’s biggest bourbon extravaganzas ever, and stay tuned over the next few months for information about additional participants in the festivities.
As Jeff Crowe, Chairman of the Bardstown Tourist Board, says, “National Bourbon Week serves as a beacon, drawing in visitors from far and wide, eager to immerse themselves in our rich bourbon heritage, and experience firsthand the craftsmanship behind every sip.
“Let’s raise our glasses to this inaugural celebration and to forging lasting memories that will keep visitors returning to the Bourbon Capital of the World for many years to come.”