Bourbon Events - BourbonSphere

UPCOMING EVENT: Ultimate Bottled-in-Bond Celebration! “Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival” in Covington, KY

National “Bottled-in-Bond Day” is March 3rd. As if you didn’t already know? This very special occasion which rightfully celebrates the 1897 “Bottled-in-Bond” Act is coming in hot. Thankfully, the good folks in Northern Kentucky’s Covington area have us covered with a tongue smacking foot tapping delicious celebration. And for good reason. Hang with me here. You […]

The post UPCOMING EVENT: Ultimate Bottled-in-Bond Celebration! “Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival” in Covington, KY first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

National “Bottled-in-Bond Day” is March 3rd. As if you didn’t already know? This very special occasion which rightfully celebrates the 1897 “Bottled-in-Bond” Act is coming in hot. Thankfully, the good folks in Northern Kentucky’s Covington area have us covered with a tongue smacking foot tapping delicious celebration. And for good reason. Hang with me here.

You see, the “BiB” Act was the first major legislation providing specific standards of quality for American Whiskey. It guaranteed you knew who made your whiskey, where it was aged, a minimum age of at least 4 years, and a 100 proof (50% abv). Hard to imagine now but back in those days, it was truly The Wild Wild Wild Wild West and a lot could happen to your whiskey from producer to barkeeper. Keep in mind, whiskey was a common remedy in those day for infants and children. Nothing like coating those teething baby gums with whiskey that was adultered with tobacco spit and just a smidge of some rust for coloring and good measure. Maybe a dash of paint thinner to top it off.

The Kentucky Connection: Bottled-in-Bond’s Hero

Northern Kentucky’s Covington area was the native stomping grounds to the most important politician backing BiB – US Secretary of Treasure John G. Carlisle (resume also boasts US Senator, POTUS candidacy, and a bunch of other gov stuff). As a proud Kentuckian, he was certainly immersed in the Bourbon world as he, along with close friend E.H. Taylor, fought hard and diligently to push BiB through.

Heyyy…Where The Party At?!

*MARCH 2nd – COVINGTON, KY* Mark your calendar March 2nd for the first-annual Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, at Smoke Justis in Covington, Ky. Brought together in partnership with meetNKY and The B-Line^®, the festival celebrates the spirit of the Bottled-in-Bond (BIB) Act of 1897 and features a cocktail competition, food and a live music lineup featuring Grammy-nominated bluegrass artists Sister Sadie and The Goodwin Brothers.

“Everyone knows Kentucky has a rich history rooted in bourbon but what many don’t know is Northern Kentucky’s role in that history,” said president and CEO of meetNKY, Julie Kirkpatrick. “The Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival is the perfect way to celebrate the Bottled-in-Bond Act, which Covington’s very own John G. Carlisle was instrumental in passing in 1897. We partnered with our friends at Smoke Justis— a B-Line location — to bring together the perfect collision of bourbon and bluegrass to draw visitors to our region and give them and locals another fun thing to do that weekend in addition to Bockfest.”

DATE: Saturday, March 2nd, 2024

TIME: 5 – 10 pm EST

LOCATION: Smoke Justis (302 Court St, Covington, KY, 41011)

COST: $100 General Admission and $175 VIP

TICKET INFO: HERE

Bottled-in-Bond Cocktail Competition!

In the spirit of celebration, the festival also hosts a competition to crown the best BIB cocktail, enlisting bartenders from across the Commonwealth to showcase creativity and highlight the unique qualities of BIB spirits. Bartender contestants will represent Second Sight Spirits and Rich’s Proper from Northern Kentucky, Old Bourbon County (OBC) Kitchen and The Manchester Hotel from Lexington, Ky. and 21c Proof on Main and Goodfella’s from Louisville, Ky. All participating bars were selected to participate by The Bourbon Review.

GENERAL ADMISSION INCLUDES: Roebling Rickhouse General Admission tickets are $100 and include six samplings of BIB cocktails, one beer or wine drink ticket, light bites and access to the music lineup.

VIP TICKETS: John G. Carlisle VIP Experience Tickets are available for $175 and include exclusive access to the Smoke Justis Bourbon Lounge, the opportunity to cast a vote for the Best BIB Cocktail, six samplings of BIB Cocktails, two full BIB cocktails, a buffet dinner served in the Smoke Justis Bourbon lounge, and more.

Arrangement of Grammy-Nominated Artists

The music lineup includes Grammy-nominated acts, Sister Sadie and The Goodwin Brothers, as well as regional musical group Moonshine Drive. Doors open at 5 p.m., with Moonshine Drive taking the stage at 5:30 p.m., followed by Sister Sadie at 7 p.m. and The Goodwin Brothers at 8:30 p.m.

“Covington owns the unique Bottled-in-Bond aspect of bourbon’s long-standing history in this country,” said Smoke Justis founder, Richard Dickmann. “Smoke Justis looks forward to celebrating bourbon and bluegrass with whiskey enthusiasts from all over against the backdrop of our iconic Roebling Bridge.”

Those interested in purchasing tickets can through Eventbrite here. Guests must be 21 to attend.

The post UPCOMING EVENT: Ultimate Bottled-in-Bond Celebration! “Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival” in Covington, KY first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

EVENT (May 4th): Wenzel Whiskey’s “Blend Your Own” Evening Extravaganza in Bourbon Country’s Covington, KY

Wenzel Whiskey (Covington, KY) has a special evening in store for you. It involves creating your own whiskey, in an architecturally captivating setting, led by a top industry whiskey palate. Wenzel Whiskey is a gateway for creating your own juice. And like many things in life, its the experience and the journey of how you […]

The post EVENT (May 4th): Wenzel Whiskey’s “Blend Your Own” Evening Extravaganza in Bourbon Country’s Covington, KY first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

Wenzel Whiskey (Covington, KY) has a special evening in store for you. It involves creating your own whiskey, in an architecturally captivating setting, led by a top industry whiskey palate.

Wenzel Whiskey is a gateway for creating your own juice. And like many things in life, its the experience and the journey of how you reach your end destination in which makes this company’s concept so unique. So memorable. So rewarding. And having a liquid trophy to sip and share your experience with friends and family, well, that ain’t so bad either;)

*Blending Experience at Wenzel Whiskey. Photo: Patrick McNamara*

Your whiskey journey will take place in the Wenzel Building, a 150 year old (circa 1873) revitalized building which in itself is the perfect blend of old world exposed brick and hardwood beauty meets modern accent nuances.

Proprietor and co-founder Bill Whitlow is a top palate and whiskey expert. He’s a decorated mixologist, owns Rich’s Proper Food & Drink in Covington (on Bourbon Review’s BEST BOURBON BARS IN AMERICA list), and knows the whiskey game as well as anyone.

Here’s the breakdown of what could be on your horizon of special memories, encapsulated by delicious whiskey of which who’s flavor profile you masterminded.

“Blend Your Own” Details…

DATE: May 4th, 6:30pm EST
BLEND BASE: 6 + 7 Year Indiana Ryes (Carefully Curated)
INCLUDES
- Blending Experience
- Food catered by Rich’s Proper Food & Drink
- Wenzel T-Shirt
- 750ml Bottle of your specific blend
- Additional bottle available for $100
COST: $150

EVENT LINK: CLICK HERE

STAY HERE: Boutique Hotel Within Wenzel Building

How fitting the Wenzel Building should have its very own boutique hotel, should you need a place to rest your head after a hard day’s work of blending;) “The Pickle Factory Hotel” has unbound unique charm to match its unconventional namesake. In a former life, it was a pickle factory.

HOTEL: CLICK HERE

The post EVENT (May 4th): Wenzel Whiskey’s “Blend Your Own” Evening Extravaganza in Bourbon Country’s Covington, KY first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

The Bourbon Raffle Hits Its Stride.

Charitable organizations have held raffles forever, but usually for a low ticket price and for modest items, especially when compared to silent and live auction items. In the bourbon world, though, raffle item value has been increasing, and now 2023 is taking shape as…

Not only have more bourbon raffles been launched so far this year than we typically see in an entire year, but we’re also beginning to see multiple lots available for each raffle ticket purchased, instead of just a single bottle or a vertical of particular brand. Some current raffles have enough high-value items that they could have been run as an auction.

Does this signify donor fatigue with traditional silent and live bourbon auctions? Or does it reflect the incredible need for planning, volunteer hours, and expense associated with auctions compared to raffles?

Holding a raffle is incredibly simple and it’s a method that donors trust, even though they understand that the chances of winning are slim. A raffle also evens the playing field by giving access to small donors who would be outbid in an auction, but who still want to donate. On the other hand, from the fundraising standpoint, a raffle abandons the psychological component of competitiveness in bidding, the element of FOMO, and getting caught up in the moment.

Depending on how much is raised, the current impressive raffles might set the stage for a transition away from auctions. In many silent and live auctions, bidding slows to a crawl when FMV has been met, except for a handful of items that are particularly unique and the crowd has people who want to support the cause. So long as a raffle is priced correctly, a charity could easily double or triple the value of the items if they are able to market the raffle broadly enough to sell the right number of tickets. Lack of successful, targeted marketing for a raffle, though, will quickly result in doom for fundraising.

In the spirit of helping charities sell tickets, for anyone able and interested in donating, here are three bourbon raffles that I’m supporting:

The “Kentucky Bourbon Raffle” https://www.kentuckybourbonraffle.org/bourbon. This might be the biggest bourbon raffle ever. It benefits a cause near and dear to me—Educational Justice. Tickets are $100 each, with a maximum of 2,000 available. Each ticket gives you a chance at one of 22 tremendous lots—ranging from an entire barrel to a variety of rare and highly sought after bottles. Winners will be selected on June 23, 2023.
Pennyrile Habitat for Humanity https://www.pennyrilehabitat.org/bourbonraffle. Western Kentucky still hasn’t recovered from the 2021 tornado and folks still need help. Pappy raffles have become commonplace, but not this kind of Pappy raffle. This raffle includes rare, vintage bottles, including a Japanese export and an otherwise unobtainable private selection. Cost per ticket is $100 for a chance at three separate lots. The maximum number of tickets seems high at 6,000, but it’s a great cause. Three winners will be selected on May 5, 2023.
The Kentucky Humane Society https://one.bidpal.net/wellercollection/welcome. I’ve supported KHS for decades and have my fingers crossed to win a complete Weller lineup. The ticket price is also $100, but only 500 tickets will be sold, so your chances are much better for the money. A winner will be selected on May 4, 2023.

Will bourbon raffles supplant bourbon auctions? Let me know in the comments, and best of luck!

The Kentucky Bourbon Benefit Raises $3.5 Million for Tornado Relief.

The massive tornado that ripped through Western Kentucky overnight on December 10, 2021 caused tremendous losses. But, as Kentuckians have shown throughout history, we’re resilient, and as distillers and bourbon fans have also shown, we answer the call. In fact, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association…

The morning after the storms, KDA president Eric Gregory was on the phone with me, Fred Minnick, the Bourbon Crusaders, and all Kentucky distillers (not just KDA member distilleries) to begin planning how we could help with relief efforts.

Within only a few days, the KDA had secured incredible once-in-a-lifetime donations from Kentucky’s signature distilleries, the Bourbon Crusaders had lined up donations of epic “unicorn” bottles from members and friends, and Fred Minnick mobilized his resources to present what would become the largest charitable bourbon auction ever—The Kentucky Bourbon Benefit.

Over a four-day period, the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit listed about 100 new auction items per day, ending with 429 items. Bidding began immediately, with over five thousand total bidders, ending with a live auction of the top items on December 21 at Westport Whiskey & Wine in Louisville. By the following morning as final bids were tallied and donations were still coming in, the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit had raised about $3.5 million for tornado relief efforts, which will all go to Governor Andy Beshear’s Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.

The top two items were exclusive barrel experiences donated by Willett and Four Roses. The Willett barrel experience—a 19-year-old barrel selection—sold for $401,001, which set the individual barrel record ever, and Willett doubled it the next morning when the second-place bidder agreed to pay the winning bid price. Similarly, the Four Roses experience, which offered a barrel between 17 and 24 years, sold for an astounding $278,000, and Four Roses doubled its donation too, so the second-place bidder increased his bid to net $556,000 for the Four Roses barrels.

Both Four Roses and Willett donated other rare bottles and barrels to the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit, so that just from the generosity of these two distilleries, Western Kentuckians will receive over $1.7 million.

Other distillery partners like Brown-Forman/Woodford Reserve, Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark, Angel’s Envy, New Riff, Michter’s, Rabbit Hole, and Castle & Key, among others, all made remarkable donations that raked in never-before-seen bidding. And individual donors like Chris Morris, of Brown-Forman, and Larry Kass, retired from Heaven Hill, donated bottles that are impossible to find anywhere. Only one major distillery did its own auction, but individuals affiliated with that distillery made generous donations on their own.

The Kentucky Bourbon Benefit also included 14 bottles from Carr’s Steakhouse in Mayfield, Kentucky, which was devastated by the storm. While Carr’s was demolished, 14 bottles of bourbon survived and were added to the auction, most with matching funds from KDA-member distilleries, Independent Stave Company, Vendome Copper & Brass Works, and the Kentucky Travel Industry Association.

KDA President Eric Gregory said, “The outpouring of support, care and love for Western Kentuckians is truly unparalleled in the history of Bourbon. We are forever grateful for the generosity of distillers, donors and bidders.” Bourbon Crusaders President RJ Sargent added, “The response was tremendous, far beyond our wildest hopes. Our members pulled out treasures from their collections and the community responded enthusiastically.”

Bourbon enthusiasts across the country proved again that it’s not just about the bourbon.

**You can still donate to the official Kentucky relief site here: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief or to the Bourbon Crusaders, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. If you donate to the official fund, please designate “Kentucky Bourbon Benefit” in the “Fundraising Event” field.

The Samuels House—Spend a Night at the (Bourbon) Museum.

A trip to Kentucky to visit Maker’s Mark and other distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® just got even more enticing with your chance to live inside Kentucky bourbon history dating back to 1820. When it comes to heritage and longevity, the Samuels family…

When it comes to heritage and longevity, the Samuels family stands atop all whisky families. Yes, whisky without the “e” because that’s how Maker’s Mark does it. The Samuels family began distilling whisky by at least 1783, and in 1840, Taylor William “T.W.” Samuels opened the family’s first commercial distillery in Kentucky. The Samuels line of whisky making is unbroken through eight generations, even though Prohibition, World War II, and breaking off to form Maker’s Mark each resulted in some down-time.

Take a drive through Nelson County north of Bardstown, near Deatsville and Cox’s Creek, and you’ll soon find yourself in “Samuels Depot,” with several roads named for the family, and you’ll run across the remains of the old T.W. Samuels Distillery, which Bill, Sr. (a/k/a T.W. Samuels IV) and his wife, Margie, left behind in the early 1940’s with the mission of making a better bourbon. Drive a little further, and you’ll find the family home, built around 1820, by John Samuels, the son of Robert Samuels, who was the family’s first whisky distiller.

The Samuels House has been a part of history beyond bourbon. This is the home where Sheriff T.W. Samuels arranged for Frank James and his gang of the remnants of Quantrill’s raiders, who were Confederate guerrillas, to surrender to the Union Army, marking one of the last post-Appomattox surrenders. As part of the surrender, the Samuels family still owns Frank’s .36 caliber 1851 Navy Colt revolver.

And now, under the vision of Janell and Rob Samuels (the eighth generation), The Samuels House has been repurchased, renovated to its historical grandeur with modern conveniences, and filled with family heirlooms and memorabilia. From 50 bottles spanning 150 years of distilling, to the actual deep fryer that Margie used to perfect the iconic dripping red wax, to Frank James’s revolver, The Samuels House is practically a museum. Starting in September 2021, you can spend the night with up to eight total guests and experience the history.

Find more information here: https://www.thesamuelshouse.com/.