Bourbon & Beyond - September 20, 21 & 22, 2019, Louisville, Kentucky

They say the third time is a charm and year three of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival looks quite charming. We have it on good authority that last year’s headliner – The Weather – has agreed to not be an issue in 2019. The event organizers have once again pulled out all the stops for first class food, music and bourbon with a lineup that just like bourbon gets better and better with age. And, in order to pack it all in the festival has added another day and gone from two to three days running September 20 through 22, 2019.

Bourbon & Beyond - Champions Park, Louisville, Kentucky
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“If you could capture America in a bottle, it would be a bottle of bourbon. It’s a uniquely American creation, like jazz and baseball, and its beating heart is in Louisville,” says Bourbon & Beyond producer Danny Wimmer. “This connection to the past has transformed Louisville into a city of the future. One of the most vibrant and diverse food scenes in the country has grown around bourbon’s resurgence, and we tried to mirror that spirit with the great music lineup that we put together. I can’t wait for people to visit this city in September and experience something that goes far beyond their preconception of what Louisville is.”

An Eclectic Collection of Musicians and Bands

This year’s music selection is a bit broader with unique mix of rock, roots, bluegrass and folk acts headlined by Foo Fighters, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters and the Zac Brown Band. Additional acts include John Fogerty, Daryl Hall & John Oates, ZZ Top (celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2019), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Trey Anastasio Band, Leon Bridges, The Flaming Lips, Alison Krauss, Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes, +LIVE+, Grace Potter, Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, among many others. In total, more than 45 artists will play on three stages, including the side-by-side Oak and Barrel main stages and a bluegrass stage that will be curated by the genre’s leading authority, The Bluegrass Situation. The complete Bourbon & Beyond music lineup is on the poster below.

A Great Blend of Bourbon and Culinary Experiences

Held during Bourbon Heritage Month, Bourbon & Beyond celebrates the craftsmanship behind award-winning spirits, master distillers and world-class chefs. Bourbon author and expert Fred Minnick has curated one-of-a-kind tastings and seminars celebrating Louisville’s world-renowned distilleries, while culinary curators Edward Lee (The Mind of A Chef) and Anthony Lamas (Seviche) will team up to arrange special food experiences that will be announced soon.

The Music Headliners

The current music lineup for the three day Bourbon & Beyond Festival is as follows.

Friday, September 20: Foo Fighters, John Fogerty, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Flaming Lips, +LIVE+, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, Greensky Bluegrass, Blackberry Smoke, [artist TBA], Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Pearl, Mipso, Amythyst Kiah

Saturday, September 21: Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Trey Anastasio Band, Alison Krauss, Grace Potter, Squeeze, Jenny Lewis, Del McCoury Band, Samantha Fish, The White Buffalo, Maggie Rose, Patrick Droney, The Travelin’ McCourys, Cedric Burnside, Ben Sollee

Sunday, September 22: Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top, Leon Bridges, Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros, Kurt Vile And The Violators, Margo Price, Little Steven And The Disciples Of Soul, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, White Reaper, Whiskey Myers, Southern Avenue, Caroline Jones, Dustbowl Revival, The Lil Smokies, Front Country

The Chef and Culinary Headliners

The current chef and restaurant lineup for the three day Bourbon & Beyond Festival is as follows.

  • Edward Lee (The Mind of A Chef, 610 Magnolia, MilkWood, Whiskey Dry)
  • Graham Elliot (Family Food Fight, Top Chef)
  • The Voltaggio Brothers (Michael – Ink, Top Chef & Bryan – VOLT)
  • Tiffani Thiessen (“Dinner At Tiffani’s”)
  • Jamie Bissonnette (Coppa, Toro, Little Donkey)
  • Amanda Freitag (The Chef Next Door: A Pro Chef’s Recipes for Fun, Fearless Home Cooking, Chopped)
  • Anthony Lamas (Chef/Owner at Seviche)
  • Brooke Williamson (Top Chef, Knife Fight, House of Food)
  • Jose Salazar (Salazar, Mita’s, Goose and Elder)
  • Ouita Michel (Holly Hill Inn)
  • Adam Sobel (Cal Mare)
  • Jonathan Searle (Lockbox)
  • Matt Abdoo (Pig Beach)
  • Rusty Hamlin (Papi’s Taqueria, Zac Brown’s Social Club, Atkins Park Restaurant)
  • Sara Bradley (Freight House)
  • Kelsey Barnard Clark (KBC)
  • Justin Sutherland (Iron Chef America, Handsome Hog, Pearl and the Thief)

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The Distillery and Bourbon Headliners

The initial list of participating bourbon brands at Bourbon & Beyond includes 1792, Angel’s Envy, Bardstown Bourbon, Barrell Bourbon, Blanton’s, Bloody Butcher’s Creed, Bluegrass Distillery, Boone County Distilling, Buffalo Trace, Coopers’ Craft, Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Four Roses, Jim Beam, Kentucky Peerless, Knob Creek, Larceny, Maker’s Mark, MB Roland, Michter’s, Old Forester, Wild Turkey, Wilderness Trail, W.L. Weller and Woodford Reserve. Whiskey sponsors also include Jack Daniel’s, High West Distillery, Uncle Nearest and Southern Comfort.

Bourbon Experiences Promise to Give You a Good Kentucky Hug

And as in previous years there will be plenty of workshop opportunities to take a deep dive into bourbon history, culture and lifestyle. (Can you spot the one fake event?)

  • Barrel Finish vs. Traditional Bourbon
  • Beer Drinker’s Bourbon
  • Bourbon Disruptors
  • How Highball Can You Go?
  • Mash Stage Demos
  • Master Taster: Learn How to Taste Like a Pro
  • Old Fashioned vs. Manhattan
  • Slavery in American Whiskey – The untold story of how enslaved persons helped build American whiskey.
  • How Fred Minnick Drinks His Vodka
  • Sweet Mash: The American Revolution
  • The Barrel – How it makes bourbon taste so awesome.
  • The Van Winkle Famly Bourbon Workshop
  • What is a Master Distiller?
  • Whiskey’s Dark Past – A look into the murders, bootlegging and crazy stories.
  • Vendome Copper & Brass Works – Will be building a still onsite.
  • Whiskey Women

Bourbon & Beyond Tickets – September 20, 21 and 22, 2019

This year’s three day festival is taking place at a new location. If you attended last year’s event you know that the weather created havoc, so bad so that the final day of the 2018 event had to be canceled for safety reason. It was a gutsy but appropriate call on the part of the event organizers. This year’s event will take place at the new Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Expo Center. This location takes place across the street from the Kentucky Fair Grounds so the ability to get in, out and find parking should not be a problem.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday March 15 at noon eastern time. Ticket prices and packages vary depending on the number of days fans will attend and what amenities they might be interested in. A single day pass is $89.50 while a three day pass is $169.50 plus fees. The three day VIP package runs $1599.50 plus fees. There are many other options as well.

In addition to Bourbon & Beyond the event organizers will be offering special discounts for fans that want to attend the other events Hometown Rising Country Music & Bourbon Festival (Sept. 14-15) and Louder Than Life (Sept. 27-29). Fans interested in attending all three weekends can purchase a special Trifesta Pass, which allows General Admission weekend access for the discounted rate.

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