Who gets top billing? It’s a tough call when looking at the 2018 Bourbon & Beyond Festival. This year’s lineup of music, spirits and culinary is first class across the board. Earlier this year, the festival producers, Danny Wimmer Presents announced a long-term 10 year commitment to this festival at Champions Park in Louisville, Kentucky. If this year two lineup is any indication, this festival will be around for more than just one decade.
Since bourbon comes first in the name, we’ll start with the 2018 bourbon workshops paired with food and then the musical acts.
2018 Bourbon & Beyond Bourbon Workshops
Friday, September 21
If you are looking to get an early start, here you go. Attendees can spend the Friday before the festival taking their spirits knowledge to a whole new level. Through a partnership with the Stave & Thief Society, Bourbon & Beyond will offer a “Certified Bourbon Steward” workshop. The day-long workshop is held at Moonshine University, an artisan distillery and education center located in downtown Louisville and combines classroom instruction with hands-on bourbon distilling. Instruction includes an analysis of the individual components of the distillate from a production perspective, as well as an examination of history and bourbon’s relationship to other whiskeys.
Saturday, September 22
| Time | Location | Event | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30am to 12:00pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Family Affair: The Russells | Jimmy/Eddie & Bruce Russell – Wild Turkey Distillery. |
| 11:30am to 11:50am | The Mash Stage | The Legends & Lore of American Whiskey | Fred Minnick – Author/Host / Bernie Lubbers – Heaven Hill Distillery / Freddie Johnson – Buffalo Trace Distillery / Chuck Cowdery – Author |
| 12:10pm to 12:30pm | The Mash Stage | Bourbon Mixology: Slushie Time | Doug Kragel & Susie Hoyt |
| 12:20pm to 12:50pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | The Art of Mingling & Blending | Joe Beatrice & John Little |
| 12:50pm to 1:20pm | The Mash Stage | Bourbon Mixology: Higher Proof | Beth Burrows – Jim Beam Distillery & Molly Wellmann – Author/Bar Owner |
| 1:10pm to 1:35pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Value Bourbon | Denny Potter – Heaven Hill Distillery / Beth Burrows – Jim Beam Distillery / Josh Hollifield |
| 1:55pm to 2:40pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Jack & Jim: What's The Difference | Jeff Arnett – Jack Daniel Distillery & Fred Noe – Jim Beam Distillery |
| 2:00pm to 2:30pm | The Mash Stage | Beef & Bourbon | Jose Salazar, Kevin Ashworth, Stacie Stewart, Peggy Noe Stevens |
| 3:00pm to 3:30pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Rare Whiskey | Larry Rice / Drew Kulsveen – Willett Distillery & Jane Bowie – Maker's Mark Distillery |
| 3:30pm to 4:00pm | The Mash Stage | What is Authenticity Anyway? | Edward Lee – Restaurantor/Host & Aaron Sanchez |
| 3:50pm to 4:20pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Change: The Cultural Evolution in Food & Drink | Fawn Weaver – Nearest Green Distillery & Tom Colicchio |
| 4:40pm to 5:10pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Up The Barrel | Chris Morris – Woodford Reserve Distillery & Colleen Thomas – Kentucky Distillers' Association |
| 5:00pm to 5:30pm | The Mash Stage | Oil & Water: The Chemistry Of Good Food & Drink | Tom Colicchio & Fred Minnick to Author/Host |
| 5:30pm to 5:50pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Cool Malts | Kaveh Zamanian – Rabbit Hole Distillery / Tripp Stimson – Barrell Craft Spirits / Paul Tomaszewski – MB Roland Distillery |
| 6:00pm to 6:30pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | The Audacity of Sourced Whiskey | John Foster / Josh Quinn – Boone County Distilling / Marianne Eaves – Castle & Key Distillery |
| 6:30pm to 7:00pm | The Mash Stage | Bird & Bourbon | Alex Thomopolous, Anthony Lamas – Chef, David Danielson, Tim Laird – Chief Entertainment Officer and Steve Coomes – Author |
Sunday, September 23
| Time | Location | Event | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30am to 12:00pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Barrel Finishes | Wes Henderson – Angel's Envy Distillery / Elizabeth McCall – Woodford Reserve Distillery / Trey Zoeller – Jefferson's Bourbon / John Hargrove – Bardstown Bourbon Company |
| 11:30am to 11:50am | The Mash Stage | A Look Back at the 1990s | Chuck Cowdery – Author / Trey Zoeller – Jefferson's Bourbon / Susan Reigler – Author |
| 12:10pm to 12:30pm | The Mash Stage | Local Grain, Big Fame | Ray Garcia Jeptha Creed Distillery Maker’s Mark Distillery" |
| 12:20pm to 12:50pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Beer & Bourbon | Jack Colt / Gary Valentine / Jane Bowie – Maker's Mark Distillery / Marianne Eaves – Castle & Key Distillery / Pat Heist – Wilderness Trail Distillery |
| 12:50pm to 1:20pm | The Mash Stage | Bourbon Mixology: How to Get Sour | Death & Co., Jeremy Johnson, Meta Louisville |
| 1:10pm to 1:40pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Executive Round Table | Joseph Magliocco – Michter's Distillery / Kaveh Zamanian – Rabbit Hole Distillery / Campbell Brown – Old Forester Distillery / John Little – Smooth Ambler / Jay Erisman – New Riff Distilling / Corky Taylor – Kentucky Peerless Distilling |
| 2:00pm to 2:30pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | My Daddy Was A Moonshiner | Thomas Wade Daniels |
| 2:00pm to 2:30pm | The Mash Stage | How Soy Sauce Conquered the World | Edward Lee – Chef, Erik Bruner Yang & Matt Jamie |
| 2:50pm to 3:20pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Let Us Entertain You | Sara Barnes – Boone County Distilling / Peggy Noe Stevens – Author |
| 3:30pm to 4:00pm | The Mash Stage | Gather & Graze | Stephanie Izard, Ryan Rogers, Andrew McCabe, Patrick Hallahan, Bobby Valentine |
| 3:40pm to 4:30pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | We Don't Need No Stinkin' Master Distiller | Kaveh Zamanian – Rabbit Hole Distillery / Jim Rutledge – J.W. Rutledge Distillery |
| 4:30pm to 5:00pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Why Rye | Harlen Wheatley – Buffalo Trace Distillery / Kyle Henderson – Angel's Envy Distillery / Caleb Kilburn – Kentucky Peerless Distilling / Denny Potter – Heaven Hill Distillery |
| 5:00pm to 5:30pm | The Mash Stage | Modern Traditions | Ray Garcia, Damaris Phillips, Don Felder |
| 5:20pm to 5:50pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Family Affair: Van Winkles & Kulsveens | Julian / Preston / Carrie Van Winkle; Britt & Drew Kulsveen – Willett Distillery |
| 6:00pm to 6:30pm | Bourbon+ Workshop Tent | Bottled in Bond | Jay Erisman – New Riff Distilling / Bernie Lubbers – Heaven Hill Distillery |
| 6:30pm to 7:00pm | The Mash Stage | The Flavor Of Bluegrass | Ahktar Nawab, Annie Pettry, Del McCoury |
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2018 Bourbon & Beyond Music Schedule
Saturday, September 22
| Time | Location | Musical Talent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:35 pm | Barrel Stage | Swimming With Bears | |
| 12:45 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper | |
| 1:10 pm | Oak Stage | Larkin Poe | |
| 1:45 pm | Barrel Stage | Mindi Abair And The Boneshakers | |
| 1:45 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Lindsay Lou | |
| 2:20 pm | Oak Stage | Joseph | |
| 2:55 pm | Barrel Stage | JJ Grey & Mofro | |
| 3:00 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Phoebe Hunt & The Gatherers | |
| 3:45 pm | Oak Stage | Keb’ Mo’ | |
| 4:15 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Billy Strings | |
| 4:50 pm | Barrel Stage | Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot! | |
| 5:55 pm | Oak Stage | Sheryl Crow | |
| 6:00 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Reignwolf | |
| 7:00 pm | Barrel Stage | David Byrne | |
| 8:05 pm | Oak Stage | Lenny Kravitz | |
| 9:30 pm | Barrel Stage | John Mayer | |
Sunday, September 23
| Time | Location | Musical Talent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:50 am | Oak Stage | The Last Bandoleros | |
| 12:25 pm | Barrel Stage | The Magpie Salute | |
| 1:00 pm | Oak Stage | Del McCoury Band | |
| 1:00 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper | |
| 1:35 pm | Barrel Stage | The Record Company | |
| 2:00 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Ben Sollee | |
| 2:20 pm | Oak Stage | Don Felder | |
| 3:05 pm | Barrel Stage | Benjamin Booker | |
| 3:15 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | River Whyless | |
| 3:50 pm | Oak Stage | Blackberry Smoke | |
| 4:30 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | Madisen Ward And The Mama Bear | |
| 4:45 pm | Barrel Stage | Kaleo | |
| 5:40 pm | Oak Stage | Gov’t Mule | |
| 6:00 pm | Bluegrass Situation Stage | The Travelin’ McCourys | |
| 6:45 pm | Barrel Stage | Counting Crows | |
| 7:50 pm | Oak Stage | Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters | |
| 9:10 pm | Barrel Stage | Sting | |
Needless to say, there is a lot happening across multiple stages. To help you with your planning, the festival has its own app this year that you can find in the App Store here or on Google Play here.
The countdown to the gates opening is on. Cheers to Bourbon & Beyond year number two!
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