by After a one-month delay and then a move from a live to virtual format, the 29th Kentucky Bourbon Festival(KBF) finally happened over 4 days in late October. And it was a great deal of fun, learning, and passion for our native spirit. The online event put the best of the bourbon world on display, from distillers to mixologists to chefs, all available free to bourbon enthusiasts.
The virtual festival offered nearly 20 sessions on topics ranging from multiple sessions on The Art of Whiskey Making and Cocktail Quickie to Single Barrels: The Real Whiskey Unicorns and What is a Collectible Bourbon. Twenty distilleries and several other Kentucky companies sponsored the event.
While I look forward to returning to Bardstown in person next year (sadly, the World Championship Bourbon Barrel Relay didn’t translate into virtual form), this year’s online KBF was a welcome solution in our current pandemic situation. It may have actually allowed a broader mix of bourbon fans to participate than might otherwise have been able to get to Bardstown on their own. The 30th KBF plans to return in a new format live event next year with dates to be announced.
Read the rest of my November column Bourbon Spirit in Whiskey Network Magazine here.
