Sip, Shop, Listen, Eat, and Sip Again
The folks in Bardstown, Kentucky should be taking a well-deserved break after hosting the second successful (and even bigger) National Bourbon Week. Events were held all around Bardstown, at distilleries, restaurants and bars, throughout the historic downtown, and even at one local home. (The Beam Backyard Luau was hosted by seventh-and-eighth-generation Master Distillers, Fred and Freddie Noe.)
Visitors to the Bourbon Capital of the World could sip their favorite bourbons, take classes, tour various distilleries and their experiences, listen to music, shop, eat full meals or tasty bites, make a cocktail, meet bourbon celebrities, and taste new bourbons releases they’ve never had before.
The Bourbon Capital Mash Up
I was invited to attend The Mash Up by our friends at the Bourbon Capital Alliance. This new event paired up local distilleries with area chefs and restaurants for a great Friday evening of robust pours, unique cocktails, savory food, and delicious desserts.
As an added bonus (depending on your ticket) you could sample a sip from four different “old dusties.” On offer: 1969 Beam’s Choice Eight-Year, 1977 National Reserve Eight-Year (pre-Heaven Hill fire), 1978 Very Old Barton Rye 12-Year, and 1982 Maker’s Mark 101 Proof. My palate had a soft spot for the sip that was bottled the year I graduate from high school. (And don’t guess the 1969 Beam’s Choice.)
The evening, was held at an exciting new venue called Bespoke in Bond in downtown Bardstown.
The Mash Up’s Distillery & Culinary Partners
- Barton 1792 Distillery and Flour & Oak Bakery
- Lux Row Distillers and Stephen Goodin of Dust & Flour Co.
- Preservation Distillery and Oak & Ember at The Trail Hotel
- Bardstown Bourbon Co. and Toogie’s Table
- James B. Beam Distilling Co. and The Kitchen Table
- Log Still Distillery and The Legacy at Log Still
- Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience and Five Brother’s Bar & Kitchen
- Old SteelHouse Distillery and Bourbon Ball Inn
- Maker’s Mark Distillery and Star Hill Provisions
"The Bourbon Capital Alliance (BCA) could not be more pleased with our second annual National Bourbon Week, held June 9-15 in and around Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World®. In partnership with Visit Bardstown from a marketing perspective, we drove thousands of bourbon lovers to Bardstown throughout the week, successfully selling out multiple distillery events and educational experiences hosted in the Brindiamo Penthouse. The inaugural Bourbon Capital Mash Up featuring our nine BCA partner distilleries paired with local culinary talents was a fantastic event with more than 130 ticketed guests. We look forward to an even more comprehensive experience for our third annual National Bourbon Week in 2026."
National Bourbon Week 2025 by the Numbers
11 distilleries. 16 acres. 38 participating events. 9 sold out events. 9 distilleries and 130+ guests at The Mash Up, an inaugural pours & pairings event hosted by the Bourbon Capital Alliance. $3,000 raised for Friday Night Sound Bites through a bottle pull at The Mash Up. 27 bottles donated by Bourbon Capital Alliance partner distilleries. 5 bottles donated by the Bourbon Capital Guild. 7 bottles donated by the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. $1,000 raised by Barton 1792 for the Bardstown Sports & Aquatic Center, representing 100% of ticket proceeds from their NBW event.
Come to Bardstown Year Round
During the week, two distilleries debuted special releases. Log Still Distillery offered Wally’s Single Barrel Pick was hand-selected by Log Still President & Distiller Wally Dant. While Preservation Distillery released Very Olde St. Nick, “a 20-year-old bottling with fewer than 150 bottles available and the first such release in more than four decades.”
The dates for National Bourbon Week 2026 will be announced soon. Whiskey enthusiasts will definitely want to mark your calendars and come to Bardstown for next year’s week-long bourbon celebration.
But there’s really no reason to wait. Sign up for the he Bourbon Capital Academy course called “Bourbon in Bardstown.” Schedule a tour and tasting at one of the 11 local distilleries. Visit the Oscar. Getz Museum of Bourbon History in historic Spalding Hall. Walk and shop along Bardstown’s historic downtown. Stop for a meal and a drink at one of the many local restaurants and bars.
They call it the Bourbon Capital of the World for a reason, you know.
About National Bourbon Week
(From the organizers) National Bourbon Week is a celebration of all things bourbon in the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown, KY. Centered around National Bourbon Day which occurs June 14 each year, National Bourbon Week includes dozens of distillery events, special releases, tastings and more, as well as the annual Bourbon City Street Concert in downtown Bardstown. In 2024 and expected again in 2026, National Bourbon Week also includes the release of the much anticipated Bardstown Collection, a collaboration amongst multiple local distilleries. National Bourbon Week is organized by the Bourbon Capital Alliance, a local nonprofit organization tasked with building the comprehensive bourbon experience in Bardstown. Working closely with the Bourbon Capital Alliance's nine partner distilleries, Visit Bardstown, and Bardstown Mainstreet, the seven day series of bourbon-focused events is a fantastic week for a bourbon lover to be in the Bourbon Capital of the World
