If you’ve been to the extravaganza that is Bourbon and Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky, (as we were last year) you know it’s a multi-day, multi-sensory experience of bourbon, music, and food. If you haven’t been, put September 11-14, 2025 on your calendar.
Recently, the events producers, Danny Wimmer Presents, announced “the exciting roster of culinary and spirits talent who will curate elevated food and beverage pairings on-site alongside the stacked music lineup slated for 2025.” (See the box below.)
For more, go to www.BourbonAndBeyond.com
“Bourbon & Beyond is where the heart of music meets the soul of bourbon country, and is hands down one of the most exhilarating festivals in the nation. I’m excited to crank up the heat on the stage, with chefs rocking out their best dishes with some of your favorite performers. We’re crafting a lineup of chefs that celebrate bourbon in the most delicious and daring way possible, where every sip feels like a high-five and every bite is a thrilling encore,"
The initial lineup of culinary talent and spirit panelists at Bourbon & Beyond 2025 includes (subject to change):
The Fork & Flask curated by Kroger Stage Celebrity Chefs & Artist Pairings, hosted by
Chris Santos & Edward Lee
Bourbon Experts & Celebrity Guests Hosted by Amanda
Freitag & Chris Blandford
Amanda Freitag
Barb Parish (Brown Forman)
Brandon O’Daniel (Copper & Kings, Nelsons Green Brier)
Brandon Smith (Bardstown Bourbon Co.)
Brent Elliott (Four Roses Distillery)
Bri Hlava (mixologist)
Brian Probus (Firkin Podcast)
Brooklyn Lytle (mixologist)
Bruce Russell (Wild Turkey)
Carrie Van Winkle (Pappy & Co)
Chaz Fister (Makers Mark)
Chef Anthony Lamas
Chef Brian Landry
Chef Edward Lee
Chef Esther Choi
Chef Noah Hester (Bradshaw Bourbon, The Bradshaw Family Cookbook)
Chef Jackie Joseph
Chef Lawrence Weeks of North of Bourbon
Chris Blandford (Kroger Wine and Spirits)
Chris Santos
Christian Huber (Starlight Distiller)
Claudette Zepeda
Dan Calloway (Bardstown Bourbon Company)
Dr. Blake Layfield (Maker’s Mark)
Elizabeth Banks (actress, Archer Roose Wines)
Elizabeth McCall (Woodford Reserve)
Fred Minnick (Bourbon Expert)
Fred Booker Noe III(James B. Beam)
Freddie Noe (James B. Beam)
Greg Keely (Larrikin Bourbon)
Harlen Wheatley (Buffalo Trace)
Ian Sulkowski (Brown Forman)
Jason Brauner (Watch Hill Proper)
Jim Gaffigan (Fathertime Bourbon)
John Waddell (Peerless Distilling Co.)
Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee)
Kelly Hansen (lead vocalist for Foreigner)
Kenny Coleman (Pursuit Spirits)
Kyle Wallace (mixologist)
Lili Lambert (mixologist)
Melissa Rift (Old Forester)
Neil Alvarado (mixologist)
Neil Gerardo (artist, Three Chord Bourbon)
Owen Martin (Angel’s Envy)
Preston Van Winkle (Old Rip Van Winkle)
Redferrin (artist)
Ryan Cecil (Bourbon Pursuit)
Salt Hank (Henry Laporte)
Shaylyn Gammon (Blue Run Spirits)
Terry Bradshaw (football legend, Bradshaw Bourbon, The Bradshaw Family Cookbook)
Trey Zoeller (Jefferson’s Bourbon)
Trombone Shorty (artist)
Tyler Zoller (Louisville Bourbon Buzz)
Wes Henderson (True
Music at Beyond & Beyond: Something for Everyone
We mentioned there will be some music: Bourbon and Beyond promises “headlining music talent with something for everyone, beginning with The Lumineers, Benson Boone and Alabama Shakes (reunion) on Thursday, followed by Phish (playing two sets; theironly festival appearance of 2025 and first Louisville show in three decades), Khruangbin and Joe Bonamassa on Friday, Sturgill “Johnny Blue Skies” Simpson, Jack White and Vance Joy on Saturday, with Noah Kahan, Goo Goo Dolls and Megan Moroney on Sunday rounding out an incredible music weekend.
Additional “must-see” sets during the 4-day event include:
Cage The Elephant, TV On The Radio, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lake Street Dive, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Foreigner (in one of the final announced dates of the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees’ Farewell Tour), Third Eye Blind, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, and many more.”
Source: Bourbon & Beyond
About Bourbon & Beyond
(From the festival): "Bourbon & Beyond, The World’s Largest Bourbon & Music Festival, is returning to Louisville, Kentucky for its 7th year, and producers Danny Wimmer Presents have announced the exciting roster of culinary and spirits talent who will curate elevated food and beverage pairings on-site alongside the stacked music lineup slated for 2025. The event takes place September 11-14 at the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, and will include multi-sensory opportunities and programming showcasing the country’s best chefs andrich bourbon culture. The 4-day destination event has expanded to a total of five music stages and over 120 music artists, plus the festival’s culinary and bourbon experiences, following Bourbon & Beyond’s record breaking year in 2024 and winning Pollstar’s Global 2025 Festival of the Year."
