The Bourbon Classic is coming to Louisville February 20 – 21, 2015, so buy tickets on this link for this third annual Bourbon-culinary experience taking place at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.

BourbonBlog.com recommends you attend this top shelf event as one of the top Bourbon and whiskey events of the year! The event attracts Bourbon enthusiasts and culinary adventurists from across the country. A complete cross-section of the Bourbon industry will attend: Bourbon distilling legends, writers, chefs, bartenders, connoisseurs, and casual enthusiasts.

Some of the bourbon industry’s most well-known brands are sponsoring the event. The Urban Bourbon Trail is the welcoming sponsor of this event joining Buffalo Trace Distillery, Four Roses Bourbon, Michter’s, Alltech Brewing & Distilling Co., Barton 1792 Distillery, Bulleit Bourbon, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve, 1,000 Stories Barrel Finished Wine, Blanton’s Bourbon, Wild Turkey, Bingham Greenbaum Doll, LLP, Old Forester, Angel’s Envy, Corsair Distillery, Jefferson’s, Kings County Distillery, Copper & Kings American Brandy, and Willett Distillery. Media sponsors include The Bourbon Review and Louisville Public Media.

This year, Bourbon Classic will kick off with an exclusive pre-event reception, Bourbon Classic Taste, on Tuesday, February 17th. Chef Ed Lee and Julian Van Winkle will participate in this progressive tasting experience hosted at Copper & Kings American Brandy.

Kentucky Proud-inspired food, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Four Roses Bourbon, Copper & Kings Brandy, Copper & Kings Absinthe, Van Winkle Special Reserve (12 year), Van Winkle Family Reserve (15 year), Van Winkle Family Reserve (20 year), and 1,000 Stories Barrel Finished Wine will be available. A limited number of tickets to this Kentucky Proud supported reception are available to the general public.

Friday, February 20 – Bourbon Classic Cocktail Challenge:

MC Jared Schubert, winner of the 2013 Bourbon Classic Cocktail Challenge, will guide attendees through the event featuring contemporary and classic cocktails and small plates prepared by teams of chefs and master bartenders representing distilleries. Cocktails and pairings will be judged by an expert panel including Hannah Hayes, >Southern Living, Joy Perrine, Jack’s Lounge, and Chef Albert Schmid, Sullivan University. Participating teams are as follows:

Barton 1792 Distillery



Beth Burrows, Down One Bourbon Bar

Chef Newman Miller, Harrison-Smith House, Bardstown, KY

Blanton’s Bourbon



Marie Zahn, St. Charles Exchange

Chef Levon Wallace, Proof on Main

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Jason Cobbler, Harvest

Chef Coby Ming, Harvest

Four Roses Bourbon

Isaac Fox, Volare

Chef Josh Moore, Volare

Heaven Hill Distilleries

Gary Gruver, Southern Wine & Spirits

Chef David Danielson, Churchill Downs

Jim Beam

Sean Thibodeaux, 8-UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen

Chef Todd Rushing, 8-UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen

Michter ’s

Hannah Kandle, Old Seelbach Bar

Chef Patrick Roney, Seelbach Oakroom

Wild Turkey

Amber Yates, Feast

Chef Ryan Rogers, Feast

Woodford Reserve

Jacquelyn Zykan, Doc Crow’s

Chef Jonathan Schwartz, Doc Crow’s

Saturday, February 21

Bourbon Masters Session

Mark Coffman, Alltech Brewing & Distilling Company

Wes Henderson, Angel’s Envy

Ken Pierce, Barton 1792 Distillery

Fred Noe, Jim Beam

Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery

Jim Rutledge, Four Roses Bourbon

Denny Potter, Heaven Hill Distilleries

Nicole Austin, King’s County Distillery

Willie Pratt, Michter’s

Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey

Author Fred Minnick will MC this session sponsored by the Urban Bourbon Trail

The “ Bourbon Classic University, ” exploring focused learning sessions like Country Ham & Bourbon, The Life of the Barrel, Essential Bourbon Cocktails Past and Present, Straight Up Storytellers, Bourbon & Cheese Pairings, The Art of the Glass, Entertaining with North American Whiskey, Bourbon Collections, Bourbon Flavor Profiles, and Bourbon Icons. Sets of five sessions will be offered and attendees will have the opportunity to choose which sessions to join.

exploring focused learning sessions like Country Ham & Bourbon, The Life of the Barrel, Essential Bourbon Cocktails Past and Present, Straight Up Storytellers, Bourbon & Cheese Pairings, The Art of the Glass, Entertaining with North American Whiskey, Bourbon Collections, Bourbon Flavor Profiles, and Bourbon Icons. Sets of five sessions will be offered and attendees will have the opportunity to choose which sessions to join.

The Bourbon Marketplace offering exhibits and displays featuring Bourbon tastings, book signings, food tastings, and culinary and Bourbon-related products.

offering exhibits and displays featuring Bourbon tastings, book signings, food tastings, and culinary and Bourbon-related products.

Bourbon Culinary Tastings prepared by Coby Ming, Harvest, Sean Ward, Ward 426, Levon Wallace, Proof on Main, and Ouita Michel, Holly Hill Inn.

The Bourbon Classic was co-founded by Tony Butler of FSA Management Group, an established event planning and marketing firm based in Louisville, and Justin Thompson, Seth Thompson, and Bob Eidson of The Bourbon Review.

Ticket sales for the event are available by calling the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts at 502-584-7777. Details are available atbourbonclassic.com.