The Bourbon Classic has just announced the dates for the 2015 event. February 20 and 21, 2015, the third annual Bourbon Classic will be held at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. I had the pleasure of attending this year and there is just nothing else like it in Louisville.

During the first night, chefs and mixologists from all around come together to create drinks for the cocktail competition, along with small plates and desserts for the culinary competition. The food alone is worth the price of admission. And that’s just the first day.

The second day begins with a panel of Master Distillers from all over the country. This year’s panel included such bourbon legends as Fred Noe, Jimmy Russell, Tom Bulleit, Harlen Wheatley, and Willie Pratt, just to name a few. The panel was emceed by Fred Minnick, Author of Whiskey Women. (See my story about Bourbon War Stories here.)

After the initial panel, groups broke off into several different lectures, including bourbon in food and how bourbon is related to chocolate. Then, the event area was filled with tables full of bourbons to taste.

This event is a who’s who of the bourbon world. National media folks, including Tom Fischer of Bourbon Blog, were on hand to report on the event. I also met many of my Twitter friends from all over the country there after we had been tweeting excitedly about it for months. There was so much more to do that I don’t think I could get bored with this event if I went for the next 10 years of it. (See my review of the 2014 Bourbon Classic here.)

"We always try to put together an experience for those who come to Bourbon Country that they'll never forget. With our mixture of Bourbon brands, Master Distillers and nationally known chefs, bartenders and authors, it’s almost impossible to find this type of experience in Bourbon Country for the price of admission,” says co-founder Justin Thompson. “If folks look what we have delivered the last two years, I don't think they'll find a Bourbon experience quite like it in an urban setting.”

I’d venture to say that you won’t find anything like it anywhere. You could spend weeks touring bourbon country and still not meet all these people. Mark it on your calendars, and tweet me @LouGirl502 if you’re planning to go. I’ll see you there!

Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl, Jordan McFarland, and The Bourbon Classic's Facebook Page