The BBQ & Barrels Festival continues to grow as a national-caliber celebration of bourbon, barbecue, and music. Within the larger festival, Visit Owensboro leads the bourbon component, which continues to expand and is quickly becoming one of Kentucky’s premier bourbon events.
The bourbon experiences are made possible through the generous sponsorship of RW Baird Private Wealth Management, helping elevate the weekend into a signature destination for bourbon enthusiasts.
This year’s bourbon programming will feature some of the biggest and most recognized distilleries in the country — including Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, Castle & Key and others — participating in a weekend of curated dinners, educational experiences, and premium tastings.
The weekend is anchored by the Grand Bourbon Tasting on Saturday at the Owensboro Convention Center, drawing bourbon enthusiasts from across the region and beyond. The celebration begins with two exclusive bourbon dinners before culminating with the Grand Bourbon Tasting event.
Bourbon tourism has become one of the key pillars identified by Visit Owensboro as part of the community’s long-term destination strategy. With the presence of Green River Distillery and the continued growth of bourbon experiences throughout the region, Owensboro is increasingly positioning itself as an important stop for visitors exploring Kentucky’s bourbon culture.
Event organizers say the goal is to create more than a traditional tasting event. Guests will have the opportunity to meet distillers, brand ambassadors, and bourbon experts while experiencing a range of traditional Kentucky bourbons and innovative specialty spirits along Owensboro’s award-winning riverfront.
Major Distillery Tasting Event – Saturday
The centerpiece of the bourbon programming takes place Saturday, May 9, inside the award-winning Owensboro Convention Center on the riverfront.
The afternoon begins at 2 p.m. with a series of bourbon experiences, including educational tastings and curated bourbon and food pairing sessions where guests can learn, experience, and interact directly with bourbon experts. Featured sessions will be announced soon.
The VIP experience begins at 3 p.m., giving guests early access to the event along with specialty bourbon pours and a curated selection of barbecue-themed cuisine designed to complement the tasting experience.
From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Grand Bourbon Tasting Event opens, where guests will enjoy unique tastings presented by distilleries from across the country.
Ticket options include VIP tickets at $120, which include specialty pours and a curated barbecue-themed food selection; premium tasting tickets at $70 for access to the distillery tasting experience; and companion tickets at $20 for guests who wish to attend the event without participating in bourbon sampling.
Tickets for the Green River dinner and the bourbon tasting event can be purchased at BBQandBarrels.com or by calling Owensboro Tickets at (270) 687-2787.
Seth Thompson, owner and publisher of The Bourbon Review, is assisting Visit Owensboro with the bourbon programming for the festival.
“Owensboro is stepping onto the national bourbon scene in a big way,” Thompson said. “The biggest and most respected distilleries in the country are coming here for this event. When you combine that level of bourbon with great food and the energy of the community behind it, it becomes something bourbon fans across the country want to experience.”
Daylin Tolgo of Visit Owensboro said the bourbon experiences are a key part of what makes the BBQ & Barrels Festival stand out.
“The exclusive dinners and tastings give people a chance to experience great bourbon in a way you don’t normally get,” Tolgo said. “You’re tasting unique pours, meeting the people behind the distilleries, and experiencing it all as part of a full festival weekend that’s drawing attention well beyond Kentucky.”
Additional distillery announcements and festival updates will be released in the coming weeks.
Distilleries include:
Augusta Distillery
Bard Distillery
Bardstown Bourbon Company
Barrell Craft Spirits
Bluegrass Distillery
Brothers of the Leaf
Brothers Wright Distilling Co.
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Burnt Tavern Bourbon
Casey Jones Distillery
Castle & Key
Chicken Cock Whiskey
Coal Pick Distillery
Copper & Kings Distillery
Field of Dreams Whiskey
Four Roses
Fresh Bourbon
Green River Distillery
Hemingway Whiskey
Jeptha Creed Distillery
Larrikin Bourbon
Leipers Fork Distillery
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.
Limestone Branch Distillery
Maker’s Mark
Old Louisville Whiskey Co.
Pauley Hollow Distilling
Pinhook
Preservation Distillery
Pursuit Spirits
Rivulet Pecan Liqueur Whiskey
Silk Velvet Whiskey
Starlight Distillery
Ten Day Bourbon
True Story
Wenzel Whiskey
Western Kentucky Distilling Co.