What to eat and drink at Bourbon and Beyond

The biggest music festival in Louisville has a lot more than music.

A stage at the Bourbon and Beyond music festival in Louisville, KY, with thousands of fans in the foreground.

More than 120,000 people attended the Bourbon and Beyond music festival in 2023.

Photo by Jake Miller

Bourbon and Beyond is just a little over three weeks away — Thursday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 22 — and the day-to-day schedule is finally here.

As the name implies, musical performances aren’t the only thing on tap — here’s a taste of what you can expect beyond the lineup.

Bourbon

The Bourbon Stage will host bartender showdowns featuring local bartenders, including Copper + Kings’ SC Baker, plus interviews with Master Distillers like Rob Dietrich, Trey Zoeller, and Brandon O’Daniel.

If you’d rather taste some bourbon than just hear about it, you can head to the Kroger Big Bourbon Bard, which will feature bluegrass bands, line dancing + curated picks from the Bourbon trail.

Beyond

The Culinary Atelier is the food pairing with the Bourbon Stage. Join celebrity chefs like Edward Lee, Chris Santos, and Amanda Freitag for cooking demonstrations, artist pairings, and competitions.

Select Bourbon and Beyond passes are still on sale.

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