Whisky Live returns to Louisville for its second year, bringing the broadest sampling of international whiskeys to a single tasting ever seen in the Bluegrass. Serving as the closing event for Kentucky Bourbon Affair on Saturday, June 10, this premier tasting event will allow guests to sample world-class Scotches, bourbons and other whiskies from around the globe. It also gives whiskey fans the chance to mingle with an international array of industry brand reps always full of insider stories.
Held at the Louisville Marriott East, Whisky Live runs from 6-9:30 p.m. General admission tickets for the event (click here) cost $139, while VIP tickets run $199. Those pricier passes get you 5:30 admission time and access to the VIP Experience area, plus a 25-item VIP pour list (click here and scroll down to see).
All attendees have access to a large dinner buffet, open tastings, live entertainment and get a souvenir etched tasting glass. A range of educational classes are also on offer.
“We’re excited to be back in Louisville again and proud to support Kentucky bourbon and the Kentucky Bourbon Affair,” said Dave Sweet, president of Whiskey Live USA, in a news release. “It seems like yesterday that Mayor Fischer helped us kick off our inaugural Whisky Live Louisville event in 2016, but we were overwhelmed with the support from the brands, the Louisville community and Kentucky Distillers Association. We knew we’d be back.”
Want to see the brands on hand for this year’s event? Click here and scroll down. Trust me, there are plenty of international whiskies the average bourbon drinker hasn’t tried but should. And at those brands’ booths there will be multiple tastes of their lines. All in all, more than you can manage to taste (so drink wisely, OK?)
To put it simply, Louisville is pretty lucky to host this event. The other three Whisky Lives in the U.S. are held in less humble ‘hoods as New York City, Louisville, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Sweet told me last year that he’d always wanted a Whisky Live in Louisville since it gives the greatest access to the bourbon community for drinkers who want to explore.
“It makes total sense, does it not?” Sweet said last year. “The distillers here are all for it. They know what a privilege it is to put their products beside some of the best made anywhere in the world. They also want to see their fans learn more about whiskeys in general.”
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