STL Meet-up Recap

What’s better than drinking bourbon? Drinking bourbon with friends, of course!

Two weeks ago, we hosted a small meetup in St. Louis, MO, bringing together about 30 folks for distillery visits, fantastic food, and a bottle-share party featuring nearly 100 bottles. It was, in a word, unforgettable.

We kicked things off with a group dinner at The Tavern Kitchen & Bar, followed by drinks at community member Jason Fiehler’s home. Jason and his wife, Katie, generously shared their impressive collection of bourbon, tequila, and rum. The weather was perfect, so we spent most of the evening outside, enjoying pours and cigars until 2:30 in the morning.

The next morning came way too early, but we rallied and headed to Switchgrass Spirits for a guided tour and generous samples of their products, including some surprising bottled cocktails. Their distillery has one of the coolest ceilings I’ve seen!

Afterward, we took an hour-long drive to Union, MO, to visit Nobletons Distilling House for their unique Distillers Tour. Led by founder Demetrius Cain, we toured the facility and enjoyed samples straight from the barrel. Nobletons easily ranks in my top 5 distillery tours, with its rich history and hands-on sampling. Whiskey geeks, you’ll love it!

Back in St. Louis, our Sr. Contributor and Barrel Program Manager Brent Joseph donned his Mercenary BBQ hat and treated us to a BBQ feast. The spread included brisket, ribs, mac and cheese, roasted pepper queso, chips, and coleslaw. No one went hungry that night.

After dinner, more guests arrived for an extensive bottle-share party that lasted into the early morning. The weather cleared up, so we took the party outside, continuing the conversation with more cigars.

A big thank you to everyone who attended! It was wonderful catching up and forging new friendships within our Bourbon & Banter community. I’m looking forward to our next St. Louis gathering and to planning meetups in other cities. If you’re interested in helping us plan an event in your city, drop me a line in the comments below. Cheers!