The Bourbon & Banter community gathered in Louisville three weeks ago for the 2024 Bourbon & Banter Summit. This annual gathering has become the highlight of the year for our members and gets better each year. What follows is a day-by-day recap of the Summit with commentary from multiple members of the Bourbon & Banter team. We hope you enjoy the recap and are inspired to join us for next year’s Summit. Cheers!

SUMMIT DAY ONE IN REVIEW

Day one of the Summit started with a group favorite for breakfast: Biscuit Belly. If you’ve never experienced the belly-busting goodness of Biscuit Belly, that’s enough reason to make sure you join us for next year’s Summit. Once properly fueled, the group heads to Pursuit Spirits to participate in their “Whole Shebang” experience.

Pursuit Spirits “The Whole Shebang” Experience

I confess that I had never given much thought to Pursuit Spirits. What did I care about, a bourbon brand created by two white dude whiskey podcasters? Sure, I’d listened to a few episodes of The Bourbon Pursuit, hosted by co-founders Ryan Cecil and Kenny Coleman, but I had certainly not put it on my bourbon bucket list. I’d never even tasted Pursuit Spirits before this year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival. I wasn’t opposed to it, there are just so many brands, and so little time. So I’m thrilled they were included on our annual summit’s agenda for me to truly lean in and “drink curious.”

Pursuit Spirits is currently housed in a warehouse on Mellwood Avenue—right on the site of the former Mellwood Distillery—and is definitely a no-frills experience. But that rawness adds to the charm. We were booked for their “Whole Shebang” offering, which they describe as “a 90-minute experience that has absolutely everything.”

We walked in and were treated to a taste or two. Then we sat down in front of tasting mats with samples of 6 different barrels, both rye and bourbon, from Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland, and New York. Pursuit believes that whiskey should be sourced from whatever barrels are best, and they take no priority for geography. If it’s good whiskey, it’s coming through the doors. We tasted through and chose which barrel best suited our tastes. Our tasting was briefly interrupted by a giant semi backing up and unloading a few full barrels – it’s a working blending experience, after all! After selecting our favorite sample, we thieved straight from the barrel to fill our bottles and moved through the entire process of labeling, corking, and sealing. Et voila! Our very own bottle of Pursuit Spirits whiskey.

Overall, it’s a great way to spend a few hours while in Louisville if you want to experience something a little different than a traditional distillery tour and tasting. Your nose and palate will be put to the test and I encourage you to look past the appellation of each barrel (yes, this Kentuckian chose a Maryland barrel). Plus, you get to walk away with a bottle you’ll love to drink. So, color me a convert to Pursuit Spirits, and I look forward to seeing what they do next, especially in their new home (coming soon) to Whiskey Row downtown. These are great folks putting out interesting whiskey blends, truly embracing their newness and modern approach to sourcing and blending. After all, blending is a true art, and here, it’s all they do.

– Erin Petrey, Cocktail Editor

Neat Bourbon Bar + Bottle Shop

Between Pursuit Spirits and Michter’s the group grabbed lunch and killed some time at Neat Bourbon Bar + Bottle Shop. The bar has a great vibe and solid collection of cocktails and neat pours. I recommend the Japanese export bottle National Distillers 1993 Old Crow for just $22 a pour. It was everything you expect from National Distillers, and if we hadn’t been on the clock, I would have stayed there to enjoy several more pours. I highly recommend you check it out next time in Louisville.

Michter’s Distillery Friends & Family Tour

For the past few years, Michter’s Whiskeys has given tours only at its Fort Nelson Distillery on Whiskey Row, a.k.a. Louisville’s Main Street. However, to use the Michter’s team’s own language, “friends and family” are often welcomed at its production distillery in Shively, a suburb of Louisville that’s home to Brown-Forman Distillery and the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery. It was there that the Bourbon Banter crew got a deep dive into how Michter’s delicious whiskies are made.

Some of us on the visit have been fortunate to see the production distillery evolve over the years since it opened in 2014. Its bottling hall is not just computerized, but largely managed by robots that place bottles into cases for a trip down the bottling and corking line before being lifted again into cardboard cases. The robots lift those sealed cases once more to place them on palates for shrink wrapping. We weren’t allowed to photograph any of the shiny machinery, but we were happy for the team who no longer has to lift tens of thousands of cases each year manually.

The tour, led by distillers Dan McKee and Matt Bell, closed out with a fantastic tasting of 10 Michter’s whiskies ranging from its flagship bourbon and rye releases, to toasted barrel goodies of both varieties, which led up to the 20-year bourbon as the closing act. It’s events like these that make you grateful for the access these generous distilleries provide their many fans.

– Steve Coomes, Editor

Bottle Share Day 1 featuring Mercenary BBQ + The Craft Shoot

Day One festivities continued after the Michter’s Distillery tour as attendees returned to the Summit HQ for what many consider the highlight of our annual Summit: Dinner featuring Mercenary BBQ and group bottle share.

Community Manager and Single Barrel Coordinator Brent Joseph owns Mercenary BBQ in Indianapolis. Every year, he prepares a feast (brisket, ribs, and pulled pork with enough sides to feed everyone twice over) before the Summit and hauls it down for us to enjoy on Day 1. I know everyone has their favorite BBQ joints, but trust me when I tell you, once you taste Brent’s work, you’ll update that list with Mercenary at the top. It happens time after time. Yet another reason to make sure you register for next year’s Summit.

Dinner was followed by an epic bottle share that featured over 100 different whiskeys brought by attendees and local guests. Speaking of local guests, Summit attendees were joined by several local community members and friends from nearby brands, including, but not limited to, the legendary Dan Gardner (retired Four Roses brand guru), Kenny Coleman (co-owner of Pursuit Spirits), and Bill Straub and Bob D’Antoni (owners of Four Gate Whiskey). Sadly, we can’t share photos from that part of the evening due to common decency laws and the fact that you can’t handle how much fun we had.

Did I mention the live version of The Craft Shoot?

It’s a crowd-favorite segment from the Bourbon & Banter podcast that we brought back this year due to popular demand from the 2023 Summit. The Craft Shoot involves prepping 50 blind samples for the Summit. Each guest grabs a bottle out of a box, sight unseen. Each guest then takes a turn tasting the sample in front of other guests and a video camera. Each person shares their spontaneous tasting notes and thoughts on proof, age, and liquor style. And if they’re feeling confident, they’ll even guess their brand expression. Someone rarely guesses the brand correctly, but it’s a blast for everyone, no matter the outcome. We hope to have a montage video of this year’s Craft Shoot in the not-so-distant future to share with you, but for now, check out last year’s video below to get an idea of the challenge and hilarious outcomes.

After completing The Craft Shoot, folks continued a lively evening of copious bourbon samples, legendary banter, and cigars outside on the expansive Summit HQ grounds. Eventually, things settled down as we tucked Day 1 into the books early in the wee hours of Day 2.

SUMMIT DAY TWO IN REVIEW

Despite the late night before, everyone woke up fresh and ready to tackle a full day of distillery tours and blending experiences. Surely you didn’t expect anything less of us? I mean, we’re all professionals, right?

To fuel up for the day ahead, the group grabbed breakfast at First Watch (including some Millionaire Bacon) and embarked on a drive out to Castle & Key Distillery for the day’s first tour.

Castle & Key Behind the Scenes Experience

The second day of our 2024 Annual Member Summit started with a group breakfast before we hit the road to Castle & Key. Our Annual Member Summit Weekends have become a way for us to provide unique and exclusive experiences for our community members, and our visit to Castle & Key was just that.

You’re missing out if you have never been to Castle & Key. I think it is one of the most unique distilleries in all of Kentucky. Castle & Key operates in the Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, KY. Castle & Key started renovating the property in 2014, and after lots of hard work, they opened to visitors in 2018. If you are a history or architecture fan, put this place at the top of your list. There has been distilling happening on this site since as far back as 1819, and the castle has been there since 1887. I first visited this site in 2012, when everything was still fenced off and boarded up. A few of us may have climbed the fence and taken some pictures, but we didn’t get too far due to the treacherous conditions. The transformation from then until now is nothing short of amazing.

Victoria Haley-Brown, the Sales Coordinator at Castle & Key, met us at the front gate. She introduced herself to us, and we quickly stopped at Taylorton Station, their onsite walk-up cocktail bar. We were treated to our cocktail or drink before starting our official tour. The cocktail bar is located next to the Springhouse, their 140,000-gallon natural spring designed to look like a Roman Bath House. It was constructed in the shape of a key, hence the distillery’s name. The Springhouse sits on the banks of Glenns Creek, and there are many places to relax and take in the sights of this historic property. The distillery has done a great job making this scenic spot a great place to stop and have a drink while exploring the bourbon trail. Multiple sets of lounge chairs have giant umbrellas and benches overlooking the creek. This is such a popular spot that the walk-up bar serves over 100,000 drinks annually.

After visiting the Springhouse, we were led into the castle and saw the restored distillery’s inner workings. Castle & Key started distilling in 2016, but before that, there had not been any distilling on-site since 1972. They still use 15 different 11,000-gallon fermenters from the 1950’s. Traditional Bourbon, Wheated Bourbon, Rye, Vodka, and Gin are all produced on-site. As we walked over the original hardwood floors and past the original plaster walls, you could almost feel the history of the castle. I think this is by far the most unique and exciting property in all of bourbon.

After getting a behind-the-scenes look at the operations side of the distillery, Victoria led us outside past the newly constructed tower where the distillery hosts VIP guests and private barrel selections. We were then led to the Sunken Garden, which is inaccessible to the public. The distillery keeps this spectacular spot private and is only accessible via private events and special tours. Apparently, they host many weddings on the property, and you can see why.

After the Sunken Garden, we went past the Cistern Building, which is their barrel house. Then, we went past the ruins of the old Bottling Hall, which was apparently used as an antique mall in the 1990s. Only a few walls remain of this building. We were then led to the location of the old Warehouse A. It has been leveled into an outdoor space used to host events.

From there, we made our way into Warehouse B. It is a 4 ½ floor rick house that holds 36,000 barrels. While in Warehouse B, our entire group got to sample three private barrel samples of their Restoration Rye. We could sample two 4-year-old barrels, one at 121.4 proof and another at 122.38. Then, we were able to try a 5-year-old Rye at 113.9 proof. Of course, this tasting was purely for research as we plan our private barrel picks for the upcoming calendar year. After tasting the private Rye barrels, we went upstairs and got more samples from a 7-year-old Wheated barrel. We could not get the exact proof on this one; it was, by far and away, my favorite visit. I hope they open these up to their private selection program next year.

After some fantastic photo opportunities due to the tremendous lighting in Warehouse B, we went outside, got a few group pictures, and wrapped up our behind-the-scenes tour with a stop by Warehouse E. This warehouse is palletized on the first floor as it was built/doubled as a bomb shelter in 1953. This monster has a capacity of 58,000 barrels.

A few years ago, we went on a tour here after Castle & Key first opened. It was nothing like the special treatment we got this cool Fall morning. If you haven’t been here, you must stop the next time you’re in the area. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re a Community Member, you may join us on a private barrel pick here in the next year or so. If you do, I can promise you that Victoria and her team at Castle & Key will make it as memorable as this visit was.

– Brent Joseph, Community & Single Barrel Program Manager

J. Mattingly 1845 Experience

Fresh from a nice lunch at the Stave, we headed to Frankfort, KY, and the J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery for an immersive blending experience.  After arriving (and having our ID checked), we proceeded to the lower level, where a large space is arranged for various blending options.  J. Mattingly blends bourbon, rye, and American Whiskey from contract distillers.  The experience is blending the same source of aged whiskey from different barrels.  Anyone who has participated in a barrel pick knows that the individual barrels can differ greatly.   In addition, J. Mattingly introduces additional charred staves to the barrel as their Double Staved™ process. 

After a short intro, you choose between barrels (6 each) of two different Bourbons, Rye, or American Light Whiskey.   We tasted each barrel and then proposed some blends to the host, who made recommendations and mixed them for tasting.  After a couple of tries, we each selected our favorite.  We chose the bottle we wanted (each participant gets two 375ml bottles, totaling about 750 ml) and you choose a name for your private blend.

This is my Rye. There may be many like it, but this one is MINE. Mine is a little sweet with creamy notes, clocking out at 117 proof. It was a fun way to end the day. We thank the people at J. Mattingly for the experience and their hospitality.

– Jim Knudsen, Sr. Contributor

Bottle Share Day 2 + Swag Giveaway

After our time at J. Mattingly Distillery, we made our way back to the Summit HQ, where we enjoyed pizza and leftovers from the night before. Round 2 of the bottle share soon commenced, but in typical Summit fashion, night two is a bit more subdued after a second full day of drinking activities. That said, we did spice things up a bit by hosting our 2nd Annual Swag Giveaway for Summit attendees and local guests.

Everyone in attendance receives a carnival ticket for a swag raffle, and everyone is a winner. This year, we gave away over forty items from our distillery partners who have supported us over the years. Giveaways included t-shirts, hats, flasks, bottles, one-of-a-kind limited edition Bourbon & Banter items, and a major item from Whistlepig that included a Solo Stove.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE SUMMIT

The drive home after the Summit is always challenging for me. I find myself battling a combination of joy from what has occurred, fatigue from the planning and execution (not to mention the long nights), and sadness that the next Summit is a year away. It’s the same feeling I would get in my stomach when I came home for summer break in college. I guess you could call it reverse homesickness.

I’ll be looking into whether we want to change the timing of the Summit to make it happen sooner in 2025. In the meantime, we will announce some new virtual community activities to help us bridge the distance and keep the community more active. These will be in addition to our monthly Group Therapy sessions. Now would be a great time to upgrade your membership to one of the paid tiers to ensure you get first access to register for these events, which will have limited slots available. As a paid member, you’ll receive a priority invite to register for the 2025 Summit.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Summit this year. Your friendship and support mean the world to me. I remain humbled by your willingness to hang out with us for a few days and your continued support of Bourbon & Banter.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to recognize and thank members of the Bourbon & Banter community/team members for their help in making this year’s Summit a huge success:

• Jason Fiehler, Thanks for capturing photos from the weekend. They turned out great!
• Steve Coomes, Thank you for your continued work as Editor and for being our “boots on the ground” in bourbon country. We appreciate your local fixer skills when helping with last-minute supplies and food delivery.
• Jim Knudsen, Thank you for your ongoing contributions to Bourbon & Banter and your willingness to travel wherever we go. I always look forward to spending time together, even if you leave your better half at home. Make sure Karen (and Dezil ) know they were missed as this year’s event.
• Erin Petrey, Thank you for taking on the challenge of trekking from DC to Seattle to Louisville for this year’s Summit. And let’s not forget the 10+ years of contributing to Bourbon & Banter’s community. Next year we plan to make sure you can handle Mercenary BBQ without skipping a beat. Trust us, we’ve got a plan in motion.
• Brent Joseph, I’ve been told I have an issue delegating tasks. Thank you for stepping up and forcing me to hand over tasks (even if I’m slow.) Your help this year in organizing the Summit was tremendous and made things so much easier for me. I look forward to working with you to roll out new community programming and a kick-ass Summit in 2025.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the 2025 Bourbon & Banter Summit!

Cheers,

Pops