Wine and Spirits Travel

We enjoyed a nice spread in the executive lounge at the Marriott East Louisville before loading up on sunblock and thin clothing. Day two of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville , Kentucky, played out quite different than the first. I was able to catch up on the food and bourbon aspects of the event, as well as hear some more incredible music. I met up with Dan Cohen of Jim Beam first thing in the morning. Although bourbon is in the title of the festival, I hadn’t had any to try yet. He brought Brittany, Jamie, and me over to the Beam setup behind the stage for a tasting. They were showing off Jim Beam and Jim Beam Black (I had hoped to try the Vanilla, but it wasn’t available yet). Black is a bit smoother and more taste-filled than the original. It’s aged longer, but in white oak, so it’s flavors of vanilla and caramel are more blended. Beam was also mixing to cocktails backstage for the VIPs and performers, the Jim Beam Black Smash (Jim Beam Bla

When I was first approached to cover the first Bourbon & Beyond Festival , I was attracted to the unique combination of music, food, and bourbon, in a city known for the latter.   Once I received the itinerary, I was sold, and contacted Louisville Tourism about making a trip. The huge list of performers for Bourbon & Beyond had a lot of great names, but there were two in particular that sealed the deal for me: Stevie Nicks and Eddie Vedder, both on my bucket list. Brittany, Jamie, and I had breakfast in the lounge at the Louisville Marriott East . Lounge access for breakfast and snacks before dinner was a great benefit to staying on the executive floor. We drove over to Champions Park so we could arrive and get settled early for the first day of Bourbon & Beyond. It was a good thing we did. The only major complaint I had about this festival did not change during the weekend: the parking. It was just a giant mess. Fortunately, just about ever

I couldn’t believe when I looked it up that it had actually been seven years since I was in Louisville, Kentucky . It was one of those places I had looked forward to returning to soon, but never got around to it. When I had the chance to cover the first annual Bourbon & Beyond Festival, I knew it was also a chance to get back to a Kentucky favorite, which happens to be only a few hours away from my home in Champaign. Brittany, Jamie, and I headed out first thing on Friday morning, so we could get to Louisville in time for a full day. The tourism board had helped me arrange some fun and unique things to do. Day one was set downtown and our first stop was someplace none of us had ever been, the  Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory . To say that this place makes baseball bats would be a huge understatement. It is a baseball lover’s must – and I happen to be one. We had a private tour through the museum and factory as we watched t