Bourbon & Beyond, The World’s Largest Bourbon & Music Festival, is returning to Louisville, Kentucky for its 6th year, and producers Danny Wimmer Presents have announced the amazing roster of culinary and spirits talent who will curate unique food and beverage pairings on-site alongside the incredible music lineup slated for 2024. The event takes place September 19-22 at the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, and will include multi-sensory opportunities showcasing the country’s best chefs and immersive bourbon culture. The 4-day destination event has expanded to a total of five music stages and over 100 music artists, plus the festival’s culinary and bourbon experiences, marking Bourbon & Beyond’s biggest year yet.
Leading The Culinary Atelier demonstrations at Bourbon & Beyond are hosts Chef Chris Santos (Chopped), and Chef Edward Lee (The Mind of a Chef). They will be joined by acclaimed chefs including Tiffani Faison (Chef and Food Network TV personality), Marc Murphy (Michelin Chef), Kelsey Barnard Clark (Winner of Top Chef Season 16), and Local Chef Noam Bilitzer (Chopped), who recently opened MeeshMeesh in Louisville.
The hosts of The Bourbon Experience include bourbon expert Chris Blandford and Chef Amanda Freitag (Top Chef and Chopped) and will feature daily tapings of the Firkin Podcast, world renowned bourbon expert Fred Minnick and premium brands such as Pappy & Co, Angel’s Envy, Woodford Reserve, Old Rip Van Winkle, and many more.
Other special guests participating in the culinary and bourbon programming will include The Bacon Brothers (Kevin and Michael Bacon), Mat Kearney, Melissa Etheridge, Jim Gaffigan, Charles Wesley Godwin, Derek Trucks, Molly Tuttle, Young The Giant and more.
Chef Edward Lee proclaimed, “There is no better time than Bourbon & Beyond when the best of music, chefs and bourbon enthusiasts get together for a magical festival where memories are made and life is celebrated. It gets better every year and I can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for us all. Cheers!”
“My favorite festival of the year is approaching! Bourbon & Beyond is back and we have so much in store for 2024! Not only is the music lineup legendary but we will be gathering iconic chefs on the culinary stage – along with myself – AND I will be on the Bourbon stage this year as well. Get ready to dance, eat, and drink with the BEST,” says Chef Amanda Freitag.
“Louisville is famous for a lot of things, but many people don’t know what a great music town this is. When I first came to Louisville, I fell in love with the city, its diverse culinary scene, and its rich history of bourbon culture. I was quickly convinced that this is the perfect destination for this all-encompassing festival, and we look forward to one of our biggest years yet,” said Danny Wimmer, Founder of Danny Wimmer Presents.
In addition to the culinary and bourbon experiences, Bourbon & Beyond offers incredible headlining music talent with something for everyone, beginning with Sting and Beck on Thursday, followed by Dave Matthews Band and Tedschi Trucks Band on Friday, Zach Bryan and Whiskey Myers on Saturday, with Tyler Childers and My Morning Jacket on Sunday rounding out an incredible music weekend. Additional “must-see” sets during the 4-day event include Matchbox Twenty, The National, Cody Jinks, Black Pumas, The War On Drugs, The Beach Boys, Mt. Joy, Fleet Foxes, Young the Giant, Maren Morris, The Head and the Heart, Melissa Etheridge, Teddy Swims and many more.
The initial lineup of culinary talent and spirit panelists at Bourbon & Beyond includes (subject to change):
The Culinary Atelier – Celebrity Chefs & Artist Pairings, hosted by Chris Santos & Edward Lee
- Amanda Freitag
- Allen Stone (music artist)
- Charles Wesley Godwin (music artist)
- Chris Santos
- Claudette Zepeda
- Danny Lee
- Edward Lee
- Eric Greenspan
- Jamie Bissonnette
- Kelsey Barnard Clark
- Kevin & Michael Bacon (music artist)
- Marc Murphy
- Mat Kearney (music artist)
- Melissa Etheridge (music artist)
- Ciro Matteo Pirozzi of Monk’s Road
- Murph (music artist)
- Noam Bilitzer
- Patty Smyth (music artist)
- Tiffani Faison
- Tom Jackson of Kamado Joe
- Young the Giant (music artist)
The Bourbon Experience – Bourbon Experts & Celebrity Guests, hosted by Amanda Freitag & Chris Blandford
- Adam Edwards (Heaven’s Door)
- Amanda Freitag (Freitag Cocktails)
- Andy Frasco (music artist)
- Brandon O’Daniel (Copper and Kings)
- Brian Probus (Firkin Podcast)
- Bruce Russell (Wild Turkey)
- Carrie Greener (Pappy & Co)
- Chris Blandford (Kroger Wine & Spirits)
- Chris Fletcher (Jack Daniels)
- Christian Huber (Starlight Distillery)
- Dan Callaway (Bardstown Bourbon Company)
- Derek Trucks (music artist)
- Eddie Russell (Wild Turkey)
- Elizabeth McCall (Woodford Reserve)
- Eron Plevan (mixologist)
- Fred Minnick (bourbon expert)
- Fred Noe (James B. Beam)
- Freddie Noe (James B. Beam)
- Ian Sulkowski (Brown-Forman)
- Jim Gaffigan (Fathertime Bourbon)
- JT Carkuff (Heaven’s Door)
- Ken Pierce (Heaven’s Door)
- Kenny Coleman (Pursuit Spirits)
- Lili Lambert (mixologist)
- Mark Nutsch (Horse Soldier Bourbon)
- Molly Tuttle (music artist)
- Owen Martin (Angel’s Envy)
- Preston Van Winkle (Old Rip Van Winkle)
- Rob Dietrich (Blackened Whiskey)
- Russ Smith (Mr. and Mrs. Bourbon Company)
- SC Baker (mixologist)
- Scott Neil (Horse Soldier Bourbon)
- SiSi Bright (mixologist)
- Tommy Prine (music artist)
- Trey Zoeller (Jefferson’s Bourbon)
- Tyler Zoller (Louisville Bourbon Buzz)
- Will Summers (Horse Soldier Bourbon)
Another highlight of Bourbon & Beyond is the Kroger Big Bourbon Bar. Featuring the best bluegrass bands, line dancing and expertly curated picks of Kentucky’s finest, the bourbon trail is coming right to Bourbon & Beyond. Bourbon lovers can also stop by Chris Picks MiniBar for select single barrels curated especially for Bourbon & Beyond; The Hunter’s Club for rare and vintage sips; and the Jim Beam Tiki Barrel Bar for the perfect oasis to make the festival vacation complete. In addition to select bourbon experiences, fans can enjoy other cocktail offerings at Blackened Presents, The Whiskey Bar. In addition, music lovers and musicians can spend time at The Music Experience powered by American Musical Supply, featuring music gear to play, giveaways, special deals, selfie stations, guitar and drum contests, and more. Visit BourbonAndBeyond.com for a complete description of festival experiences.
