New Orleans Bourbon Festival 2025 LIVE UPDATES
BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. This will be the live update page for all things New Orleans Bourbon Festival 2025.
You can get your tickets by clicking this link . March 19-23rd 2025.
New logo. Kinda love it.
UPDATE 2/20-
Not a lot of information for this update other than what’s below and the assurances that the planners are working at a frenetic pace.
Barrell single barrel pick for the festival has been selected by the festival organizers. It should be available at the Marriott during the seminar events (recommend you buy here so you can leave it in your hotel and not have to lug it around during the grand tasting). Check at the information desk for the festival on Friday / Saturday and pick one up. Hopefully the other picks will be there as well (they were last year).
If you’d like to volunteer to work (you do get a grand tasting ticket for each day you work) here’s the link to the signup page.
Barrell single barrel pick for the festival. (I wasn't part of this pick). Could be available at the Marriott during the seminars.
UPDATE 2/14-
Nothing major today on the whiskey front, but we do have some food news/rumors for you. These are all Grand Tasting food booths.
We told you about the chargrilled oysters a few days ago, but there will also be a raw oyster bar as well, and it comes from Fives Bar.
The Husky is in the works too. This is more rumor than fact, but we are hopeful.
Isaac Toups of Toups Meatery is rumored to be slinging food at the Grand Tasting Friday and Saturday night.
I am also very hopeful that the festival can land Blue Oak BBQ. There’s some talk, but nothing solid yet.
It goes in your mouth hole. If Toups serves these at the Grand Tasting, ima need a nap.
UPDATE 2/13-
I have a short update with BIG news, little details.
If you’re looking to get your Ascot on, Fred Minnick will be hosting an event at the festival. Looks like he’s not hosting a traditional seminar, but bringing his Fred Minnick Live show with him? Nothing really solid here, no dates, no info on tickets, or location yet. My bet- A Thursday night separate ticketed event. I’ll also wager that this event eats up a lot of people, and makes other events easier to get into.
His big game event was in fact, a HECK of a time. It was also a HELL of a time! It wasn’t a PERDITION of a time though.
UPDATE 2/11-
Quick hit today. I mentioned before that Chicken Cock is releasing a single-barrel exclusive for the festival. Today we have the details, and the finalized packaging pictures below.
70% corn, 21% Rye, 9% malted barley.
New Charred American White Oak Kelvin Char #3.
Rickhouse D, Row 23, Level 2.
Aged 6 years.
Cask Strength (proof coming soon).
Contract distilled by Bardstown Bourbon Company.
Whiskey Spectre, Bryan, and I were involved in selecting this. We were unanimous in our assessment.
No word on pricing or availability yet.
Please note the proof is a placeholder. Check out the beads around the Rooster’s neck. A delightful touch.
This is the label on the backside of brown water. Note- barreled on date, and date pulled are placeholders. Because how could you pull it after the festival? duh.
Is there in fact, a better looking bottle design in all of whiskey? And with this incredible, one of a kind label?
This my friends, is the spicy chicken sandich at Blue Oak BBQ. It is the Ali/Sugar Ray/Marciano/Tyson combined, greatest of the greatest chicken sanciches, and it will ruin your life if you don’t live here.
UPDATE 2/10-
The web traffic to this page has been something to behold. I appreciate you all for visiting and revisiting to get your updates. I’m sorry the information comes so slow, but like I promised before, when I have it, you’ll have it. So we kick it off with some amazing Still Austin plans for that week. I’ve added them to the calendars. If you want a calendar invitation please send me an email and tell me whether you want Apple or Google Calendar access..
Still Austin is hosting a movie night at Barrel Proof on Thursday the 20th from 5pm-7pm. The feature will be the Burt Reynolds classic Smokey and the Bandit. Admission is free, but you own your own tab. There will be a raffle for something fun. Last years Road House double-feature was a smash hit!
If you’re local-ish, or you are willing to make a 60 minute drive (each way), Still Austin is also hosting a dinner at the Triple Nickel. This will be a meet the makers dinner on Wednesday the 19th. Still Austin is hosting a single-barrel rye release and bottle signing at 4:30pm. Doors for the dinner at 6:30pm, and tasting at 7pm. There will be five different Still Austin offerings, including, wait for it….. Tanager. This will be at the Madisonville location. This will be a ticketed event. Stay tuned for pricing.
Still Austin will have the same booth space as previous years, so you won’t have to go find them. They don’t have a listing of what’s going to be poured at the grand tasting event, but we can hope for some Order of Nancy pick, or perhaps something out of the library?
They have an untitled seminar planned, will update when we know if it’s Friday or Saturday that will feature Christian and Jason (“a wonderful nerd who loves whiskey”).
RY3, Penelope, JT Meleck, KLUKE, Forbidden (Marianne Eaves), Chicken Cock are all confirmed to have booths during the grand tasting events. This is not the comprehensive list. There will be BOAT LOADS more that will be there, this is just what I’ve confirmed thus far. Note- if you are a brand, feel free to contact me with details of your plans.
This is all of you revisiting this page to get your updates. I cannot appreciate you all enough.
UPDATE 2/9-
While we wait for information to come through this week, I have some answers to some questions I’ve been receiving regarding recommendations for things to do while here that aren’t necessarily Bourbon Festival Related.
So here are some things that I enjoy and recommend, that aren’t official Bourbon Festival events.
If you can’t do the Dark Arts Ghost Tour on Wednesday night, go do a ghost tour anyway. They’re cheesy yes, but they’re very fun. You learn about some historical buildings and events that took place in them (yeah, some of them are embellished, but with flair) and they make stops at some bars to get a drink along the way, which you can take with you in a go cup. Yes, it’s legal to walk the French Quarter, drink in hand. USNews and World Report has a pretty good breakdown on the tours, so I’ll just link it here rather than recap it.
Visit the brand new Storyville Museum. It’s a lot of reading, but it’s a really cool history of a part of the city that no longer exists outside of legend, lore, entertainment, and two remaining buildings..
Take the streetcar. It’s less than $4 round trip, the St. Charles line is the prettiest ride, you can learn more here.
Visit the Sazerac House. It’s a free tour (they do have paid ones too), you get 3 mini cocktails for free, and it’s a self guided museum. Sure it glosses over what the meaning of “exchange” was at the “coffee” houses of the time (it was slave exchange), but it gives a really in-depth history of how Sazerac Company came about, and it tells you where all your favorite brands came from (Handy, Blanton, Elmer, Stagg, were all real people). The free tour is awesome, and I cannot recommend this enough. Best to make reservations, but you can drop in.
Visit New Orleans own Seven Three Distilling. They have paid tours, a bar, and a terrific gift shop if you just want to get some swag. If you want to take something that’s made locally, home with you, this is your spot. They have Whiskey, Gin, Vodka, and my personal house staple Black Pearl Rum.
If you want the craftiest of craft distilling, in fact everything is a one man show here, connect with Jedd of Atelier Vie. It doesn’t get any more DIY than this. Whiskey, Rum, Gin, and some incredible Absinthe. Jedd will be at the grand tasting, recommend you check him out.
Liquor stores to visit. No you won’t find pappy at retail, or even Blantons, but you should hit some of these spots if you’re looking for some fun things. Rickey’s Discount Liquor near the airport (make it your last stop on the way to your flight, but leave room in your suitcase). Elio’s near Tulane. Martin’s wine. Yes we also have a Total Wine in Metairie.
If you’re in the mood for cocktail, might I recommend a few of my favorite spots? Jewel of the South is one of the best cocktail bars on EARTH. Make reservations. Will and the Way for a La Louisiane. Erin Rose or Molly’s on Decatur for frozen irish whiskeys (adult milkshakes) pro tip- get the floater on the side. If you’re feeling super spendy, Cure is your place. You can get an old fashioned made with old carter for $55. A swanky place with great drinks is Jolie. Pro tip if you like savory drinks, get the Italian Job martini. It’s soprasetta washed and comes with meat and cheese… phenomenal.
Whiskey bars, yeah you hear me talk about them a lot, but that’s because they’re the best at what they do. Barrel Proof has the best selection in the city, including a wide range of Japanese and Scotch. They have shiddy beerz, and frozen margaritas. It’s a terrific neighborhood bar with neighborhood pricing, unless it’s allocated, then you pay like everyone else. Rusty Nail has a nice whiskey selection that won’t break your wallet, and they have actually very good beers. Backyard is a killer spot, but requires and Uber. Locals pricing, even on allocated, great food and a curated beer selection. If you want a break from whiskey for a bit, then hit the Avenue Pub which has a really great beer selection.
The National World War Two Museum is the number one attraction in the city for a reason. I’ve been dozens of times and haven’t seen it all. They say it takes about 2-3 hours to do the museum, they is incorrect. You could do it that quickly, but you would miss so very much. I still cannot recommend it enough.
There are plenty of other things to do, Audubon Park, Civil War Museum (pro tip- just go look at it from the outside, the museum itself isn’t as great as the building itself), Beignets (pro tip- Cafe Dumonde at the French Market is the spot, skip all other pretenders). Feel free to ignore every suggestion I made and build your own itinerary. Bottom line is your entire visit doesn’t have to be Bourbon Festival exclusive. Wander around. Take pictures. Do what you like to do.
The burger at Backyard, with freakin’ tots man!
UPDATE 2/7-
This update will feature some logistical things and tips for folks coming in for the festival complete with a few maps to show where things are. Let’s start with some tips.
TIPS-
Hydrate- Don’t “OK DAD” me here. Whatever water you drink in your daily life, DOUBLE IT during the festival You will be presented with an obscene amount of whiskey on Friday and Saturday. Most seminars feature a tasting, which means you’re drinking at 10am!!! The grand tasting runs until 10pm! That alone is almost 12 hours of drinks! I tend to drink a bottle of water during each seminar. Yes, I use the bathroom a lot during the festival, that’s also none of your business. Your goal here is to make it to the after party, and wake up the next day. I also recommend some form of liquid IV packets one in the morning, one before bed (i’ve also done one midday Saturday). It helps really.
Dump/Spit. Remember, you are NOT obligated to try or finish everything you’re poured. It is not considered disrespectful to dump after tasting, in fact, it’s expected unless you’re choosing that limited edition pour to spend time with. There’s plenty of time, 3-4 hours depending on your ticket, you don’t have to chug to get to the next booth. If you aren’t dumping, and you’re not hydrating enough then you’re gonna feel it the next morning, or maybe before that because our sidewalks are not what one would normally consider quality.
Don’t try to do it all. It’s not possible. Many have tried, all have failed. Do NOT take this as a challenge, I know you won’t make it and you will end up hurting the next day. Try to preplan some distillery booths you really must do in advance, and spread those out over the two nights. Leave room for discovery. DUMP frequently.
Clean your glass. The festival gives you a glencaiirn for the tasting each night. Bring a towel or cloth and wipe your glass after rinsing at each booth you visit. You want a clean glass for the next experience. Also, when you pour water into the glass, use that as an opportunity to HYDRATE MORE! I personally drink the rinsing water, and if you think that’s gross, wait until you step into street gravy in crocs.
Reservations. Book reservations for dinner! Even if you don’t plan to attend any of the soon to be announced whiskey dinners, you need some of the good good that New Orleans has to offer. There are lots of great spots between the hotel where the seminars are held, and the grand tasting location. Peche, Maypop, Cochon, Cochon Butcher if you don’t mind an uber/lyft ride for some great stuff outside of downtown, I highly recommend Backyard (who will have a food/whiskey booth at the grand tasting) where not only can you get killer food (best tots on earth) you can also drink from a terrific whiskey selection at locals prices, click this link to see the pricing!. The other is Blue Oak BBQ. Best chicken sandich on this here earth.
Let the good times roll. (it’s actually fun to replace the lyrics in the Cars classic song with “Laissez les bons temps rouler” go on try it.) Make certain you have enough gas left in the Chrysler to go to the unofficial after parties. Lots of the brand folks end up at these, and it’s a nice opportunity to talk to them over a pony without the formality of a seminar. Usually these end up being at the Rusty Nail, or Barrel Proof. Both are super close to the Grand Tasting event (see below for maps!).I’ll keep you updated.
EAT! During the grand tasting events there are food stations every 3-5 booths. Stop and get a bite as you go through. You will need this and it’s included in your ticket price. TRY IT ALL. (pro tip- Backyard Brisket). Also, eat breakfast. On Friday/Saturday the seminars have snacks and small bites, but personally I prefer a full meal at some of the terrific spots nearby so I don’t get tipsy before lunch. I personally recommend Willa Jean (pro tip- get a biscuit to go, you’ll thank me later).
This is from Willa Jean. That’s the chicken biscuit. Careful, highly addictive. (Pro tip- add Crystal. Not that crystal, the hot sauce crystal, jeez Heisenberg!)
LOGISTICS-
Alright, now for you visual folks that want to SEE where things are. I got you covered. If you’re staying at the official hotel where the seminars are held, then you’ll see how short a walk it is to the grand tasting events on Friday/Saturday night. It’s close. You’ll also walk by lots of places to eat. I recommended some above, but feel free to ignore my recommends and just stop in wherever you want. Just please don’t eat at chains if you can. Support our local places which keep New Orleans special.
This is the 10 minute walk from the Marriott to the Contemporary Arts Center, where the grand tastings will be taking place. It’s really 7.5 minutes and it’s not a strenuous journey.
The walk to the Rusty Nail, aka The Nail. About 5.5 minutes walking from the Contemporary Arts Center. This will likely be the spot for one of the unofficial grand tasting after parties.
The walk to Barrel Proof. We will call it 8 minutes walking time because of the traffic lights under the freeway. Another location for the unofficial after party.
If you head back to the hotel after the grand tasting event to drop off swag or reload, or just want to go to the Nail, 10 minute walk, let’s call it 12 because you didn’t hydrate like I told you to.
15 minutes to Barrel Proof from the hotel. Walking. Not bad.
Ok, that wraps up this kind of update? Hopefully it’s answered some questions for ya. As you can see on the maps, there are lots of places to eat in that narrow vicinity, but you of course don’t have to stick to any of those. Plenty of places to eat here, but like I said, please avoid the chains and support local. If you have any questions you’d like to see answered or recommendations, feel free to drop something in the comments below, or send me an email. I hope to have another update Monday, so stay tuned.
UPDATE 2/5-
If you’re interested in the Ultimate Judging VIP ticket, there are only 14 left. Keep in mind the judging is an all day affair on Thursday. This ticket gets you the same access as the VIP, but also gives you the opportunity to blind taste all the submissions for the Bourbon Festival Awards. There are only 50 of these judges, will you be one of them? Below is the list of winners for 2024.
My favorite is the Still Austin CASH (sic) strength.
UPDATE 2/3-
Got a little update for you today. We should have some more information coming fast and furious as we get closer to the festival. Some of you may be getting a little bit antsy as to why we don’t have the seminar schedules or a list of the brand parties/dinners etc.. yet. The planning that the festival goes through to put these things together is extraordinary. So many agreements, and logistical things for so many different brands takes a dumb amount of work. Some brands don’t really get serious until the last minute, so it keeps everything on hold. The festival has learned not to say something is happening unless it is. They’ve been burned a few times, so please stay tuned.
If you’ve purchased tickets already, keep an eye out for the email with a link to sign up for the seminars. By the time I get the seminar listings posted, and put on the calendar, signups will already have been underway.
I’m running a live calendar again this year, with the addition of Google calendar access for the first time. If you’d like to have access to the calendar, please send me an email and let me know if you want Apple iCal or Google calendar access. You don’t need to sign up for both, they will have the same information.
Before the VIP Grand Tasting begins on Friday, I will be doing an Instagram Live showcasing what limited edition bottles that are available at the booths. This will help you get a good idea of what your plan is upon entry. Make sure you have your booth map at the ready (I will post this when it’s available).
FOOD NEWS!
The Salted Pearl is a locals place here in New Orleans. It’s located at the St. Roch Market which has been around since 1875. I’ll give you some quick hits about Salted Pearl. Chef Micah Martello partners with Salty Girl Oysters (a multi generational family owned business) and will be serving at the festival. If you love oysters, or are oyster curious, this is your booth right here. Click this link to read more about the Salted Pearl.
UPDATE 1/31-
We have some updates for you today that anyone attending should find fairly interesting.
HUGE NEWS!! Drew Mayville, the Master Blender and Director of Quality from Buffalo Trace will be at the festival! He will be hosting a “Blenders Panel” seminar that will feature Sean Josephs of Pinhook, Jonathan Maisano of K-Luke, and Macaulay Minton of Dark Arts. A great deal of attention has been placed on Master Distillers over the years, but those in the know, understand that the true magic happens in the hands of expert craftspeople that can take a commodity and turn it into the bottles that we all love. You can click the link to learn more about Drew Mayville, but just know that he was the last Master Distiller under the Seagram’s empire. Also, all of the Buffalo Trace things that you love and can’t get, were touched by Drew. Yeah, a little SazCo zinger here, do you know me at all? When signups begin, you know this one will fill up quickly.
I hinted at it in an earlier update but now I’ve got the juicy details to share.
Dark Arts will be hosting a midnight Ghost Tour event that will end up at a cemetery on Wednesday night. It’s a separate ticket event, pricing will be in the $50 range plus fees. It will be a tasting event in one of New Orleans legendary cemeteries and you cannot freaking miss this!!! There will potentially be 4 tours running simultaneously through the French Quarter (max 28 people per tour). If you haven’t done a Ghost Tour in New Orleans before, know that they are delightfully cheesy, provide some actual historical tidbits, and feature stops at bars that are famously haunted where you can get a cocktail featuring Dark Arts. The tour will conclude with a tasting hosted by Macaulay Minton. LISTEN CLOSELY! This is a CAN’T MISS event.
Trey Zoeller of Jefferson’s will be returning to the festival for the first time in three years! Trey has a fascinating story and is a very engaging personality. You cannot miss the opportunity to meet him.
Marianne Eaves will be back with Forbidden. They will have a booth at the grand tasting.
Backyard BBQ returns with their beloved brisket and their Bourbon. There are a million terrific places to eat here in New Orleans, but, none of them have a world class whiskey selection at neighborhood prices. What is neighborhood pricing? Check this out! This is a locals place that you should definitely get into an Uber/Lyft for. Plus, they have their own label, which is terrific on its own. If you’re lucky, he might pull a dram straight out the barrel for you.
Penelope will have an expanded presence at the festival, but there will not be any Luxco brands in attendance. No Yellowstone, no Rebel, no Remus (dammit I wanted to try this years Gatsby), Minor Case, Ezra Brooks. This likely means no Steve Beam from Limestone Branch at the festival. Steve has been a fixture at the event since the beginning, and he’s so much fun to talk with. This is likely the casualty of the ongoing reduced marketing budgets from brands, and that really sucks. Great for Penelope who is so freaking hot right now, but for those that wanted to engage with some of the lesser known labels in that portfolio, kick rocks.
Aaron Chepenik of Smoke Wagon returns in 2025! He will also be doing an event at the Triple Nickel which is across the lake. Date and Time TBA.
Food Drunk is back as a food vendor this year. If you don’t know, DRUNKEN MEAT CONES! Ice cream cones but with MEAT and no ice cream.
For those of you not using iCal, here is a google calendar link that will have all of the schedules.
We will have more updates in the coming days. So check back often (not daily, I’m not that fast). There is so much more to share, and we will do that as soon as we know about it.
UPDATE 1/26-
A couple of updates today and a reminder that if you wish to have all the events listed on iCal, you can email me here and I’ll add you to the calendar. This will have a comprehensive schedule for the entire festival (seminars, dinners, ticketed event information, brand activations, and after parties).
A big change from previous years, as the festival tries to tighten things up, and make the event more friendly to brands who were having to work extremely long days, and also cramming everything up against itself.
There will be 6 seminar choices per hour instead of 4. While this will mean having to make harder choices, it also means that the festival can create a bigger gap between the seminar programming, and the Grand Tasting events. There will be 40-44 seminars to choose from (I will update this count when the final seminars are confirmed). .Seminars are being smushed into a tighter time frame (10-4:30).
Why are they doing this?
The Grand Tasting events will be starting one hour earlier than in previous years. The VIP entry will be from 6-7pm, and the General Admission will begin at 7pm. The grand tastings run until 10pm, which will allow for the people working the booths to get some sleep, and allow attendees to go have fun post tasting at their favorite local. May I suggest the Rusty Nail, or Barrel Proof?
There is talk of doing a “Louisiana Row” for the grand tasting events. All the local distillery booths side by side. We will update with more information as it comes available.
Other scheduling information-
The VIP welcome party is on Thursday, March 20th 2025. It will be held at the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District (859 Convention
Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130). This will be a VIP ticket only mixer event with food, drinks, and music. There will be all kinds of folks from the whiskey industry to rub elbows with. Do people still rub elbows? The visual on this is so odd to me, but I’ll be there anyway, keeping my elbows to myself.
Hotel booking information for the festival-
New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District Hotel (Bourbon Festival rate link)
UPDATE 1/24-
A quick update for today, and while the water sponsor may not feel like a big deal to you, if you know, you know.
Niagara will be the water sponsor this year.
VoodDoo ice cream is back!
The Sunday closing party returns. Location TBA.
If you recall last years wonderful festival exclusive from Chicken Cock, rejoice, there will be another pick this year. It will feature a new custom NOLA Bourbon festival label (NOT A STICKER) that Matt, Bryan and I helped select (the barrel, not the sticker, try to keep up). We had 4 single barrels to choose from, and we didn’t have to argue over our choice. This single is something- 6.5 years,. custom mash bill distilled via contract at Bardstown Bourbon Company bottled at cask strength.
UPDATE 1/23-
Some quick updates about the single barrel selections for the New Orleans Bourbon Festival.
Kentucky Peerless will have a pick for the festival. No word yet as to whether this will be a rye or bourbon. I may or may not get the chance to help select with my pals Matt and Bryan. UPDATE= NOT. Wahhhhhhhhh.
There will be TWO single barrels from Four Roses this year that will be selected by Brent Eliot. I don’t have the details on the mash bills yet, but hope to soon.
There will be one single barrel from Dark Arts.
UPDATE 1/20-
Ok, let’s kick off the first update with some quick hits,
Tickets for the festival are available now at this link. Special event tickets are NOT yet available. I will update when they are. Dates are 3/19-3/23.
You will notice that the dates this year are 5 days, not 4 as in previous years. That’s because there will be a midnight event on Wednesday the 19th, and I encourage you to plan for it. I’ll be sharing details on it shortly. It will be a separate, ticketed event, that I’m already salivating over.
Kentucky Peerless is putting together a whiskey dinner. More details to come soon.
Four Roses will be back again with another dinner, likely with Brent Eliot. This is always a popular event. More details to come.
There will be less festival exclusive single barrels this year, as the festival is narrowing it down to focus heavily on what works for the festival. I’ll have some details on what’s coming shortly.
Make sure to bookmark this page and check back soon for updates.