Kentucky
It’s Bourbon Heritage Month! 15 events and ways to celebrate in Kentucky
Bourbon is the spirit of Kentucky so why not celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month by learning a bit more about its history within the Bluegrass state? Not surprisingly, bourbon is big business. If you’re looking to explore Kentucky’s bourbon industry, here is a list of bourbon events in September during Bourbon Heritage Month.
Know one we missed? Send a note to greed@gannett.com.
WHAT: Kick-off Bourbon Heritage Month at Michter’s Speakeasy. At this Prohibition-Era party, enjoy cocktails by Michter’s Distillery, live jazz with Louisville’s Derby City Dandies, and hors d’oeuvres by RK Bluegrass. Dance the Charleston like Daisy Buchanan and tempt Lady Luck with competitions to win prizes.
WHERE: Frazier History Museum, 829 W. Main St.
WHEN: Sept. 5, 7- 9:30 p.m.
COST: $45, $40 Frazier members includes one complimentary cocktail
MORE INFORMATION: 1920s-themed or cocktail attire is encouraged. fraziermuseum.org.
WHAT: Performers include Jeremy Camp (Sept. 6), Jumping Jack Flash (A Rolling Stones Tribute, Sept. 13), Roots and Boots (Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, Aaron Tippin, Sept. 28), Elle King (Oct. 4) and Buckcherry (Oct. 12).
WHERE: The Amp, 225 Dee Head Road, Gethsemane, Kentucky
WHEN: Sept. 6, 13, 28 7 p.m.
COST: Ticket prices vary.
MORE INFORMATION: Parking is $20, cash only. logstilldistillery.com/theamp.
WHAT: This annual Bourbon Heritage Month event brings together world-class design, hospitality, and the “sport of kings.” Professional polo players from across the country will compete in one of America’s most opulent Polo Cups while spectators sip fine Bourbon. Presented by Woodford Reserve.
WHERE: Oxmoor Farm, 720 Oxmoor Ave.
WHEN: Sept. 7, 2 p.m.
COST: Tickets start at $185 for Champagne Garden, upgrade available. Fieldside parking is sold out.
MORE INFORMATION: makerspoloclub.com.
WHAT: Enjoy live music as you take in the sights and sounds of the river while sipping on Castle & Key bourbon. A Castle & Key Brand Ambassador will be on board to provide a tasting and lead a discussion on one of Kentucky’s most iconic distilleries. Performers, Whiskey Bent Valley Boys (Sept. 11), Song Sparrows (Sept. 18), Hickory Vaught & Friends (Sept. 25).
WHERE: Mary M. Miller, 401 W. River Road
WHEN: Sept. 11, 18 and 25, 7 p.m.
COST: $14.99 to $24.99
MORE INFORMATION: belleoflouisville.org.
WHAT: The Art of Bourbon combines Kentucky’s official art museum with Kentucky’s most remarkable product, bourbon, to produce the region’s premier bourbon and whiskey auction party. Bid on rare and hard-to-find bourbon varieties. Proceeds benefit the Speed Art Museum. Join online or in person to bid on some once-in-a-lifetime offerings. In-person includes cocktails, dinner, and auctions.
Auction highlights:
- Michter’s 25-Year-Old. Michter’s Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon 25 years old. This rare 25-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from the highest quality American corn and aged in fire-charred, new American white oak barrels.
- Pappy Van Winkle Vertical signed by Julian Van Winkle. A 6-bottle complete vertical of all of the Van Winkle bottles, each signed by Julian Van Winkle III exclusively for Art of Bourbon.
- Bardstown Bourbon Origin Series Single Barrel Bourbon. Embark on a journey at Bardstown Bourbon Company and experience your very own single-barrel selection. Taste, sip and select your Origin Series Bourbon Single Barrel 6-year-old, 100% estate-distilled, 60% corn/36% rye/4% malted barley mash bill.
WHERE: Speed Art Museum,2035 South Third St.
WHEN: Sept. 12, 6-9:30 p.m.; auction begins at 7 p.m.
COST: $350 per person to participate in person; free to join online (should you win an item; your credit card will be immediately charged).
MORE INFORMATION: To participate in The Art of Bourbon, you must create a proxibid account and register before the event. 502-634-2704; artofbourbon.org.
WHAT: Celebrate America’s Native Spirit (bourbon) and Bourbon Heritage Month at the Bourbon Capital of the World, the city of Bardstown. Bardstown has hosted the Kentucky Bourbon Festival every September since 1991. The festival features more than 60 distilleries offering sample pours and bottle sales, 200 brands and expressions, 55 experts and master distillers, 31 events and panels, music, food trucks, and more.
WHERE: 114 N. Fifth St., Bardstown, Kentucky
WHEN: Sept. 13-15
COST: Sold out.
MORE INFORMATION: kybourbonfestival.com.
WHAT: Bourbon and Boxing brings together the elegance of a black-tie affair with the excitement of live boxing matches and bourbon. Enjoy premium bourbon tastings from renowned distilleries.
WHERE: Caesars Southern Indiana, 11999 Casino Center Drive Southeast, Elizabeth, Indiana
WHEN: Sept. 13. Doors open at 7 p.m. with a reception, mingling in the casino; boxing at 8 p.m.
COST: Tickets start at $75
MORE INFORMATION: bourbonandboxingllc.com/
More: Black-tie Bourbon and Boxing event is heading to Louisville. Here’s how to get tickets
WHAT: Enjoy a three-course meal paired with Horse Soldier Bourbon, led by Regional Brand Specialist Kody Langeland. Menu: Burrata, wedge salad, and shrimp and grits.
WHERE: 2255 Frankfort Ave.
WHEN: Sept. 18, 6:30-9 p.m.
COST: $74 per person, plus tax and gratuity includes dinner, welcome cocktail, and tastings of three Horse Soldier products.
MORE INFORMATION: Limited seating is available. Dietary and allergy restrictions will be accommodated. Reservations are requested. bourbonsbistro.com.
WHAT: Celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month at the world’s largest music, food, and bourbon festival.
Headliners:
- Thursday: Sting, Matchbox Twenty, Beck, Maren Morris, Koe Wetzel, BRELAND, Ole 60, The Record Company, The Sam Bush Band, Sister Sadie.
- Friday: Dave Matthews Band, Black Pumas, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Head and The Heart, Chris Isaak, Mat Kearney, The Red Clay Strays, Wyatt Flores, The Jerry Douglas Band, New Dangerfield.
- Saturday: Zach Bryan, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Teddy Swims, Young the Giant, Allen Stone, Wild Rivers, Meg Myers, Tony Trishka’s Earl Jam: A Tribute to Earl Scruggs, Big Richard.
- Sunday: Tyler Childers, The National, My Morning Jacket, The War on Drugs, Milky Chance, Dinosaur JR, X Ambassadors, Lucius, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Local Honeys.
Bourbon:
- The Bourbon Experince: Hosted Amanda Freitag and Chris Blandford.
- The Hunter’s Club. Sip and savor rare, vintage, and experimental expressions.
- The Kroger Big Bourbon Bar. Bourbon from more than 18 distilleries.
WHERE: Highlands Festival Grounds, Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane
WHEN: Sept. 19-21
COST: Tickets start at $150 per day
MORE INFORMATION: bourbonandbeyond.com
More: Bourbon & Beyond releases its 2024 lineup: Who’s performing at the bourbon music festival?
WHAT: Known as the world’s most award-winning distillery, Buffalo Trace has been producing top-tier bourbon for over 200 years. Guests will savor a curated selection of Buffalo Trace’s finest offerings, each paired with a specially crafted menu to enhance this iconic spirit’s complex flavors.
Menu:
- First course: Steak tartar crostini; second course: grilled radicchio salad; third course: grilled swordfish and farro salad; fourth course: crispy braised veal cheek, whipped sweet potato, charred shaved brussel sprouts, maple chipotle demi-glace; fifth course: pistachio affogato sundae with an espresso shot on the side
WHERE: Swizzle, Galt House,140 N Fourth St.
WHEN: Sept. 19, 7-9 p.m.
COST: $125
MORE INFORMATION: swizzle25.com/events
WHAT: Celebrate National Bourbon Heritage Month from the Bourbon City’s historic steamboat, the Belle of Louisville. This bourbon-infused event features tastings, and live music as you cruise down the river.
WHERE: Belle of Louisville, 131 W. River Road
WHEN: Sept. 27, 7 p.m.
COST: $49.99
MORE INFORMATION: belleoflouisville.org.
WHAT: Explore the hidden stories of Louisville’s haunted past as you eat and drink your way down Whiskey Row. Meet the resident ghosts of Louisville’s historic downtown, trace the footsteps of bourbon magnates and mobsters, see Al Capone’s secret getaway, discover hidden speakeasies, and learn the shocking truth about Prohibition. This tour includes four stops for libations, as well as an assortment of small bites.
WHERE: Meet at 1st and Washington St.
WHEN: Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5 p.m.; Fridays, 5 and 5:30 p.m. through Dec. 27.
COST: $149
MORE INFORMATION: For ages 21 and older. Wheelchair friendly with advance notice. Tickets must be booked online in advance. 1.5 miles of walking. louisvillefoodtours.com/tours/phantoms-of-the-prohibition-tour.
More: Here are 5 food and bourbon walking tours you can take in Louisville
WHAT: The museum offers a variety of Kentucky Bourbon tastings, tours, exhibitions, and products when exploring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Events include Kentucky Hug Bourbon Experience, Flight Club; Ready, Set, Go! Bourbon Experience; Craft Your Own Cocktail Experience and private tastings and tours.
- Kentucky Hug Bourbon Experience. Learn about the history of the bourbon and enjoy a flight of Kentucky bourbons. $24.
- Flight Club: Participants will be given a blind flight of three different bourbons that will challenge their senses and teach them a thing or two about Bourbon. $24.
- Ready, Set, Go! Bourbon Experience: Intended for Kentucky Bourbon Trail visitors and bourbon buffs. With this experience, participants get a multi-brand bourbon tasting, first and second-day admission to the museum, and much more. $34.
- Craft Your Own Cocktail Experience: Learn how to make an iconic cocktail from the Certified Bourbon Stewards. Presented by Old Forester. $24.
- Private tasting and tours: Offering several customizable guided tours and bourbon tastings led by one of Frazier’s certified Bourbon Stewards.
- Whiskey Row Walking Tours. Starting at the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center inside the Frazier History Museum. This tour offers tastings at local distilleries with everything you need to learn about the history, distilling, and craftsmanship behind our world-famous Bourbon Whiskey. $89.
WHERE: Frazier History Museum, 829 W. Main St.
WHEN: Seven days a week at designated times that you can opt to book online or enjoy as a walk-in
MORE INFORMATION: The Museum Store sells bourbon and a wide variety of Bourbon-related merchandise. fraziermuseum.org.
WHAT: Sip, savor, and seek thrills with the museum’s unique selection of bourbon experiences. Learn about the rich history of Thoroughbred racing while indulging in Kentucky’s finest spirits.
- Bourbon & Bridles Experience. Start with a tour of Churchill Downs to learn why horse racing and Bourbon are a perfect pair. Then wrap up with a tasting of well-known bourbons. Tuesdays and Fridays, 2 p.m. Tickets start at $80.
- Hermitage Farm and Derby Museum Tour. This is an all-day experience that takes participants from the Museum to the Farm and will leave you with a new-found love and appreciation for all things horse racing and bourbon. Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. Tickets starts at $80.
- Derby Cafe and Bourbon Bar on the Urban Bourbon Trail. The Urban Bourbon Trail includes more than 40 bars and restaurants around Derby City. One of these stops is the Derby Cafe Express at the Museum. The cafe has 170 bourbons, special bourbon flights and specialty cocktails. Stop by for a cocktail.
WHERE: Kentucky Derby Museum, 704 Central Ave.
WHEN: Various times
MORE INFORMATION: 502-637-1111; derbymuseum.org.
WHAT: Enjoy live music, bourbon specials, and delicious barbecue every Wednesday evening at Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse. Features bottle at breakeven price (limited tasting per guest).
WHERE: Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse, 434 South 4th St.
WHEN: Wednesdays, 5-8 p.m. now through Oct. 25.
MORE INFORMATION: $5 off flights and free side with the purchase of a half-pound of meat. 4thstlive.com/eat-and-drink/guy-fieris-smokehouse.
Reach features news clerk Gege Reed at greed@courier-journal.com.
More: Looking for great Kentucky bourbon? 6 trendy bourbon bars to try in Louisville
(LEX18) — A toddler from eastern Kentucky has completed his fourth round of chemotherapy, marking a significant milestone in his battle against an aggressive form of leukemia.
It’s a story LEX18 first brought to you back in May.
Three-year-old Axel Combs was first diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in April while on vacation in Florida. Nine months later, he has completed four rounds of aggressive chemotherapy and recently finished his frontline treatment.
Over the past several months, Axel has undergone surgeries, blood transfusions, and many aggressive treatments to reach this point.
“I feel two totally different ways all at the same time. Like part of me is so sad, but then part of me is so grateful and appreciative at the same time,” said Sasha Combs, Axel’s mother.
The family now waits for Axel’s Absolute Neutrophil Count to reach 750, so he can move forward with a less aggressive chemotherapy treatment for the next two years.
Combs says doctors are hopeful Axel will reach that number by Tuesday once his labs are rechecked.
Axel has even started acting like himself again, which has given his family hope.
“Up until probably like July or August, those personality changes were still there,” Combs said. “When we started seeing him act more like himself, that kind of gave us a glimpse of hope.”
Despite his treatment, Axel has been able to enjoy special moments, including serving as an honorary captain with the Cincinnati Reds and seeing the lights at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Combs says Axel had to undergo chemotherapy on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, but was able to wake up together Christmas morning.
“We were able to spend Christmas here at the temporary home together. It was the four of us,” Combs said.
Beyond Axel’s health challenges, the family faces significant financial burdens. From April to December, their insurance was billed $2.4 million for his cancer treatments. Some chemotherapy treatments cost $50,000 for a single dose.
Combs says the family’s faith has only grown, along with a newfound perspective, as they navigate this journey.
She thanks the community for its overwhelming support and outreach, especially on her Facebook page, Angels for Axel, where she shares every step of his journey.
“You can still find happiness and beauty among really horrible, horrible, horrible situations,” Combs said. “There’s hope for the future. That this doesn’t define us or this doesn’t ruin his life. Our life. Like that, there is still beauty that can be in this, after this.”
Those who want to follow Axel’s journey can visit the Facebook page “Angels for Axel.”
If you’d like to help the family through donations, you can donate to the following payment systems:
PayPal: Sasha Combs
Venmo: @SashaAlexisCombs
Cashapp: $SashaAlexisCombs
Combs hopes to one day turn Angels for Axel into a nonprofit has she wants to help advocate for both children with cancer and their families.
Kentucky
Kentucky woman, 35, charged with homicide after using abortion pills then burying fetus in backyard
A Kentucky woman was charged with fetal homicide after allegedly using abortion pills and burying the fetus in a Christmas-wrapped lightbulb box in her backyard — when she got pregnant following an affair.
Melinda Spencer, 35, was arrested Wednesday after going to a Campton health care clinic, where she told staff members she used medication purchased online to end her pregnancy, which is illegal in the state, according to Kentucky State Police, FOX 56 reported.
Police said Spencer allegedly admitted to taking the pills on Dec. 26 and burying the fetus — described as a “developed male infant” — two days later in a shallow grave at her Flat Mary Road home.
After obtaining a search warrant, cops found the remains wrapped in a white rag and stuffed in the holiday-decorated box inside a plastic bag, court documents showed.
Spencer later confessed that she allegedly ordered the pregnancy-ending drugs after conceiving with a man who was not her boyfriend, claiming she didn’t want him to find out, police said, per the outlet.
Authorities said she wanted to “abort the fetus on her own.”
It’s unclear how long she was pregnant before taking the pills.
An autopsy has reportedly been scheduled to establish how developed the fetus was.
In Kentucky, nearly all abortions are illegal, with a doctor only authorized to perform one to prevent death or serious injury to the mother.
There are no exceptions for rape or incest.
State law also bars the distribution of abortion medication.
Spencer was charged with first-degree fetal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and first-degree promoting contraband, the outlet reported.
The homicide offense makes her eligible for the death penalty. She also faces life behind bars if convicted.
Spencer is being held at Three Forks Regional Jail in Beattyville.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A 3.1 magnitude earthquake hit Kentucky Sunday afternoon with an epicenter between Richmond and Lancaster, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS “Did You Feel It” survey received reports from people in Richmond, Danville, Stanford, Lancaster and Lexington.
Caroline Boyd, a retired nurse from Lancaster, was reading at home when the earthquake began at 12:47 p.m.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say shaking but it felt like a rumbling in my basement or even outside,” Boyd said.
Boyd said she felt and heard the ground beneath her rumble followed by a loud boom.
“I thought to myself what on earth is that? Because there is no trains or train station nearby, so I knew it was not a train. So, I just sat there and listened. I would say it lasted about 10 to 15 seconds,” Boyd said.
After the tremor, Boyd called her neighbors and then the sheriff’s office. Dispatchers told her there had been an earthquake.
Dustin Price, deputy director and public information officer for Garrad County Emergency Management Agency, said the agency first heard from Bluegrass 911 about reports of a loud boom and shaking.
“Approximately we were able to confirm through the state that there was a confirmed 3.1 magnitude earthquake that hit through Garrad County,” Price said.
No injuries or property damage were reported, according to Price.
Boyd said she was thankful the earthquake did not cause more serious problems.
“Even if I would’ve had to relocate if there was a problem. I have two pets, so it could’ve been really bad,” Boyd said.
Garrad County EMA said they are thankful for all the agencies who helped respond to the incident.
Copyright 2025 WKYT. All rights reserved.
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