Kentucky

It’s Bourbon Heritage Month! 15 events and ways to celebrate in Kentucky

Published

1 year ago

September 3, 2024

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

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Kentucky

Kentucky outlasts Wisconsin 3-2 in five-set thriller

Published

50 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

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Kentucky outlasts Wisconsin 3-2 in five-set thriller

No. 1 Kentucky outlasted No. 3 Wisconsin 3-2 in the five-set thriller to earn a trip the the NCAA national championship. The Wildcats clinch their first national final appearance since winning the title in the Spring of 2021 and second in program history.

In front of a sold-out T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO., Big Blue rallied in a dramatic fashion after a devastating 25-12 loss in Set 1. Kentucky was able to punch back in Set 2, earning the 25-22 victory before dropping the next set 25-21 to the Badgers.

With their backs against the wall, the Cats fought off a rallying Wisconsin team for the 26-24 Set 4 victory to push the match to five.

With momentum on their side, Kentucky took back what it lost in the first and fired on all cylinders in the fifth. The Cats raced out to a 6-1 lead early in the fifth before clinching the 15-13 win, hitting a match-best .409.

Outside Eva Hudson powered 29 kills on .455 hitting with seven digs, two blocks and a service ace to power the Kentucky winm while Brooklyn DeLeye tallied 15. The Big Blue defense made the difference, registering eight big-time blocks against a career-night by Wisconsin’s Mimi Colyer.

With the Wildcat win, Kentucky clinches a spot in the national championship to face No. 3 Texas A&M for the first ever all-SEC final in NCAA women’s volleyball history.

KENTUCKY TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER A FIVE-SET THRILLER 😱#NCAAWVB x 🎥 ESPN / @KentuckyVB pic.twitter.com/RJNIv2eumg
— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 19, 2025

Final stats here.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Supreme Court reverses course, strikes down law limiting JCPS board power

Published

13 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky Supreme Court reverses course, strikes down law limiting JCPS board power

Last December, the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld a law by a slim 4-3 majority that limited the power of the Jefferson County Board of Education and delegated more authority to the district’s superintendent.

Almost exactly one year later, the state’s high court has just done the opposite.

In a 4-3 ruling Thursday, the justices struck down the 2022 law, saying it violated the constitution by targeting one specific school district.

The court’s new opinion on the law is because of its change in membership since last December, as newly elected Justice Pamela Goodwine was sworn in a month later, and then joined three other justices in granting the school board’s request to rehear the case in April.

Replacing a chief justice who had voted to uphold the law last year, Goodwine sided with the majority in the opinion written by Justice Angela McCormick Bisig on Thursday to strike it down.

Bisig wrote that treating the Jefferson County district differently from all other public school districts in the state violated Sections 59 and 60 of the Kentucky Constitution. She noted that while the court “should and does give great deference to the propriety of duly enacted statutes,” they are also “duty bound to ensure that legislative decisions stay within the important mandates” of the constitution.

“When, as here, that legislative aim is focused on one and only one county without any articulable reasonable basis, the enactment violates Sections 59 and 60 of our Constitution,” Bisig wrote. “Reformulating the balance of power between one county’s school board and superintendent to the exclusion of all others without any reasonable basis fails the very tests established in our constitutional jurisprudence to discern constitutional infirmity.”

The at-times blistering dissenting opinion of Justice Shea Nickell — who wrote the majority opinion last year — argued the petition for a rehearing was improvidently granted in April, as it “failed to satisfy our Court’s historic legal standard for granting such requests, and nothing changed other than the Court’s composition.”

Nickell wrote that the court disregarded procedural rules and standards, “thereby reasonably damaging perceptions of judicial independence and diminishing public trust in the court system’s fair and impartial administration of justice.”

“I am profoundly disturbed by the damage and mischief such a brazen manipulation of the rehearing standard will inflict on the stability and integrity of our judicial decision-making process in the future.”

He added that some may excuse the majority’s decision by saying that “elections have consequences,” but that unlike legislators and executive officers being accountable to voters, “judges and justices are ultimately accountable to the law.”

“Courts must be free of political machinations and any fortuitous change in the composition of an appellate court’s justices should have no impact upon previously rendered fair and impartial judicial pronouncements,” Nickell wrote.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, whose office defended the law before the court, criticized the new ruling voiding the law.

“I am stunned that our Supreme Court reversed itself based only on a new justice joining the Court,” Coleman said. “This decision is devastating for JCPS students and leaves them trapped in a failing system while sabotaging the General Assembly’s rescue mission.”

Corrie Shull, chair of the Jefferson County Board of Education, said in a statement he is grateful for the court’s new ruling affirming “that JCPS voters and taxpayers should have the same voice in their local operations that other Kentuckians do, through their elected school board members.”

Spokespersons for the Republican majority leadership of the Kentucky House and Senate did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday’s ruling.

Republican House Speaker David Osborne criticized the move to rehear the case in April, calling it “troubling.”

“Unfortunately, judicial outcomes seem increasingly driven by partisan politics,” Osborne stated. “Kentuckians would be better served to keep politics out of the court, and the court out of politics.”

In August, GOP state Rep. Jason Nemes of Middletown penned an op-ed warning that any ruling overturning the 2022 law could draw a lawsuit challenging the Louisville-Jefferson County merger of 2003 as a violation of the same sections of Kentucky Constitution. That same day, Louisville real estate developer and major GOP donor David Nicklies filed a lawsuit seeking just that.

Some Republicans have also criticized Goodwine for not recusing herself from the case, alleging she had a conflict of interest due to an independent political action committee heavily funded by the teachers’ union in Louisville spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads to help elect her last year.

Louisville attorney and GOP official Jack Richardson filed a petition with the clerk of the Kentucky House in October to impeach Goodwine for not recusing herself. Goodwine said through a spokesperson at the time that it would not be appropriate for her to comment about the impeachment petition.

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Trump considers marijuana rescheduling executive order, Ky. advocates weigh in

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Trump considers marijuana rescheduling executive order, Ky. advocates weigh in

DANVILLE, Ky. (WKYT) – President Donald Trump says he is strongly considering signing an executive order rescheduling marijuana to a lower classification.

The move would loosen federal restrictions but not fully legalize the drug.

Robert Matheny, a CBD shop owner and cannabis advocate in Kentucky for over a decade, said the proposal sounds like a positive step for the cannabis industry but doesn’t think it goes far enough.

“Initial reaction is this is a great thing and a positive step for cannabis rights — and that’s what it was made to sound like to be able to get people to laugh and cheer for it,” Matheny said.

Matheny said the president’s looming marijuana reclassification could spell bad news for Kentuckians and the industry as a whole. He said the move would put marijuana products under pharmaceutical control and potentially drive-up prices.

“This puts a big profit margin in for the pharmaceutical industry, and this is a giant gift to from our legislators and our president right now to the pharmaceutical industry,” Matheny said.

Matheny advocates for full marijuana decriminalization, a stance that goes a step further than the one publicly supported by Governor Andy Beshear.

In a July letter to President Trump, Beshear advocated in favor of rescheduling marijuana. In the letter, he said making the rules less restrictive would provide access to cannabis for treatment and allow more research.

The federal government currently classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug. That classification places it alongside other drugs such as heroin and LSD.

If classified as Schedule III, it would be placed alongside drugs the DEA says have a moderate-to-low potential for physical and psychological dependence such as ketamine and testosterone.

Matheny said even if someone is caught with a Schedule III drug, someone could still be in trouble.

“It’s still a drug. It’s still a pharmacy. If you get caught with over-the-counter pain pills it is still the same as getting caught with fentanyl you got a drug,” Matheny said.

Matthew Bratcher of Kentucky NORML is another marijuana advocate who agrees with Matheny and says legislators should go a step further.

Bratcher said while a meaningful step forward, people would not see full clarity or fairness until cannabis is fully declassified. The longtime cannabis advocate said he will watch to see what is done in Washington.

It’s unclear when Trump will sign the executive order.

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