Inside Whiskey Washback Atlanta and Chicago 2026: Over 1,000 Whiskey Lovers Discover New Brands

Guests meander in front of the DJ booth at Whiskey Washback Atlanta.

Whiskey Washback closed out its summer slate with back-to-back stops in Atlanta and Chicago, drawing more than 1,000 attendees and putting dozens of brands in direct contact with an audience eager to taste, learn and buy.

The two events were similar, featuring guided tastings, brand tables and ticketed seminars, but each had its own personality. Atlanta leaned into music and storytelling with the Blue Note Lounge and a bourbon-hunter’s masterclass. Chicago took a deep dive on Scotch with an intimate two-distillery tasting. Both cities delivered the kind of lineup that makes Whiskey Washback a must in every city it stops by.

Senior Whisky Ambassador Michael Brown leads the Ian Macleod scotch seminar at Whiskey Washback Chicago.

Atlanta’s brand roster spanned Blue Note Bourbon, Loch Lomond and Glen Scotia, El Dorado Rum, Chicken Cock, Augusta Distillery, Big Creek Distilling, Sagamore, High West, Stonestreet Bourbon, Cazcanes, Dark Arts Whiskey House, Grant Park Social and more.

Brands representing at Chicago included Bardstown Bourbon Company, Green River Whiskey, Michter’s, Ardbeg and Glenmorangie, Ian Macleod’s Glengoyne, Tamdhu and Smokehead, Cedar Ridge, KOVAL, Whiskey Acres, Still Austin, Keeper’s Heart, Off Hours Bourbon, and dozens of others pouring alongside them.

Chicago’s ticketed seminar centered on Ian Macleod Distillers, with Senior Whisky Ambassador Michael Brown guiding attendees through six pours spanning the unpeated Highland style of Glengoyne and the sherry-forward Speyside character of Tamdhu. The tasting ran from the Glengoyne 15 Year Old up through the Glengoyne White Oak 24 Year Old, a bottle that retails north of $400, alongside Tamdhu’s Distinction, 15 Year Old, and Batch Strength expressions.

Whiskey Washback Atlanta guests enjoy a seminar in the Blue Note Lounge.

Atlanta featured the Blue Note Lounge, a juke joint-styled space. Guests joined a hands-on blending session to help shape the next release in the brand’s Mixtape series, tasted past Mixtape pours no longer available to the public.

Separately, The Bourbon Pour hosted The Vault, a guided tasting through four whiskeys hand-selected by the host: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye, JT Meleck 6-Year-Old, Peerless Double Oak Bourbon and Calumet Farm 15-Year Bourbon.

For Off Hours Bourbon, a Kentucky brand still building name recognition in the Chicago market, the event’s value came down to direct trial.

“Once people taste Off Hours, the quality tends to do the rest,” Vice President of Sales Stephen Miles said. Many conversations at the Off Hours table started the same way, with attendees who had never heard of the brand before wanting to hear more.

Those conversations tended to land on founder Jake Ireland’s story, the philosophy behind the brand’s blends and the production details that separate Off Hours from the rest of the shelf, including its use of deadfall oak in building its barrels. Miles said what stood out most was how consistently all three expressions landed — with seasoned bourbon drinkers and newer ones alike. At 95 proof, the whiskey found its way into the hands of guests who don’t usually reach for something that strong, and the brand’s Bourbon Arnold Palmer gave the room a reminder that whiskey has a place in summer alongside the usual clear-spirit cocktails.

Stonestreet Bourbon Whiskey’s booth at Whiskey Washback Chicago

Miles said that kind of direct connection is the whole point: “Experiences like Whiskey Washback are central to our strategy because they allow people to discover Off Hours in a personal and authentic way,” he said, describing an event that combined awareness, education, tasting and purchase intent in a single setting. His biggest takeaway from the night: “Putting a glass of Off Hours into someone’s hands remains one of the most powerful ways to grow the brand.”

Stonestreet Bourbon Whiskey, the Bardstown, Kentucky label tied to the thoroughbred operation of the same name, poured its 5-year-old Founder’s Edition neat and in a Paper Plane, giving guests two ways to enjoy the bourbon. Brand Manager Daniel Dillon said the room’s depth of knowledge stood out immediately, with attendees who could name their preferred styles and expressions but were open to trying something new. “The level of consumers was top notch,” he said.

For a brand looking to introduce itself to new consumers in new markets, that openness is vital. “As a newer brand we are trying to get liquid to lips for as many people as possible to experience our product, and this is a great way to do so,” Dillon said. His advice for other brands weighing whether to sign on: “It’s worth the spend. The people attending want to hear your story.”

Bardstown Bourbon Company’s booth at Whiskey Washback Chicago.

Bardstown Bourbon Company, back for another year, pointed to the venue and the crowd as the draw. “A well-run event with passionate attendees and a great venue are the cornerstones of any successful event,” National Brand Activation Manager Brandon Smith said. “Adding in great whiskey makes for a recipe you can’t pass up.”

Smith described an audience that ranged from longtime collectors to newcomers, all with an interest in hearing the story behind the spirit. “It’s always a treat to share our passion for the brand and be a small part of each person’s whiskey journey,” he said. For Bardstown Bourbon Co., the value comes down to what the event costs against what it delivers. “Whiskey Washback events feel like a partnership,” he said, “with the events team also sharing a love of whiskey.”

Between seminars, dozens of brand tables and north of 1,000 guests, Whiskey Washback Atlanta and Chicago were both teaming with whiskey drinkers show up ready to be introduced to something new.

To learn more about Whiskey Washback and see if it’s coming to a city near you, click here.