The Inaugural National Bourbon Week Will Be Celebrated This Year
Bardstown announced in conjunction with Bourbon Capital Alliance the inaugural National Bourbon Week from June 11-16. (Photo: Bourbon News/X)
The inaugural National Bourbon Week will take place this week from June 11-16 thanks to a joint partnership between the Bourbon Capital Alliance and the city of Bardstown.
National Bourbon Day, which is already an established holiday, falls on June 14.
Come Find Bourbon reports that festivities will be held in Bardstown — the self-described bourbon capital of the world — with multiple distilleries joining in on the fun.
According to Bourbon News, the week’s apex will be the unveiling of the 2024 Bardstown Collection, a collaboration between seven distilleries — Bardstown Bourbon Company, Heaven Hill, James B. Beam, Limestone Branch, Log Still, Lux Row and Preservation — that is eagerly anticipated each year.
Other events throughout the week will include curated tastings, bourbon education opportunities, special distillery events and the 21st Annual Bourbon City Street Concert, according to The Bourbon News.
Per Come Find Bourbon, more details will be posted to the Visit Bardstown Facebook and Instagram pages in the coming months.
Bourbon Boom — the Rise of America’s Native Spirit
According to SevenFifty Daily, bourbon’s massive boom began in the mid- to late 2000s. Though America’s native spirit is wildly popular today, its rise to success had ebbs and flows. The spirit took a major nosedive in the 1970s, at which time consumers preferred “white spirits,” like vodka or gin.
When America was about to hit The Great Recession in 2008, bourbon began to regain popularity.
Some attributed the rise in cocktail culture to the spirit’s success, others claimed that a desire for single malt scotch whisky is what drove the beginnings of the bourbon bubble. Fans of scotch wanted to imbibe something cheaper and local, making bourbon a hit. Fast forward nearly two decades later, the bourbon business has never been more robust.
In early February, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Distillers’ Association shared that the bourbon boom generated an eye-watering $9 billion in revenue. This welcome news means there will be much cause for celebration this coming June.
“Kentucky’s economy is booming, and the bourbon industry is helping us build a strong economy for generations to come,” Beshear said in a news release. “Today, this signature industry is generating $9 billion in total economic impact, with more on the way. We thank our distilleries for working hard to create more good jobs and boosting our tourism industry across the Commonwealth.”
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