Photography courtesy of the St. Louis Bourbon Society
Mark your calendars: The St. Louis Bourbon Festival returns October 6. In its third year, the St. Louis Bourbon Society's popular event at the Lemp Grand Hall and Lofts continues to grow bigger and better, featuring well-known names in the whiskey industry. SLM recently caught up with St. Louis Bourbon Society founders James Thomas and Drew Chostner to talk about the festival.
What inspired you to create this annual whiskey celebration?
DC: To be honest, the festivals have been a very selfish endeavor for James and myself. We have explored dozens of bourbon festivals trying to find the elements that excited us the most and include those in our events. We put together bourbon events that we would want to attend ourselves. There needs to be specific elements to create a specific atmosphere that will not be forgotten after the event ends. Our festival begs to be explored including the buildings, courtyards, mansions, streets, and the lots of bourbon.
Will there be food pairings to complement the whiskey selections?
JT: As in the past, this year’s festival will feature several local food trucks offering a wide range of options for guests to enjoy. In addition, new for 2023, we will offer the option of a sit-down dinner inside the historic Lemp Mansion Restaurant. Dinner will include the Lemp’s hauntingly famous fried chicken and all of the sides, which are some of the best in all of St. Louis. The tasting presentation by Peggy Noe Stevens and Heather Wibbels will include a fantastic food pairing with Michter's [Distillery].
Can you share about any master classes or educational sessions?
JT: We will feature experiences hosted by Bourbon Hall of Fame members Peggy Noe Stevens and Michael Veach. There will be sensory events focusing on the art of taste and smell from master blender Jackie Zykan from Hidden Barn. Guests can go deep into the history of bourbon and its roots with Heaven Hill’s national brand ambassador, Bernie Lubbers, as he performs his 'Bourbon Through Bluegrass' musical experience. There will also be elevated cocktail sessions with author Heather Wibbels (a.k.a. the Cocktail Contessa), along with the chance to learn more about people shaking up the whiskey industry, such as Steve Fante from Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, Ryan Cecil from Pursuit United and co-founder of Bourbon Pursuit, the official podcast of bourbon. We will also be hosting Bryan Smith from Hard Truth Distillery in Indiana, Michael Paladini and Danny Polise from recently acquired Penelope Bourbon, along with Jason Brauner from the iconic Bourbons Bistro and creator of Buzzard's Roost.
And, as usual, attendees will have the chance to explore a wide range of whiskey varieties?
DC: The variety will be mind-boggling. We tell guests to make a plan of which brands they are most interested in and stick to it. There will be plenty of bourbon, whiskey, rye, and Scotch to choose from. Guests will be given the festival map and a full list of vendors with locations a week ahead of the event, so they can make a plan for the evening.
