New Orleans Bourbon Fest Returns In March
Bourbon Festival is heading back to New Orleans this March and will kick off four days of food, spirits, and culture. The festival, which will be held Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10, merges informative seminars, bourbon-pairing dinners, live panels, and tastings in a city that knows a thing or two about the art of imbibing.
The festival will kick off on March 7 with a Bartenders' Bourbon Battle that will pit eight bartenders against one another in a showdown to see which contestant whips up the best cocktail using Jim Beam products. This event will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. at The District, and will be hosted by Master Mixologist Bobby Gleason. On Thursday, May 8, some of New Orleans' most revered restaurants will be teaming up with the best Master Distillers in the country to host four-course pairing dinners as part of the Legends of Bourbon Series:
- Denny Potter & Bernie Lubbers of Heaven Hill at Cavan
- Fred Booker Noe III & Freddie Noe of Jim Beam at Cochon
- Rob Samuels of Maker's Mark at Palace Café
- Kris Comstock of Sazerac at Toups South
- Eddie & Bruce Russell or Wild Turkey at Calcasieu Ball Room
- Brent Elliot of Four Roses at Kenton's Food & Bourbon
- Bulleit at Desi Vegas Steakhouse
The dinners are $130 per person, all inclusive, and will feature a bourbon pairing with each of the four courses. Following the dinner series, attendees who hold a VIP ticket have the option to attend Bourbon & Burlesque—the private afterparty held at Le Meridien Hotel.
Once again, the festival will offer Grand Tasting events on Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10. Each event will be held at the Contemporary Arts Center from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. and features the following: a cigar lounge, bites from several of New Orleans' top restaurants, bourbon-centric goods for purchase, live music by local jazz pianist, Matt Lemmler, and tastings from distilleries all over the world. VIP ticket holders will also have access to an exclusive speakeasy lounge that will be serving up sips of Bourbon from top-shelf distillers.
In addition to dinners and tastings, the festival will provide attendees with a plethora of bourbon-related information in the form of over 30 live panel seminars. These seminars will be offered at Le Meridien on both Friday and Saturday beginning at 10:00 a.m. each day. For the full schedule of seminars, visit www.neworleansbourbon2018.sched.com.
For more information on the 2018 New Orleans Bourbon Festival, including ticket purchasing, visit the website, or see what other festivals are happening this spring around the world.