BARDSTOWN, Ky. – The Kentucky Bourbon Festival will host the annual bourbon festival virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Over the course of the last couple of months, we have been working diligently on the best plan to ensure the health and safety of our attendees, distillery partners, volunteers, and staff,” KBF Board of Directors Chairman David Mandell said. “At this time, we know it’s the right decision to move to a new type of bourbon celebration by going virtual. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Bardstown for our 30^th Anniversary next year.”

As part of the virtual event, nearly 20 live and recorded "Spirits Education Sessions" can be viewed throughout the weekend of Oct. 15 to Oct. 18. All sessions will require registration to attend.

The sessions will include "The Art of Whiskey Making," a four-part series on the particulars of bourbon making; the "Bottled-in-Bond Happy Hour;" "Cocktail Quickies," with lessons from mixologists on recipes to make at home; and the new "Bourbon Legends Series," where some of the industry's most famous families will share stories.

All sessions encourage participants to buy bourbons and cocktail ingredients in advance so they can follow along from home. 

The virtual event will culminate in the "World Championship Bourbon Barrel Relay" where competing distillery teams will try to knock off the 2019 champion distiller.

A full list of events and sign ups will be available in mid-August online. More details on pricing for VIP packages will be provided at a later date.