Presentations to go with your bourbon?

What are the complimentary evening presentations?

Our complimentary evening presentations provide the perfect opportunity to unwind after a fun day of riding with the chance to soak up some fascinating bourbon lore. Our past presenters have engaged audiences with talks involving Kentucky history, fantastic bottle recommendations and more!

Snag a bourbon sample, pull up a camp chair, gather around the fire & kick up your feet. You’ve earned The Burn by day — now it’s time to savor the flavor by night!

Thursday Evening: Torch Light Trivia | 2024

At the VIP TASTING TENT | Thursday, September 26th | 7:30 PM

Advance registration for Torchlight Trivia is NOW CLOSED. If you wish join Trivia with a team, please check with the Info Tent on Thursday upon arriving at Base camp!

Here we go again! Torch Light Trivia has become success a popular success over the last two years, we’re bringing our trivia evening for another round to test noggins and noodles!

Put together a team, compete against other teams of Burn riders such as “J-Town Brainiac Bikers”, “The Chain Gang” and “Cape Crusaders” and then push your puzzler to the limits on Thursday evening, September 26h.

Host Phil Kollin will welcome you and your trivia team to the Burn with questions covering topics ranging from bourbon to bicycling to Kentucky, plus a wide range of other general knowledge questions!

Everyone has a chance to win prizes, pride and a phenomenally garish championship trophy at this complimentary welcome event!

Torch Light Trivia is free to all riders & guests but you must register your team in advance of The Bourbon Burn!

Register Your Team for Torch Light Trivia Here

Friday Evening Burn Side Presentation for 2024

At the Far Side Fire | Friday, September 27th | 7:45 pm

"Unearthing Forgotten Bourbon History" with Nick Laracuente – Bourbon Archaeologist & Buffalo Trace Archivist

Nick is an archaeologist who specializes in distilleries and has played a major role in the fascinating discovery and excavation of Colonel Taylor’s 19th century distillery at Buffalo Trace …commonly known as “Bourbon Pompeii!”

If you’ve ever taken a distillery tour, you probably learned fairly quickly that Kentucky history and bourbon are as connected as whiskey and the glass. That’s what makes Nick Laracuente’s role as an Archivist and Exhibit Designer for the Sazerac Company so unique. And so important!

When sites and ruins across the state that once were the home of fully-functioning commercial whiskey distillery, some dating almost two centuries, that’s when the “Bourbon Archaeologist.” Think a Bluegrass version of Indiana Jones but with anexcavation brush and maybe a flask rather than a whip.

Nick is an archaeologist who specializes in distilleries and public outreach. Prior to his current role, Nick held a variety of titles that relied on his unique skill set, most notably at the Kentucky Heritage Council and the Jack Jouett House Historic Site. He has served as an adjunct professor at Midway University teaching bourbon archaeology classes, and in the roles of Lab Supervisor, Part-time Instructor, and Research Assistant at the University of Kentucky.

But most importantly, Nick is as passionate about archaeology as he is about bourbon. After all, both involve spending a great deal of time on the rocks…

Come join Nick for a fascinating Fire Side Chat on the role that archaeology has played in re-assessing bourbon’s rich past…and determining where we the industry might be headed over the next 200 years! Nick’s talk will include everything from Revolutionary War Heroes, to iconic Bourbon Pompeii and current projects! You won’t want to miss it!

Saturday Evening Burn Side Presentation for 2024

At the Far Side Fire | saturday, September 28th | 7:45 pm

"The Story of Blanton’s Bourbon - America’s Most Influential Whiskey " with author and collector Dominic Guglielmi

Dominic is easily among the most prolific and knowledgeable collectors of famed Blanton’s bourbon. He has amassed a nearly unrivaled collection of known Blanton’s releases, including all know  rare and limited bottles that have been produced. Dominic has worked endlessly in recent years to document the brand’s history through his book and website, WarehouseH.com

As you know, these days the popularity of bourbon whiskey in America is at an all-time high. Over the past decade it has seen exponential growth and popularity. Legions of new fans are drawn to the spirit every year.

But that wasn’t always the case. So, what accounts for this growth? Believe it or not, It can be traced—at least in part—to the 1984 introduction of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey.

During its previous heyday in the 1950s through 1960s, bourbon was the most popular distilled spirit in America. As the 1970s ushered in, the market collapsed, and bourbon sales plummeted as consumers turned to “lighter and whiter” spirits such as vodka and gin. Throughout the next 30 years the industry struggled, and distilleries were shuttered. Nobody wanted bourbon.

The introduction of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey in 1984 was historic. As the first single-barrel bourbon, it is bottled one barrel at a time as opposed to first mixing together multiple barrels. It helped define a new “super-premium” category for bourbon, where only the choicest barrels are selected and bottled.

Come join us around The Far Side Fire on Saturday night to learn why the creation of Blanton's has been called "the whiskey equivalent of a Hail Mary pass." Dominic will weave the story of showing how, together with other super-premium brands launched in the years following, Blanton’s debut in sowed the seeds of a 21st-century bourbon boom that saved the American whiskey industry from near collapse!

There are bourbon collectors and there are bourbon experts and then there are the remarkable few like Dominic Guglielmi. Throughout his collecting journey, Guglielmi noticed that nobody had properly told the story of Blanton's bourbon so in 2021, he began the journey to set the record straight.

Over the next two years, he poured himself into researching and documenting the brand. Soon, Warehouse H: The Story of Blanton's Bourbon, America's Most Influential Whiskey was born. It was an adventure that took him around the world in his quest to document the brand's history and now we’re thrilled to have him join us in Lexington at The Bourbon Burn this year! Don’t miss it!

Take a look at our Fireside Chat Presentations from 2023:

2023 Friday Evening Burn Side Presentation

At the Far Side Fire | 7:45 pm

"The Other Spirits of Kentucky - Bluegrass Ghost and Spooky Spots" with Joni Goodin ⁠

Joni is a Paranormal Historian who has hosted Ghost Tours in Key West, Atlanta and her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. She is ready to mesmerize Burn riders with stories of spirits, specters and phantoms!

Kentucky is home to bourbon, thoroughbred horses and stunning views...BUT the Bluegrass State also features a long history of terrifying tales of ghosts, ghouls, goblins and everything between! The state's supernatural element has even attracted paranormal inspectors such as Ghost Hunters who once spent a night at Buffalo Trace distillery and identified over 20 ghostly presences in warehouses and beyond.
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Joni Goodin is making a return to Bourbon Base camp for a haunting talk on that surreal intersection where the whiskey spirits meet the unworldly spirits! Joni has been telling tales of whiskey and ghosts across Kentucky and has mastered the art of storytelling.

A professional tour guide, story-teller and author, Joni is originally from Louisville but she discovered her love of ghost stories in 1998 while living as a castaway in Key West, Florida.  She was working during the day as a paralegal and at night as a ghost tour guide, and became known as the only ‘paranormal paralegal’ living on the island.

Joni created Ghosts of Marietta ghost tour in Marietta, Georgia in 2005; and The Original Highlands Ghost Tour in Louisville in 2010.  She has also been a tour guide on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for over 12 years, and can tell some very scary stories about her adventures on the trail.

No one on earth can weave an epic haunted chronicle quite like Joni! Her stories will have you on the edge of your seat...and maybe have you sleeping with a nightlight inside your tent later that evening.⁠

You do not have to sign up or register for this event. Simple grab your flashlight, pull up a camp chair, and don’t forget to bring along a pour of your favorite spirit.

2023 Saturday Evening Burn Side Presentation

At the Far Side Fire | 7:45 pm

"Behind The Barrels - An Inside Look at The World of Distilling & Blending” with Lisa Wicker

When it comes to the business of bourbon, Lisa Wicker has done just about everything in her 20+ year career in the industry! Lisa has tackled roles with such as Master Blender, Mater Distiller and even CEO at different spirits companies. Now she’s joining the Burn to offer a unique inside look into the distilling world!

A sample of our 2022 Complimentary Fireside Chat Presentations:

Friday Evening Burn Side Presentation

Barry Brinegar sharing the story of bringing Lexington’s rd1 spirits back to life

The Executive Vice President at RD1 Spirits and all around Bourbon Know-It All will share the story of RD1 Spirits’ recent rebirth. The distillery has a mission to create products with storied history of the name but also with a quality worthy of Lexington’s legendary whiskey heritage!

To say that Barry knows bourbon is a bit like saying Colonel Sanders knew fired chicken - a massive understatement! After enjoying bourbon at an early (legal) age, Barry's appreciation grew when he started spending time with local bourbon groups, including the Lexington Bourbon Society, for whom he served on the board of directors.

Barry, working with other local business owners and fellow bourbon enthusiasts, quickly grew his love and appreciation for bourbon history and its production. He set out to surround himself with refined partners and industry consultants, providing insight on how bourbon continues to shape and support the local business community.

At our Burnside Chat, Barry will share the story of RD1 which begins way back In 1865 when the Ashland Distillery was established — the very first to obtain a federally registered distillery license, and was assigned RD#1!

Located on Manchester Street at the city limits of Lexington, KY, today, the remains of the original distillery can be found at what is now the entrance to Lexington’s Distillery District. In 2021, the RD1 brand was reborn with what we now call Bluegrass Glory!

Saturday Evening Burn Side Presentation

Tales from eleven generations of family distilling in Kentucky with Royce Neeley

Royce spends his days as Lead Distiller for the Neeley Family Distillery in the town of Sparta. But when he's not making whiskey, he is cataloging his family's unparalleled illegal Kentucky distilling history.

Neeley Family Distillery is a small family owned whiskey operation sitting among the rolling hills of the Kentucky bluegrass. The Neeley Family had been distilling and bootlegging illegally in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky for decades until 2015, when Tenth Generation Roy Neeley and Eleventh Generation Royce Neeley took the family business legal for the first time ever.     

Royce, who serves as the family’s Lead Distiller, makes his spirits the historic way with a variety of old family mash recipes that us pot stills, cypress fermenters, sweet mash, and the Neeley Family yeast strand which is propagated at the distillery. Through this devotion, Royce believes they are distilling some of the best Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey in the world.

Join Royce on Saturday evening for some amazing true-to-life stories from years and years of the Neeley's rich distilling history throughout the state, He’ll revisit the past which includes centuries old family stills, newspaper articles, and distilling equipment designed after Royce’s great grandfather. And he’ll also share what the future holds for the Neeley Family and distillery!

Bring a pour from the tasting tent and grab a seat - You won’t want to miss this presentation!

A look back at our 2021 Complimentary Fireside Chat Presentations:

Friday Evening Burnside Presentation

Burn Side Presentation: Talkin' Turkey and Tunes with
Wild Turkey Brand Builder & Musician Bo Garrett

Kentucky native Bo Garrett knows two things very, very well - Bourbon and Music. Bo is both a Brand Builder for Wild Turkey AND as the lead guitarist for Montgomery Gentry.

Bo he spends his time in two very distinct and interesting ways - Days at Wild Turkey where he hosts tours and custom experiences at their Lawrenceburg distillery and the nights on the road where he has taken the stage with award-winning country band Montgomery Gentry since the band first formed in the early 1990’s.

Bo spent the evening talking about his long journey from playing in the honky tonks of Central Kentucky to hosting tastings of highly sought after products like Russells Reserve13 year Bourbon. Bo will be shared the fascinating story of his professional trek from the guitar to working with the bourbon bottle in 2017. Along with some incredibly colorful anecdotes spiced in along the way! Plus he shared some insight on what has made Wild Turkey one of the world’s biggest bourbon brands!

Saturday Evening Burnside Presentation

Burn Side Presentation: behind the bar and behind the whiskey brand with Jason brauner

A Modern Day Whiskey Pioneer, Jason is both the co-owner of Louisville’s popular Bourbons Bistro since 2005 and started his own whiskey brand, Buzzards Roost, in 2019

During this chat, Jason dropped some stories on the highs and lows of running one of America’s best known bourbon restaurants and shares stories on what it takes to create your own whiskey brand from the ground up. Our riders brought a pour from the tasting tent as they grabbed a set.

Jason Brauner took the next step to chasing his whiskey passions by fulfilling a near lifelong dream and launching his own brand in 2019 - Buzzards Roost. Two bottles can currently be found on shelves across Kentucky - The Buzzard’s Roost Straight Rye Whiskey Single Barrel and the Buzzard’s Roost Straight Rye Whiskey Small Batch - with a bourbon set to be added to the roster this fall.

A sample of our 2019 Complimentary Fireside Chat Presentations:

Friday Evening Burnside Presentation

Pavilion Presentation: Oak 101: Flavors From Inside the Barrel

In this presentation, Andrew talked about all things ‘oak’ and, specifically, how the Independent Stave Company created their barrels. Andrew discussed some of the origins of flavors found in barrel aged whiskies and also shattered a few of the commonly held myths that even the most confident of bourbon expert has surrounding maturation.

Always inspired by innovation, Andrew Wiehebrink is a passionate engineer who leverages his expertise to lead Independent Stave Company spirit research division. Andrew works closely with ISC’s distilling customers to push the envelope of what is possible in the world of bourbon barrels. In addition to developing and testing new products, Andrew designs experiments and conducts pioneering research to further our understanding of whiskey maturation, barrel performance and alternative barrel construction!

Saturday Evening Burnside Presentation

Fireside Chat: The Other spirit of Kentucky bluegrass ghosts

When you have a state as old as Kentucky, you’re bound to have more than a few stories of spirits, specters and phantoms. In 2019, we gathered around the campfire and listened in to Joni Goodin share some tales of the more astonishing instances when whiskey and the paranormal have intersected. Joni walked us through experiences had by those who have encountered spooks at historic distilleries like Buffalo Trace and Jim Beam. She also shared the tales of creepy, unexplained phenomena from famed Bluegrass spots like Mammoth Cave and the Appalachian Foothills, which are guaranteed to make your skin crawl just a bit. Joni even had a few stores originating from those Moonshine Stills in the Hills where angry long dead spirits are known to cause trouble even today.

Joni Goodin is a Paranormal Historian who has hosted Ghost Tours in Key West, Atlanta and her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Joni is known for conducting exhausting research of famously haunted spots that range from historic hotels to long abandoned homes. She has a knack for weaving amazing stories of spirits and the macabre which mingle terror, humor and Kentucky history all into one presentation. Currently, Joni hosts tours in Bourbon Country and Louisville Ghost Tours. Joni loves her bourbon pours neat, her Karaoke songs loud and claims to have Jimmy Buffet’s cell phone number stored in her contacts, however no one has yet to ask her to prove it.

A sample of our 2018 Complimentary Fireside Chat Presentations:

Saturday Evening Burnside Presentation

Distillery disasters, when bad things happen to good bourbon

Throughout Kentucky’s history, distillery disasters have made international headlines. From the 1886 distillery fire at the John Thixton distillery in Owensboro, to this past summer’s fire at a Jim Beam warehouse near Frankfort, distillery disasters have been big news. We examined the catastrophes, including explosions, fires, warehouse collapses and even a “Bourbonado,” as well as the laws and regulations enacted in order to mitigate the effect of these disasters. And we’ll also highlight some rare collectible bottles of bourbon that survived the calamities!

Charlie spent most of his adult life as a beer drinker until he began leading tours for Mint Julep Experiences in 2016 and decided to give bourbon another shot. Charlie has now hosted hundreds of groups on tours through Bourbon Country, and, at last count, has visited 52 distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. Charlie, who is also a Realtor® and recovering attorney, subscribes to Mark Twain’s philosophy that “[t]oo much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” Charlie is a Certified International Tour Manager, a Certified Bourbon Steward and a Certified Tourism Ambassador, and enjoys traveling, canoeing, riding roller coasters with his daughter Bella, and hanging out at dog friendly watering holes with his faithful companion Tucker.