Join us for a celebration of the rich heritage and craftsmanship of Kentucky’s finest bourbon at The Kentucky Castle’s Bourbon Market presented by True Story Whiskey! This marketplace event is an immersive experience, featuring exclusive bourbon tastings from renowned Kentucky distilleries, local artisan vendors, and live music!

With this ticket, guests can sample various bourbons from local distilleries to experience a taste of Kentucky. Guests are invited to browse our market vendors, enjoy delicious food, and listen to live music while exploring the Castle and Farm grounds.

Pre-purchase your 2026 Bourbon Market T-Shirt during the checkout process! These Comfort Colors t-shirts feature a unique design for this year’s market and will be available to pick up when you check in at the Festival. Adult sizes range from XS to 4XL.

*This event is limited to guests 21 and over*

Pre-sale tickets are encouraged! Tickets sold at the door are pending market capacity and will not include a welcome bag.

Market Hours:

• Saturday, March 21st: 10 AM-6 PM
• Sunday, March 22nd: 10 AM-4 PM

Market Activities

• Distillery Booths
• Artisan Vendors
• Live Music
• Bourbon Industry Professional Seminars
• The Kentucky Castle Kitchen Stations
• The Bourbon Bar

Featured Distilleries

• True Story Whiskeys
• Barrel House Distilling Co.
• Bespoken Spirits
• Bluegrass Distillers
• Brothers of the Leaf
• Coal Pick Distilling
• Filmland Spirits
• Fresh Bourbon Distilling Co.
• Larrikin Bourbon Co
• Never Say Die Bourbon
• Whiskey Thief
• And more to be announced!

Seminars

Access to seminars hosted by professionals in the Bourbon industry is included with your ticket. These seminars will be held in our Grand Ballroom, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity has been reached.

Featured Seminar:

• Wes Henderson– True Story Seminar

Wes Henderson is the co-founder of Angel’s Envy bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Member, and Founder of True Story Whiskeys.

Saturday, March 21st

• 11 AM: Lacy Robinson- Dark Tourism in KY’s Bourbon Industry

Lacy Robinson brings a distinctive perspective to Kentucky’s bourbon industry through her unique fusion of dark tourism expertise and hospitality leadership. As an Executive Bourbon Steward and MBA graduate in Bourbon Tourism and Event Management from Midway University, she conducts the acclaimed Bourbon Legends Tour, a luxury experience that takes guests to visit the final resting places of Kentucky’s bourbon legends. Her background as a funeral service professional and trainer, combined with visits to over 500 cemeteries, provides deep insight into how history, mortality, and cultural tourism intertwine. Lacy delivers engaging presentations that illuminate the darker, often overlooked narratives within bourbon country’s storied landscape.

Sunday, March 22nd

• 12:30 PM: Brian Luftman- The Legend of Never Say Die and the building of a Bourbon brand to honor an epic story involving Bourbon, an underdog champion and Rock n’ Roll history

Brian Luftman is the Co-Founder of Never Say Die Bourbon.  He manages the U.S. operations for the global brand of Never Say Die, and helped build the brand from scratch.  He also owns and operates American Farm Investors, a private-equity farmland investment company that provides grains for the Kentucky Bourbon industry, and Mr. Luftman also developed some of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail’s premier large-group vacation rentals which are listed on www.partyhous.com

• 2 PM: Colin Blake- Barreled and Barreled Again: A look at the science of aging and finishing bourbon

In this session, you’ll learn how bourbon develops thousands of flavor profiles while aging, how distilleries can impact that flavor and development, and then how they can add to it with aging their bourbon a second time in a different barrel.

Colin Blake is currently the Vice President at Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates, a firm specializing in brand development, experiential design, education, and whiskey services. With over 15 years in the spirits industry, he has been recognized as one of Business First “40 under 40” and “Top 20 People to Know in Hospitality,” as well as being named to Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s “40 Under 40” list. A graduate of the University of Louisville with a degree in communications and the Seattle Film Institute with a degree in film production, Blake began his career as a touring music photographer before working in Los Angeles as a production designer for companies like Sony, Showtime, and HBO. While there, he also wrote and hosted a TV pilot called The Cocktail Chronicles. Blake then spent 12 years as the Director of Spirits Education at Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky. During his tenure, he taught over 300 classes and helped more than 300 distilleries open worldwide. In 2015, he created the Stave & Thief Society, the only industry-backed bourbon certification program. The program, which includes a hands-on distilling experience, is the official education for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and has over 15,000 members.

TICKET INFORMATION

A variety of ticket options are available for guests; please see the descriptions below.

• General Admission Pass, $50: Includes access to all tastings, vendors, and seminars for one day.
• VIP Pass, $75: Includes a glencarin, access to all tastings, vendors, and seminars for two days.

Pre-Sale General Admission and VIP Tickets are available online only and include:

• Bourbon Market welcome bag
• Access to the Tasting Room
• Access to Seminars
• Access to Vendors

Pre-Sale Ticket Prices:

• General Admission One-Day Pass: $50
• VIP Pass: $75
• ONLY GA Tickets will be available for purchase at the door. These are pending Market capacity, are at an increased price & do NOT include a welcome bag.

Add-On Options:

*Please note: some passes include items below. We recommend checking the ticket description of your selection before purchasing any additional add-ons.

• Adult Bourbon Market T-Shirt: $35
• The Kentucky Castle Glencairn: $17
• The Kentucky Castle Rocks Glass: $15
• Signed True Story Finished Bourbon Bottle: $60
• Signed True Story Finished Rye Bottle: $70
• Glencarin Tasting Glass Lanyard: $12
• Bourbon Lounge Access Pass: $25

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*All market information, including participating vendors, food, & live music, is subject to change.

*Guests are welcome to explore the Castle grounds and Rooftop. This is also a great opportunity to walk on our farmland and see The Teaching Garden!

*Event will be held rain or shine. Tickets are non-refundable.

*Parking is available around the Castle and in our overflow parking lot.

*Additional options:  To make a reservation for our boutique hotel or spa, Castle & Farm Tours, or book tickets for additional events, please visit thekentuckycastle.com.

*If you have any questions, please email Experiences@thekentuckycastle.com.