Sip, save and enjoy
The Louisiana Bourbon Festival lets you work through the whole shelf for the price of a ticket, and part of that ticket goes to Alzheimer's care.
Louisiana loves its bourbon. One recent analysis ranked the state third in the nation for per capita bourbon consumption and online interest. That second measure counts all the late-night Googling of tasting notes, which, as any enthusiast will tell you, is real research.
You don't need the numbers to see it. Walk the spirits aisle at Martin's or Calandro's, and bourbon has claimed more shelf space than any other spirit, row after row of amber bottles with horses, copper stills and somebody's great-grandfather on the label.
Why it matters: That much choice makes for an expensive hobby, and a wasteful one. Plenty of bourbons are hard to tell apart, and an $80 bottle doesn't always taste any better than a $25 bottle of Bulleit. You often don't find that out until you've paid for it and opened it.
The workaround: The Louisiana Bourbon Festival. For the price of admission, you can taste what's on those shelves, including the bottles you've walked past because of the price tag, and some rarer whiskies you won't find at the corner store.
The details:
- When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Where: L'Auberge Casino Hotel
- Get Tickets: Prices vary by experience. The Grand Tasting runs 7-10 p.m. for $100, food included. VIP tasting is $200, and includes seminars and rarer whiskies. Designated drivers: $50, food only. Bring one. It's the safe choice, and it means you can taste freely without doing math about the drive home.
The good part: Part of every ticket goes to Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area. The festival has raised more than $100,000 for the nonprofit so far.
