NKY residents have more than one way to celebrate pride in their identities this weekend with Bourbon & Belonging. Created by Queer Kentucky, this is the first ever LGBTQIA+ inclusive bourbon event in the country. Festivities are taking place across eight different cities with distillery tours, tastings, drag shows, and more.
B&B events in Northern Kentucky can be found on both sides of the Licking River. Some of the most prominent distilleries and bourbon bars in the area are participating like New Riff, Wenzel Whiskey, Revival Vintage, The Globe, Juniper’s, and Opal.
“There’s multiple things people can choose from and then they kind of pick and choose their own adventure through it,” says Missy Spears, executive director of Queer Kentucky. “We set it up that way because we wanted to incorporate as many small businesses as possible. It’s also really powerful to see the bourbon brands stand with the queer community.”
Fixtures in the tri-state queer community are also joining in on the fun. Local LGBTQIA+ event guide Midwestern Lesbian is hosting Gays & Dolls— A Prohibition Party on Friday, with DJ Boywife and some of the city’s best drag queens. If you prefer performance events, you can also check out Bourbon and Burlesque on Saturday at Juniper’s with Cin City Burlesque and more great drag performers. Finally, Opal Rooftop is hosting a special drag brunch buffet on Sunday morning.
For those more interested in the bourbon side of things, you can go on distillery tours at New Riff, take part in a whiskey blending workshop at Wenzel, attend the bottle release party for an exclusive Bourbon & Belonging blend created as a collaboration between Revival and Old Forester’s, and enjoy a tasting at The Globe. The tasting will be run by Shawn McCormick of B.H. James Distillers, the only gay-owned distillery in Kentucky.
There are plenty of events in other parts of the state to explore as well. You can head to Louisville, Lexington, Winchester, Frankfort, Paducah, Bardstown, and Bullitt County for more queer bourbon fun.
“I think it’s cool that we’re giving people a different version of Kentucky,” says Spears. “Unless you live in the state, when you turn on the news and hear about [the state], it’s about Mitch McConnell or some politics, or something horrible that’s happening. It’s cool to offer something positive.”
Check bourbonandbelonging.com to see all NKY events.
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