Beer and Bourbon....We're In!

Nashville Restaurants and Food
Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival
Municipal Auditorium Basement
Nashville

The whiskey was pouring and the beer frothing at the Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival this last weekend at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The event travels nationally, offering some 40 different bourbons and 60 beers. And it's not like they were holding out on the good stuff. We sampled a Pappy Van Winkle 23 year-old and a wonderful Elijah Craig 18 year-old. The servers were set up with about three whiskeys or three beers each. With dozens of stations around the floor it was easy enough to get any sample you wanted. That was at noon when we arrived (we bought the VIP tickets, which were only $18.50 each online) By 2pm when the general admission gates opened it began to get busy, but still manageable. We're told the longer lines came around 3pm. A ticket gave you access to all the free beer and bourbon samples you wanted. We did find that some of the most interesting beers were not available. Apparently they didn't ship in time for the event.

We had a chat with the folks who run Bourbon Review magazine. They were holding a sampling of George T. Stagg Barrel Proof. It's straight from the barrel uncut and unfiltered, making it about 60 percent alcohol by volume. It's tasty white lightning with a smooth finish.

The beer end wasn't quite as exciting. We didn't run into many beers we haven't already sampled. One new brew is the Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout. It tastes smoother than the American Guinness and strangely closer to the tap Guinness you get in Ireland.

Need something to hold that beer and bourbon down? They had barbecue vendors Pig and Pie and Suck the Bone selling their wares. We had other lunch plans, but it sure smelled good.

Our only real complaint was the location. It was held in the basement of the Municipal Auditorium...that's underneath the seats. Tarps full of nasty runoff hung from the ceiling and it kinda felt like getting drunk in a loading dock. Considering how well the event was organized otherwise, it would seem wise to upgrade the surroundings a bit. We'd like to relax while sipping a nice bourbon and not stare at peeling paint.