Forecastle Music Festival Announces 2018 Bourbon Lineup

Rarities, Flight Bar, Fireside Chats, Gonzo Bar and more return, special surprises to come!

Forecastle’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail outpost, The Forecastle Bourbon Lodge, will return in 2018 with a unique lineup of offerings, education and entertainment.

Set to take place July 13-15, 2018 at Waterfront Park, Forecastle will feature a diverse collection of Kentucky Bourbon Trail brands, offering dozens of selections within the Forecastle Bourbon Lodge experience, including Four Roses, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Coopers’ Craft, Bulleit, Blade and Bow, Larceny, Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s, Maker’s Mark, Michter’s and Wild Turkey. The full list of selections can be found at ForecastleFest.com.

Now in its sixth year, the Forecastle Bourbon Lodge experience offers a 16,000-square-foot oasis for festival enthusiasts, complete with an outdoor Bourbon garden and patio, air-conditioned lodge and full-service restrooms. Bourbon Lodge members and patrons can expect many returning favorites, as well as some special, new surprises this year.

For the first time ever, Crosley Radio will join the Forecastle Bourbon Lodge with their Vinyl Rocket Jukebox, the only vinyl-playing jukebox being manufactured anywhere in the world. Bourbon Lodge members and patrons will have the opportunity to jam to 45s from the Record Store Day archives, and local record store selections, while hanging out in a new, intimate lounge, perfect for cocktails and conversation.

Returning in 2018, the Lodge will feature the Rarities Bar, presented and hand-picked by Liquor Barn, featuring one-of-a-kind, limited releases – many unavailable anywhere else. More information about the Rarities Bar lineup will be available soon. Those with Bourbon Lodge memberships will have early access to the release schedule for the weekend.

The Flight Bar will also return in 2018, presented by Liquor Barn, offering patrons a rotating selection of Kentucky’s finest craft Bourbons, complete with curated, recommended flight pairings, and the chance to learn what makes each unique and special.

Forecastle will again feature the popular Bourbon Cares program presented by Liquor Barn. This program pairs Bourbon brands with Forecastle Foundation partners to support numerous conservation projects. 2018 participants include Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Old Forester, and Heaven Hill.

Liquor Barn’s Mixology Bar will also return, offering patrons the chance to turn their favorite Bourbon into a hand-crafted cocktail by a professional, local mixologist. In addition, select Bourbon brands will offer signature cocktails at their booths.

Other Bourbon activities will include Liquor Barn-presented Fireside Chats, offering educational panels, speakers and demonstrations with industry experts, retailers, mixologists and master distillers. The full schedule of Fireside chats, along with participants and topics, will be released closer to the event.

Returning for the fifth year, Forecastle’s Great Lawn will play host to an artistic bar experience commemorating the legacy of Gonzo journalist and Kentucky Bourbon aficionado, Hunter S. Thompson. The Gonzo Bar presented by White Clay will offer a variety of Bourbons and specialty cocktails inspired by the iconic Louisville writer. New film and art components, inspired by Thompson, will also be highlighted.

Bourbon Lodge memberships are now available at ForecastleFest.com and all Ticketmaster outlets for $30 plus fees. Each Bourbon Lodge membership includes a commemorative Bourbon Lodge double-walled steel mug, allowing re-entry into the Lodge throughout the weekend and 15 tickets worth $1 each to be used to purchase food and drink inside the Lodge. New to 2018, Bourbon Lodge members can join Four Roses and dive deep into the mind of Hunter S. Thompson with an exclusive, decadent and deprived spirit experience.

Caroline Paulus
Caroline Paulus is the Senior Editor for The Bourbon Review. She lives and writes in Lexington, Kentucky. Follow her on Instagram @misswhiskeyhistorian to keep up with her latest in bourbon news - and a few old finds, too.