34 Kentucky Breweries are Getting New Riff Barrels to Play With

New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon Barrels

New Riff Distilling is getting into craft beer in a big way. This month, they’ll be sharing ex-bourbon barrels with 34 different Kentucky breweries. The barrels will be filled with experimental brews and used to create a series of one-of-a-kind beers, to be unveiled at this year’s Kentucky Craft Bash in June. 

“We are very excited to partner with some of the most creative and entrepreneurial folks in the great state of Kentucky,” says Ken Lewis, Founder of New Riff Distilling. “As distillers, we salute our craft brewing colleagues and honor our Head Distiller Brian Sprance, who joined us from the beer world. We can’t wait to sample the marriage of our New Riff Bourbon barrels, seasoned over four years, and their amazing beers.”

This is the second annual Kentucky Craft bash, and the first year that New Riff will be providing barrels for this special series.

“As a former beer brewer, the Kentucky Craft Bash holds special meaning for me,” says Sprance. “Whiskey is essentially distilled beer and fermentation is the common denominator that links these two iconic beverages that are different, yet similar. It is the all-important process where foundational flavors are created. I’m excited to collaborate with my friends in the beer world on this meaningful project.”

This year’s Kentucky Craft Bash will take place June 22nd at Louisville Waterfront Park. It promises 40 breweries from around the state and over 200 rare beers, some exclusive to the festival. To get early bird tickets for the event, visit http://www.kycraftbash.com/ before February 1st and use code NEWRIFF for special pre-sale pricing. 

Participating Kentucky Craft Bash Breweries (in alphabetical order):

1. 3rd Turn Brewing – Louisville

2. Against the Grain Brewery – Louisville

3. Akasha Brewing Company – Louisville

4. Alltech Lexington Brewing – Lexington

5. Alexandria Brewing Company – Alexandria

6. Apocalypse Brew Works – Louisville

7. Bircus Brewing Company – Ludlow

8. Blue Stallion Brewing – Lexington

9. Braxton Brewing Company – Covington

10. Country Boy Brewing Company – Lexington

11. Darkness Brewing – Bellevue

12. Dry Ground Brewing Company – Paducah

13. Ethereal Brewing – Lexington

14. Falls City Brewing Company – Louisville

15. Flywheel Brewing – Elizabethtown

16. Fusion Brewing – Lexington

17. Goodwood Brewing Company – Louisville

18. Gordon Biersch Brewery Company – Louisville

19. Henderson Brewing Co. – Hendersonville

20. Holsopple Brewing – Louisville

21. Jarfly Brewing Company – Somerset

22. Lemons Mill Brewery – Harrodsburg

23. Mile Wide Beer Co. – Louisville

24. Mirror Twin Brewing – Lexington

25. Monnik Beer Co. – Louisville

26. Old Louisville Brewery – Louisville

27. Paducah Beer Werks – Paducah

28. Pivot Brewing – Lexington

29. Rock House Brewing – Lexington

30. Sig Luscher Brewery – Frankfort

31. Yancey’s Gastropub and Brewery – Glasgow

32. West Sixth Brewing – Lexington

33. White Squirrel Brewery – Bowling Green

34. Wooden Cask Brewing Company – Newport

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.