Fresh Pours, Bold Moves, and Buzz-Worthy News

This should have probably been two posts, but I didn’t think that far ahead, so here we are. From smooth sips to hard-hitting headlines, this week’s pour has it all. We’re tracking new releases, industry shake-ups, and the stories shaping your favorite bottles, whether they’re born of grain or honey. Grab a glass, settle in, and let’s dive into the latest from the world of bourbon, mead, and beyond.

Old Fitzgerald is rolling out its fourth Very Very Special (VVS) Bottled-in-Bond expression — an 11-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, hand-selected by Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll for its depth and complexity. Crafted from Old Fitz’s signature wheated mashbill (68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley) and aged to perfection without a day to spare, this maroon-labeled beauty stays true to the brand’s tradition of small-batch exclusivity. Priced at $169.99, it’s available only at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience and select Kentucky retailers, making it a true collector’s pour.

Newport’s New Riff Distilling is bringing back its award-winning Red Turkey Wheat Kentucky Straight Bourbon for the first time since 2021. Made with 25% heirloom Red Turkey Wheat, an 1870s grain variety, plus 70% corn and 5% malted barley, this limited-release bourbon is aged at least five years, bottled in bond at 100 proof, and priced at $59.99. Known for its deep, old-world flavor profile, it offers citrus, sweetness, cinnamon, and a long finish with dark fruit and nutty grain notes. Available starting Aug. 15 nationwide, online where permitted, and at the distillery.

Pinhook’s latest Collaboration Series release brings together celebrated New Orleans bartender and bar owner Neal Bodenheimer with Pinhook co-founder and master blender Sean Josephs. The two longtime friends from the city’s hospitality scene crafted this special rye whiskey to benefit the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, supporting the bartending community. Bodenheimer, known for pioneering New Orleans’ craft cocktail movement with Cure and authoring Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em, joins forces here to create a spirit rooted in camaraderie, craftsmanship, and giving back.

San Diego’s Lost Cause Meadery is set to drop a new traditional-style mead, “Lonesome, On’ry & Mead,” on Saturday, August 16. Made with sweet clover blossom and eastern buckwheat blossom honey, this 13% ABV release balances bright cinnamon and apple notes with earthy, complex undertones. Tasting notes include cinnamon sticks, peanut brittle, maple syrup, sugar cookie, and apple skins, offering a sweet yet balanced profile with a long, decadent finish. Available as tasters and pours onsite, as well as bottles and growlers to take home, with online sales starting at 8 a.m. PT and in-person sales at noon.

The Tennessee Whiskey Trail’s 2025 Collaborative Barrel Series is a cask-strength, one-of-a-kind blend uniting whiskey from twelve of the state’s finest distilleries: Ole Smoky, Sugarlands, Tennessee Hills, Tennessee Legend, Big Machine, Company Distilling, Jack Daniel’s, Leiper’s Fork, Lost State, Nashville Barrel Co., Old Forge, and Old Glory. Each contributed hand-selected barrels to craft a rich, layered profile that reflects the diversity and heritage of Tennessee whiskey-making. Bottled exclusively for the Trail, it’s both a collector’s treasure and a toast to the state’s united craft.

Bourbon & Banter’s 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge returns for Bourbon Heritage Month 2025, inviting participants to enjoy 30 different bourbons in 30 days. The rules are simple: bourbon only—no rye, Scotch, or flavored spirits, though Tennessee Whiskey counts. Creative choices are encouraged, from Bottled-in-Bond versions to finished bourbons, unique mash bills, and cocktails featuring a new pour each day. Download the official calendar to track your progress and use the provided logo overlays to share your bourbon journey on social media with #30DaysofBourbon, #BourbonHeritageMonth, and #DrinkCurious. It’s all about exploring new bottles, revisiting favorites, and celebrating America’s native spirit together. Visit Bourbon & Banter for a full guide, a downloadable PDF calendar, and social media overlays.

As new tariffs take effect, global spirits giant Diageo plans to increase its three-year cost-saving target to $625 million, up from $500 million announced earlier this year. Interim CEO Nik Jhangiani confirmed there will be some layoffs, though he emphasized the focus is on freeing resources to reinvest in the business. The company may also sell “non-core” brands. In fiscal results, net sales rose 1.7% while profits were flat, with U.S. sales of Bulleit bourbon down 7.3%. Diageo operates three Kentucky distilleries—two producing Bulleit in Shelbyville and Lebanon, and the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Shively. The company recently closed bottling at Stitzel-Weller, paused production in Lebanon earlier this year, and is shifting warehousing from Shively to other sites. It remains unclear if Kentucky facilities will face further cuts.

Independent bourbon and rye blender Pursuit Spirits will debut its new 8,000-square-foot visitor experience and cocktail bar, Trial + Error, on Louisville’s Whiskey Row on Aug. 14. Founded by Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil of the Bourbon Pursuit podcast, the renovated late-19th-century space features tasting rooms, a retail shop, and a basement lounge serving house cocktails, whiskey flights, beer, wine, and snacks. Guests can choose a 90-minute “VIP adventure” with a barrel pick and bottle fill for $139.99 or a 30-minute guided tasting for $40. Trial + Error will also host the podcast’s new recording studio, blending the duo’s media roots with their growing whiskey brand.

Barmen 1873 Bourbon is hitting the road with a special 92-proof commemorative release celebrating country star Lainey Wilson’s 2025 Whirlwind World Tour. Limited to just 1,000 cases, the collectible bottle sports a bold Lainey-inspired design, complete with individually numbered labels, a “2025 Tour” belly band, and the Whirlwind Tour emblem. Available only in select tour-stop cities like Nashville, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and Tampa, this collaboration marks the latest in Barmen 1873’s multi-year partnership with Wilson — a pairing that blends American whiskey craft with country music grit.

Buffalo Trace Distillery is adding a new dining experience to its Frankfort campus with the John G. Carlisle Café, set to open next spring on the first floor of the Elmer T. Lee Clubhouse. The 4,900-square-foot restaurant will seat 70 guests indoors and on its porch, offering sandwiches, salads, soups, a kids’ menu, and cocktails crafted from Buffalo Trace spirits, plus a grab-and-go section. Reservations will be handled through a digital check-in system at the visitor welcome building. Named after the congressman who helped pass the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, Carlisle also once had a distillery on the same site. Buffalo Trace — Kentucky’s most visited distillery with 600,000 guests in 2024 — says the café will complement its tours and tastings with a new layer of hospitality.

Step back into the Roaring Twenties on Tuesday, September 16, from 6–9 PM at the Callaway Jewel in Fulton, Missouri, for the first annual Callaway County United Way Speakeasy Bourbon Tasting. Guests will enjoy a signature cocktail, appetizers, and tastings of five bourbons with light food pairings — plus a chance to win in the Barrel of Bourbons and Bandanas raffle. Period-inspired 1920s attire is encouraged, so dust off your fedoras and flapper dresses. Tickets start at $75, with discounts for groups, and proceeds will directly benefit 11 local nonprofits through 2026 United Way grants. Attendees must be 21 or older.

Whiskey author and critic Fred Minnick is set to release Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man’s Life early next year, with hardback copies now available for pre-order at $27.99. Part memoir and part whiskey-world investigation, the book traces Minnick’s journey from combat veteran battling PTSD to one of bourbon’s most influential voices — all sparked by a life-changing connection to a dusty 1969 bottle of Old Crow. As he unpacks the mystery of how one of bourbon’s most celebrated brands fell from grace, Minnick weaves a story of flavor, history, and personal redemption. Pre-order Fred’s book here.

Bardstown will once again become the center of the bourbon universe when the Kentucky Bourbon Festival celebrates its 35th anniversary from September 10–13, 2026. Organizers promise the biggest event yet, building on four straight years of sold-out crowds since its 2021 revamp. The festival draws 85% of attendees from outside Kentucky, offering exclusive pours from top distilleries, hands-on experiences, and a serious tourism boost for the region. Ticket sales for 2026 haven’t opened yet, but based on past demand, bourbon fans will want to move fast once they do.

On December 6, 2025, the Texas Whiskey Festival will host Whiskey Unexpected, an intimate, seated tasting at Star Hill Ranch in Austin featuring rare and one-of-a-kind Texas whiskeys. Instead of waiting in long lines, 150 lucky guests will relax at community tables as distillers from Balcones, IronRoot Republic, Maverick Whiskey, Rebecca Creek, and more rotate through with bold pours and the stories behind them. Expect never-before-released bottles, distillery exclusives, and experiments that may never surface again—all for $125 a seat. Once the whiskey’s gone, it’s gone for good.

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery is honoring its Nashville home with the release of Marathon Malt, a distillery-exclusive Tennessee Whiskey named after the historic Marathon Village neighborhood. This small-batch expression swaps the typical three-grain mash for just corn and malted barley — 70% corn, 30% malted barley — delivering a richer, malt-forward profile. Bottled at 103.4 proof, expect aromas of brown sugar, sweet almond, and cereal grain, followed by flavors of tangerine, root beer, and malt, finishing with cinnamon candy, toasted oak, and a hint of cigar box. Available starting September 12 at the distillery only.

World Whiskey Society is honoring Wild West legend Doc Holliday’s birthday on August 14 with four first-ever cask-finished bourbons in their Doc Holliday line. The limited editions include 8- and 13-year bourbons finished in Oloroso Sherry and French Armagnac casks, each adding rich layers of dried fruit, spice, and oak to the classic bourbon base. From caramel and dark chocolate notes in the 8-year Sherry finish to silky vanilla and raspberry in the 13-year Armagnac, these expressions blend tradition and innovation in a collectible tribute. For one day only, fans can grab any Doc Holliday bourbon at 14 percent off with promo code HBDDocHolliday at worldwhiskey.com, perfect for raising a glass to frontier grit and bold flavor.

1845 Distilling is launching a special Preemption Texas Straight Wheated Bourbon, aged five years and bottled in bond at 100 proof. Made entirely from 100% Texas grains—Yellow Corn, Red Winter Wheat, and Malted Barley—this wheated bourbon delivers smooth, rich flavors with a true Texas spirit. Available exclusively at their tasting room starting Friday, August 15, 2025, at 4 PM, it can also be pre-ordered now. Priced at $68.99, it’s a must-try for fans of locally crafted, well-aged bourbons.

Exciting news from Cave City, Kentucky. MB Roland Distillery is opening a new tasting room in this popular tourist spot right next to Dueling Ground Distillery. With the lease signed and renovations underway, the new location promises a fresh place to enjoy MB Roland’s spirits. Keep an eye out for a big announcement on the official opening day coming soon.

Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, will honor founder Jim Beam’s birthday on August 23 with a full day of bourbon experiences from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests can explore the grounds on a self-guided tour, enjoy live music, and customize Jim Beam apparel for unique souvenirs. Tasting seminars will offer a rare opportunity to sample past, present, and future releases, including Little Book Chapter 9, Baker’s 13-Year-Old with Baker Beam, and Basil Hayden Malted Rye. Tickets are $50 and available at Beamdistilling.com.

Watershed Distillery and OHLQ are teaming up for their 2025 exclusive release of Watershed Barrel Strength Single Barrel Bourbon, available the week of August 11. This year’s lineup features six limited expressions named after cards in the Spades suit, each offering unique barrel-aged character and bottled at full proof. Bottles are $59.99 plus tax, limited to one per expression per customer per transaction, and available only at OHLQ locations in Ohio while supplies last.

The Ohio Distillers Guild has announced the return of the Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival, happening Saturday, October 25, at Henmick Brewery & Farm. Guests can spend the day sampling some of the state’s finest spirits, meeting the distillers, and enjoying the scenic fall setting. Tickets go on sale in September, with links available through Ohio Craft Spirits’ social media and participating distilleries. Mark your calendar for Ohio’s biggest celebration of local whiskey.

Woodford Reserve’s latest Distillery Series release is a 12-Year-Old American Single Malt Whiskey, crafted from 100% malted barley, triple pot distilled, and aged in used whiskey barrels for over a decade. Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall selected barrels intentionally held for this age-stated expression, resulting in layers of sweet, nutty malt, soft caramel, warm spice, and subtle citrus. Tasting notes include soft caramel, sun tea, pear, lemon, ginger, and cardamom, with a long finish of sun tea and lemon oil. This limited release is available now.

The Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks is hosting the Burgers, Bourbon & Brews Festival on Saturday, August 16, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Baltimore County Ag Center and Farm Park. The event will feature food trucks, live music, local wine, beer, and bourbon tastings, plus lawn games and farm animal encounters. Admission is $10 per adult, cash preferred, while kids 11 and under get in free. Guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs or blankets, with tented seating and picnic tables also available. Tickets can also be purchased online here.

Orlando’s Zymarium Meadery is marking its second anniversary — fittingly on National Bee Day — with a quirky all-day celebration this Saturday, Aug. 16. The party starts at noon with a VIP hour, then runs until midnight with ten new meads on tap, the debut of bottled barrel-aged varieties, and food from Baba Yaga and Pizza Slut. Ascension Tattoo will offer on-site ink, and J&P Apiary is bringing live bees for guests to meet. Admission is free, making it a sweet reason to raise a glass (or hive) in Mills 50.

That’s all for this edition of Bourbon & Mead Digest. Until next time, may your glasses stay full, your pours stay smooth, and your weekends be filled with good company and great flavor. Whether you’re savoring a carefully aged bourbon, discovering a new mead, or swapping stories over a shared bottle, here’s to the joy of the pour and the friends who make it memorable.