Some bourbon events are about tasting something new.
Some are about meeting the person behind the bottle.
And then there are events that feel a little bigger than that.
On Wednesday, May 27, Bottles & Barrels will welcome Steve Nally, Master Distiller of Bardstown Bourbon Company, for a meet and greet from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. This is a one-of-a-kind moment for us because this will be the first time Steve has ever visited a retailer like this in person.
If you don't know how big of a deal this is, let us tell you! Steve Nally is not just another name in bourbon. He is one of the people who helped shape what modern bourbon has become.
According to his bio, Steve has close to 50 years of industry experience and is one of the few remaining Bourbon Hall of Fame Master Distillers still actively working in that role. He started his career at Maker’s Mark in 1972, worked through nearly every part of the operation, and became Master Distiller there in 1988. After more than three decades at Maker’s Mark, he went on to build Wyoming Whiskey from the ground up before returning to Kentucky as employee number one at Bardstown Bourbon Company.
That kind of career is hard to summarize because it is not just a resume. It is decades of learning, making, adjusting, tasting, mentoring, and watching the bourbon industry change from the inside.
And Bardstown Bourbon Company is part of that change.
Bardstown Bourbon Company has become known for blending tradition with a more modern approach to whiskey-making. Their distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky sits in the heart of bourbon country, but the company itself has built a reputation for looking forward, not just backward. Their visitor experience highlights tours, tastings, and behind-the-scenes distillery education, including experiences connected to Steve Nally’s decades of knowledge.
That balance is what makes Bardstown interesting.
Bourbon is an industry that cares deeply about history, and it should. The aging process, the barrels, the mash bills, the warehouses, the patience required to make something worth drinking all matter, but bourbon also keeps growing because people keep asking better questions.
What happens when tradition meets new ideas?
What happens when a distillery is willing to collaborate, experiment, and build something with both respect and curiosity?
That is where Bardstown Bourbon Company has carved out its space.
Through its Collaborative Distilling Program, Bardstown Bourbon Company produces whiskey for other brands while also creating its own releases, giving the distillery a unique role in the broader whiskey world. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail describes Bardstown Bourbon Company as a “New Blend of Bourbon Makers,” focused on innovation while honoring the traditional craft of whiskey-making.
Steve Nally is a major part of why that story carries weight.
He brings the kind of experience you cannot fake. The kind that comes from doing the work, not just talking about it. From Maker’s Mark to Wyoming Whiskey to Bardstown Bourbon Company, his career has moved through some of the most meaningful corners of American whiskey. That is why having him at Bottles & Barrels feels so special.
For us, this event connects directly to what we believe drinking should be.
Bourbon can feel intimidating. People hear terms like mash bill, proof, barrel entry, finish, age statement, bottled-in-bond, and blending, and it can start to feel like there is some secret language you need to know before you are allowed to enjoy it, but that is not really what bourbon is about.
At its best, bourbon is about curiosity.
It is about tasting something and noticing what shows up. It is about asking questions. It is about figuring out why one pour feels softer, why another has more spice, why one bottle works beautifully neat and another feels made for an Old Fashioned.
That is the entire reason B&B was built around discovery.
Our self-serve machines, tasting wall, curated shelves, and staff recommendations are all meant to take the pressure out of choosing. You do not have to pretend to know everything. You can try something. You can compare. You can ask. You can decide for yourself.
That is also why this Steve Nally event makes so much sense here.
It is not just a celebrity appearance or a quick stop with a famous industry name. It is a chance for people in Omaha to stand in the same room as someone who has spent nearly his entire life working in bourbon and ask better questions about what they are drinking.
You can hear about Bardstown Bourbon Company from someone who helped build it.
You can learn why experience still matters in an industry that keeps evolving.
You can connect the bottle on the shelf to the people, process, and decisions behind it.
If you have ever been curious about Bardstown Bourbon but were not sure where to start, this is the perfect moment. Come in, meet Steve, taste something, ask a question, pick up a bottle, and learn something you did not know before.
That is what we love most about bourbon at B&B. It is not about acting like the smartest person in the room. It is about leaving with a little more confidence than you came in with.
Join us on Wednesday, May 27, and we'll get to do that together with one of bourbon’s most respected voices right here in our store.
Meet Steve Nally at Bottles & Barrels
Wednesday, May 27
3:30 - 5:30 PM
Bottles & Barrels