Bourbon Heritage Month at B&B: More Than a Month of Whiskey
Every September, we celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month at Bottles & Barrels.
And while we’ll never complain about having an extra excuse to pour good bourbon, to us, this month is about much more than what’s in the glass.
It’s about discovery.
Why September Is Bourbon Heritage Month
In 2007, the U.S. Senate officially designated September as National Bourbon Heritage Month, recognizing the history, tradition, and economic impact of what it called “America’s Native Spirit.”
Bourbon has become an unmistakable piece of American drinking culture, built on generations of distillers, farmers, barrels, recipes, and traditions.
But appreciating bourbon doesn’t require memorizing every mash bill or knowing every distillery in Kentucky.
Sometimes it starts with one pour.
What Bourbon Heritage Month Means at B&B
One of our favorite things about bourbon is just how different two bottles can be.
High rye or wheated. Younger or well-aged. Bottled-in-Bond or barrel proof. Traditional oak or a creative secondary finish.
Those words mean more when you can actually taste the difference.
That’s why we’ve spent Bourbon Heritage Month creating opportunities to explore instead of simply putting bourbon on sale.
Our B&B Bourbon Passport guides guests through different sides of the category. Our Bourbon Flights make it possible to compare pours side-by-side. Our self-serve tasting stations let you experiment by the ounce. And our samplings give you a chance to learn directly from the people behind the bottles.
You don’t have to walk in knowing bourbon.
That’s what the experience is for.
Why Barrel Picks Matter to Us
Our barrel pick program takes that philosophy one step further.
When we select a barrel, we’re not simply ordering another bourbon to put on the shelf.
We’re tasting barrels individually and choosing something we believe is worth sharing with our customers.
That’s resulted in bottles like our Bardstown B&B Roadtrip Rye, the first Bardstown barrel pick released in Nebraska; our Flyover Barrel Proof B&B Pick; and our massive 145.1-proof J. Rieger Single Barrel, selected alongside the Nebraska Bourbon Society.
Each one is different.
Each one has a story.
And when the barrel is gone, that exact whiskey is gone with it.
That’s what makes barrel picks such a fun part of Bourbon Heritage Month: they demonstrate just how much variation and personality can exist inside the world of American whiskey.
The Next Chapter
Bourbon Heritage Month may end when September does.
Our bourbon story doesn’t.
We’re already preparing to release two more B&B barrel selections in October, beginning with our Ben Holladay “Pick For A Cure” in partnership with Project Pink’d, followed by an incredible Buzzard’s Roost selection created in another collaboration with the Nebraska Bourbon Society.
More barrels. More stories. More opportunities to discover something you can’t find everywhere else.
Come Discover Bourbon With Us
If there’s one thing we’d like you to take away from Bourbon Heritage Month, it’s this:
You don’t need to be a bourbon expert to enjoy bourbon.
Ask questions.
Try a flight.
Taste something unfamiliar.
Compare two pours.
Grab a Passport.
And when you discover the bottle that makes you say, “That’s the one,” we’ll help you find it on the shelf.
That’s Bourbon Heritage Month at B&B.
Discover. Taste. Learn. Find your pour.
DEALS NO LONGER VALID
Check out our Barrel Pick + Featured Bottles Blog on our website here!