If you’re a fan of beer, bourbon, or barbecue, then the nationwide Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival may be the perfect event for you! This festival takes place around the country throughout the year. I’ve personally been to the event in both Cary, NC and Charlotte, NC.

The Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival offers unlimited tastings of more than 60 beers and over 40 bourbons, as well as scotch, tequila, rum, vodka, hard cider, and moonshine. There’s also plenty of barbecue to enjoy and variety of vendors selling everything from shirts to some of the best jerky and spices I’ve ever tasted.

Sadly, the weather wasn’t exactly the best during the festival. It was about 45-50 degrees and rainy. Silver lining though is that it probably made for a smaller crowd.


One of the best things about the festival, in addition to the UNLIMITED tastings, is that lines really aren’t that long at all. You’ll be waiting twice as long for the bathroom then you will for any taste of alcohol.

You’ll find some local brands of bourbon, whiskey, beer, and moonshine, but there are also numerous well-known brands. Guinness, Jim Beam, Breckenridge, Four Roses, Teeling, Dewar’s, Maker’s Mark, Bulleit, and many others make an appearance as well.

Now on to the food! While most of the food at the festival is an extra cost (served from the food trucks and stands), there is one things that is included with the admission cost: the Shrine of Swine. The Shrine features pulled pork – right from the source.

And of course it wouldn’t be a festival without soft pretzels and funnel cakes!

General admission for the Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival is $40 and VIP tickets are $75. You get to keep your tasting glass, which is basically the size of an over-sized shot glass. There is also live music going on throughout the festival. People dancing can be quite an entertaining site as the festival goes on. The event takes place every year, so be sure to get a ticket if you’re a fan of bourbon!
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