There’s no better place than Atlanta’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival to bring out the “y’all” you’ve been dying to start saying. Beer, Bourbon & BBQ, which holds tour spots all over the East coast, showcases a barrage of meats that have been pulled, smoked, baked, and cured. In true Southern style, less is not more here: explore vendors’ selection of barbecue, jam out to some live bluegrass bands like The Geeks, play corn hole at the Cochon Carnival, or drop in on a seminar led by beer and barbecue experts. Perhaps you want to indulge in the Shrine of Swine, a whole roasted hog on a spit that entails about as much pork worship as its name suggests.
With over 60 beers and 40 bourbons, the menu is one of the most inviting aspects of Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival — so show up hungry. With drinks from Deschutes Brewery, Monday Night Brewing, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, Truly, and High Rock Vodka, you can easily stay buzzed for the day-long schedule of events, too. Good thing they sell designated driver tickets.
The festival is obviously not BYOB, but thankfully it’s also not BYOC. Attendees will receive a free souvenir tasting glass as they make their way through beer booths and bourbon tastings. The liquor is unlimited, so remember to pace yourself.
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ is the recipe for a lazy Southern day. Kick back, light a cigar while you’re at it, and maybe gnaw on a pig (or two). If you can’t make the Atlanta showing, you can catch this traveling festival between the months of February and August in Tampa, Florida; Wilmington, North Carolina; Timonium, Maryland; Charlotte, North Carolina; Washington D.C., Richmond, Virginia; New York City and Cary, North Carolina
The Specs
- General admission tickets cost $45 and include a souvenir glass and unlimited tastings.
- VIP tickets cost $75 and offer, in addition to GA perks, a dinner ticket from any BBQ vendor, access to a VIP lounge, and two additional hours of liquor and food sampling.
- Children are allowed, and kids under 12 are admitted free.
- Here’s our guide to Atlanta
