Presenter Schedule
*Festival Ticket Required Before Purchasing Presenter Tickets*
Peggy Noe Stevens & Heather Wibbles (6:00 pm)
Peggy Noe Stevens is the world's first female master bourbon taster and a Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee (2019), you can learn more about her here. Heather Wibbles a.k.a The Cocktail Contessa is an executive bourbon steward and award-winning mixologist. You can learn more about her here.
Address- 3322 Demenil Place
Location - Lemp Mansion Hunting Room
Entrance - Courtyard Entrance
Ryan Cecil - Bourbon Pursuit / Pursuit Spirits (6:00 pm)
Ryan grew up in Bardstown, KY, the bourbon capital of the world. He has been surrounded by the bourbon industry and seen it grow and flourish throughout his life while creating industry connections in the process. Ryan was the creator of Bourbon Pursuit podcast, the official podcast of bourbon. He's now become Bardstown royalty. Ryan learned everything about the whiskey business through years of interviews and thousands of hours of candid conversations with industry experts. These unique opportunities led Ryan and his Pursuit Spirits cofounder, Kenny Coleman to go on an adventure to find the best flavors possible. Pursuit Spirits didn't take the conventional or easy path, instead they employed a modern approach by partnering with multiple award-winning distilleries to become masters at the next evolution in American Whiskey… blending.
Address- 3322 Demenil Place
Location - Lemp Mansion Brick Room
Entrance - Courtyard Entrance
Bryan Smith - Hard Truth Master Distiller (6:00 pm)
Hard Truth's Sweet Mash Rye and their new High Road expression are some of the best rye whiskies out there. If you are a fan of Rye Whiskey, you do not want to miss this session! Wait till you see his full tasting line up!
Address- 3352 Demenil Place
Location - Demenil Mansion Carriage House
Entrance - Demenil Courtyard
Jackie Zykan - Hidden Barn Master Blender (6:00 pm)
Known for having one of the most respected palates in American Whiskey, Jackie Zykan's approach to blending looks a lot like her approach to life – focused on balance, structure and celebrating the unique nuances of each blend. A native of St. Louis, and now calling Louisville, Kentucky home, she brings more than 16 years of beverage alcohol industry experience to Hidden Barn.
With degrees in biology and chemistry, and experience in multi-concept beverage directorship, cocktail strategy, category education, product development, and global marketing, her career has taken her to nearly every corner of the industry, giving her both balance and structure that few can match. She's regarded not only for her technical know-how, but for her personal style of whiskey education, which is relatable and focused.
Most recently, Jackie served as Master Taster for Old Forester where she came to develop her hallmark style of blending and descriptive analysis, while remaining focused on quality, integrity and her signature approachability. For Zykan, it's not meant to be pretentious – whiskey is meant to be a celebration.
We are super excited to welcome a hometown girl back for an amazing sensory class which promises to be an amazing experience!
Address- 1820 Cherokee St.
Location - St. Louis Paranormal Society Ghost Room
Entrance - Paranormal Society
Stephen Fante - Limestone Branch Ambassador (8:00 pm)
Do you like stories and characters? If so, this is a session you don't want to miss. Stephen Fante is a wealth of knowledge and an entertaining listen. You can learn more about him at this link.
Address- 3322 Demenil Place
Location - Lemp Mansion Hunting Room
Entrance - Courtyard Entrance
Michael Paladini & Danny Polise - Penelope Bourbon CEO & COO Founder (8:00 pm)
Penelope has been the topic of much conversation in the bourbon world over the past year. Come meet the founders and hear the whole story of what makes this brand one of the most unique and bestselling whiskies on the market. Be it the renowned toasted series 4 grain, or any of their fantastic cask finishes, they have been consistently innovating and bringing new ideas which continue to shape the industry!
Address- 3322 Demenil Place
Location - Lemp Mansion Brick Room
Entrance - Courtyard Entrance
Bernie Lubbers - Heaven Hill Whiskey Ambassador (8:00 pm)
Join Bernie and his guitar as the tell the story of the Evolution of Bourbon from unaged corn whiskey from the 1700's. They aged corn whiskey of early 1800s. How wheat found its way into recipes in the 1800s. Explore the Bottle in Bond Act of 1897, a watershed moment for Bourbon. Learn about the Amish bourbon which disappear forever until the small batch and single barrel bourbons started the new renaissance of bourbon we are in today.
Address- 3352 Demenil Place
Location - Demenil Mansion Carriage House
Entrance - Demenil Courtyard
Jason Brauner - Buzzard Roost Master Blender (8:00 pm)
Jason Brauner is the co-founder of Buzzard's Roost and the owner of Bourbons Bistro in Louisville, Kentucky, the first establishment to incorporate bourbon in its name. Bourbons Bistro has played a major role in the resurgence of bourbon and the promotion of tourism. Jason Brauner is a student of the industry and has interacted with all of the major players in bourbon over the years. He's also well-respected for his palate. Jason is a fountain of knowledge, humorous and very approachable. Whether you are a bourbon beginner or an expert, a conversation with Jason Brauner at this year's festival is sure to be a memorable experience.
Address- 1820 Cherokee St.
Location - St. Louis Paranormal Society Ghost Room
Entrance - Paranormal Society
*Must purchase VIP or GA festival tickets to purchase presenter tickets.