As Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky prepare for an enormous celebration of culture, music, food and history happening along the Ohio River’s banks this October, organizers have announced a new experience that will toast to Kentucky’s most iconic export: bourbon.
The America’s River Roots festival will be a celebration of inland river culture to kick off the United States’ 250th birthday, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Newport and Covington from Oct. 8-12. As part of this five-day-long celebration, Newport will be home to the newly launched Kentucky Bourbon Experience.
The experience will be located within a 200-foot-tent and feature three distinct spaces, including the Bourbon Bottle Shop & Bazaar, the Bourbon Experience and the Merchant’s Club. Organizers say that, together, these spaces will offer guests a full pour of the rich stories, people and traditions behind Kentucky’s famed spirit.
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“We designed the Kentucky Bourbon Experience to be a full sensory journey into the heart of bourbon culture,” Amy Tobin, bourbon curator for America’s River Roots, said in a press release. “From the moment you step into the tent, you’ll be immersed in the stories, craftsmanship and flavor that make Kentucky bourbon world-renowned.”
During the festival, attendees can take part in 15 scheduled bourbon tastings, which will feature some of the industry’s top names, including:
- Angels Envy
- Augusta Distillery
- Boone County Distilling
- Bardstown Bourbon
- Green River Distilling
- Ingram Distillery
- New Riff Distilling
- Old Forester
- Wenzel Distillery
- Willow Run Custom Bourbon
- Woodford Reserve
More distillers will join the lineup this summer, say organizers.
In the tent, visitors can visit the Bottle Shop Bazaar, powered by Party Source, the official bourbon retailer of America’s River Roots. The open marketplace will be a one-stop shop for those looking to sample and buy bourbon or discover new favorites. There will also be gifts and bourbon-inspired goods for sale.
The tent will also feature the Bourbon Experience, a ticketed, 90-minute adventure that will take guests on a journey into the heart of bourbon culture. There will be bourbon blending, the chance to create your own custom bottle and the opportunity to select from single-barrel offerings.
Finally, the Merchant’s Club will offer a luxurious, speakeasy-style lounge space overlooking the river that will allow you to escape the crowds and sip on handcrafted bourbon cocktails.
Tickets for the Bourbon Experience will be available by the end of June. You can visit AmericasRiverRoots.com to sign up for updates and reserve your spot.
Other bourbon celebrations
Organizers have named New Riff Distilling as the official bourbon of the festival.
“Known for their award-winning spirits, New Riff brings a distinctly local flavor to the festival. With deep ties to Greater Cincinnati and the Northern Kentucky community, New Riff is a natural partner for the experience that blends craftsmanship, culture and regional pride under one expansive tent,” said organizers.
At the festival, guests can sample a variety of New Riff’s offerings, including the America’s River Roots’ signature cocktail, Rollin’ on the River, featuring New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon, lemon juice and root beer.
The distillery will also host the New Riff Distilling Bourbon Tasting & History Sightseeing Cruise on the steamboat NATCHEZ. The guided tasting will have a lineup of New Riff favorites, including its signature Bottled in Bond Bourbon and Bottled in Bond Rye and bourbon-centric stories from American Legacy Tours.
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And outside the Kentucky Bourbon Experience tent in Newport, guests can also visit the Kentucky Boardwalk at the Ovation. Stroll and sip your way through The B-Line Speakeasy, River Roots Cafe and the River Roots Beer Garden, which will offer bites, drinks and bourbon-inspired menus.
America’s River Roots is happening Oct. 8-12. Learn more about the festival and its activations here.
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This article appears in Jun 11-24, 2025.