Velvet Smoke BBQ 5626 Cheviot Road, White Oak Velvet Smoke BBQ has been serving the Cincinnati community with award-winning, championship barbecue since 2012 after a competition barbecue team decided to follow their passion and cater to a larger audience of barbecue lovers. You can get that championship-quality barbecue on a sandwich, as part of a classic barbecue plate (served with a piece of garlic bread) or as meat by the pound. All their sides are scratch-made and you can order their barbecue sauces (ranging from the mild Sweet & Tangy to the hot PitFire) as half-pints, pints and quarts. Photo: facebook.com/vsqwhiteoak

Things are about to get saucy in Norwood this summer with the launch of a new festival celebrating bourbon and barbecue.

“Sauced: A Bourbon and BBQ Festival” is happening Saturday and Sunday, June 29-30 at Factory 52. The weekend promises unforgettable experiences fusing community, culture and craftsmanship together in pools of BBQ sauce and glasses of spirits.

Admission to the festival is free and open to the public. Guests can expect live music, plenty of delicious eats and activities ranging from cooking demos to bourbon tastings and food pairings. There will also be educational sessions where you can learn about bourbon’s history and discover some expert tasting techniques.

Those looking for an elevated bourbon experience can book an exclusive tasting package for $50 on Resy. The package includes a curated selection of premium bourbons. You can learn more about it and purchase yours here.

The festival will feature two sessions each day for tastings, with the cooking demos and live music featured throughout. Session 1 runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Session 2 goes from 4-8 p.m. During Session 2 on Sunday, there will be an awards ceremony to honor some of the favorite bites and sips of the day.

Factory 52, 4590 Beech St., Norwood. Learn more about Sauced: resy.com.

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This article appears in May 1-14, 2024.

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she...