The B-Line and Smoke Justis Launch Festival Celebrating Bourbon and Bluegrass

A new festival celebrating the spirit of bourbon and bluegrass is coming to Northern Kentucky this March.

The B-Line, a collection of bourbon-forward restaurants, bars and distilleries in Northern Kentucky, and Covington restaurant Smoke Justis are teaming up for the first-ever Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, March 2. Brought together to celebrate the bourbon purity law the Bottled in Bond (BIB) Act, the festival will feature a cocktail competition, plenty of food and a lineup featuring Grammy-nominated bluegrass artists Sister Sadie and The Goodwin Brothers.

“Covington owns the unique Bottled in Bond aspect of bourbon’s long-standing history in this country,” Smoke Justis founder, Richard Dickmann, said in a press release. “Smoke Justis looks forward to celebrating bourbon and bluegrass with whiskey enthusiasts from all over against the backdrop of our iconic Roebling Bridge.”

Passed in 1897, the Bottled in Bond Act set stringent standards and an authentication process to improve the quality of American-made whiskey, and a Northern Kentucky man played a key role in its passage.

“Everyone knows Kentucky has a rich history rooted in bourbon but what many don’t know is Northern Kentucky’s role in that history,” president and CEO of meetNKY Julie Kirkpatrick said in the release. “The Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival is the perfect way to celebrate the Bottled-in-Bond Act, which Covington’s very own John G. Carlisle was instrumental in passing in 1897. We partnered with our friends at Smoke Justis — a B-Line location — to bring together the perfect collision of bourbon and bluegrass to draw visitors to our region and give them and locals another fun thing to do that weekend in addition to Bockfest.”

The festival will also host a competition to crown the best Bottled-in-Bond cocktail. Bartenders from across Kentucky with showcase their creativity and highlight the unique qualities of BIB spirits. Represented bars and restaurants include Northern Kentucky's Second Sight Spirits and Rich’s Proper, Old Bourbon County Kitchen and The Manchester Hotel from Lexington and 21c Proof on Main and Goodfella’s from Louisville. All participating bars were selected by The Bourbon Review.

General admission tickets are $53 and grant admission to the “Roebling Rickhouse” where attendees can enjoy the music lineup and have the opportunity to purchase food and drinks. The next tier of tickets, called the Roebling Rickhouse Tickets, are $100 and include six samplings of BIB cocktails, a beer or wine drink ticket, light bites and access to the music lineup. And VIP tickets are $175 and include access to Smoke Justis’ Bourbon Lounge, the chance to cast a vote for the best BIB cocktail, six samplings of the BIB cocktails, two full BIB cocktails, a buffet dinner and more.

Tickets can be purchased here. Attendees must be 21 or older.

The Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival will be held from 5-10 p.m. Saturday, March 2 at Smoke Justis. Moonshine Drive will kick off the music lineup at 5:30 p.m., followed by Sister Sadie at 7 p.m. and The Goodwin Brothers at 8:30 p.m.

Smoke Justis, 302 Court St., Covington. More info: eventbrite.com.