Hard Truth Distilling Co. will host its second annual Bourbon & BBQ Festival on Saturday, July 18 at the Brown County, Indiana distillery campus. The one-day event expects to draw significantly more attendees than last year's nearly 1,000-person debut.
Competition & Main Event Twenty-five barbecue teams will compete in live-fire and "Charred Truth" competitions, with the grand prize being a golden ticket to the World Food Championships in Indianapolis later this year. The festival runs 4–8 p.m. and includes live music from Ariana & the Bourbon Britches with the Blue Ridge Boys, whiskey tastings, cooking demonstrations, and yard games across Hard Truth's forested grounds. Two new Hard Truth whiskey releases will debut at the festival: Double Oaked Rye and an Amburana Finished Bourbon Single Barrel. General admission tickets are $60; higher-tier "Charred Truth" and VIP packages include premium tastings and lounge access, priced at $125 and $260 respectively.
Before the Char Dinner As a lead-in event, Hard Truth is hosting "Before the Char" on Friday, July 17—an intimate dinner pairing live-fire cuisine with craft cocktails. Memphis chef and 2024 World Food Live Fire Champion Michelle O'Guin will collaborate with Hard Truth Master Distiller Bryan Smith on the menu. Smith said: "Bourbon & BBQ takes whiskey beyond the bottle, outside of that rocks glass, and dives even further into the possibilities of flavor-building through oak and fire – an essential spark behind everything we craft here at Hard Truth. The synergies and knowing kinship between the makers of both whiskey and barbecue are so naturally aligned." Dave White of Great White Smoke BBQ Co., a partner in the event, added: "Bourbon & BBQ is everything I love about barbecue. It's not just competition. It's not just trophies. It's not just cooking. It's bringing people together around live fire, incredible food, great bourbon, and unforgettable experiences. Guests won't just watch barbecue happen. They'll get to meet the people behind it, hear their stories, taste their creations, and experience barbecue in a way that's rarely available to the public."
Why It Matters
The festival underscores the growing crossover between craft spirits and experiential food events.
For operators and event planners, the model—combining competition, education, product launches, and premium dining—demonstrates how to drive traffic and brand engagement beyond traditional tastings or promotional events.
For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.
Written by FBM Publications Editors
