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New LGBTQ+-Friendly Bourbon Week, Bourbon & Belonging, Releases Event Calendar

Events will include a single barrel selection experience in Lexington, a disco-themed pool party in Louisville and a bourbon and burlesque show in Northern Kentucky.

Jul 23, 2024 at 12:18 pm

Bourbon & Belonging runs Oct. 2-6. Photo: Provided by Scooter Media Company

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A new event aimed at showcasing Kentucky’s bourbon and hospitality culture to LGBTQ+ visitors has announced its official entertainment lineup.

Bourbon & Belonging, from LGBTQ+-run nonprofit Queer Kentucky, is happening Oct. 2-6. The inclusive, week-long event features a variety of activities, tastings and gatherings that are designed to foster safety, belonging and community.

“Queer Kentucky is proud to announce that the events calendar and ticket sales are now live for the inaugural Bourbon & Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week,” Missy Spears, executive director of Queer Kentucky, said in a press release. “From my Covington home to seven other amazing destinations around the state, we are excited for you to join us for a week of festivities honoring Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ culture and bourbon tradition alongside the top bourbon brands in the world.”

Events will take place across eight Kentucky cities, counties and regions, including Bardstown, Bullitt County, Frankfort, Lexington, Louisville, Northern Kentucky, Paducah and Winchester. The week’s event calendar will feature activities like a single barrel selection experience in Lexington, a disco-themed pool party in Louisville and a bourbon and burlesque show in Northern Kentucky.

New LGBTQ+-Friendly Bourbon Week to Launch in Kentucky This Fall: Bourbon & Belonging will feature LGBTQ+-inclusive events across eight Kentucky cities, counties and regions.

Visitors can also expect there to be cocktail classes, bourbon 101 lessons, distillery tours, drag brunches, dinners, a tasting event featuring Kentucky's only LGBTQ-owned distillery and more. You can see the full lineup of events here.

Bourbon partners for the event include Northern Kentucky’s New Riff Distilling, Second Sight Spirits and Wenzel Whiskey, among other Kentucky distilleries. Hotel Covington, 21c Museum Hotels, Hotel Genevieve and the Common Bond Hotel Collection are also partnering with the event to serve as host hotels.

Bourbon & Belonging will also raise funds for Queer Kentucky and other Kentucky-based LGBTQ+ community service organizations. To buy tickets and stay updated on the latest Bourbon & Belonging news, visit bourbonandbelonging.com.

Slideshow

15 LGBTQ+-Friendly Bars in Greater Cincinnati

Old Street Saloon13 Old St., MonroeSay it with us: Rural. Gay. Dive. Bar. Old Street has served (and served) the Monroe-area community for decades. There’s something magical about the ebb and flow of a glamorous dive bar. Dusty stage lights illuminate queens, kings and all kinds of performers. Some in the crowd match the occasion, faces beat to the gods, others appear to have just gotten off work at a local farm or factory. Whether your order is a bay breeze or a Bud Light, a lemon drop or a whiskey shot, there’s no wrong way to do Old Street. And just because Old Street is a tiny suburban-rural dive bar doesn’t mean the talent isn’t outstanding — the weekly Saturday night drag shows are always a 10/10, having attracted the best-of-the-best queens and kings from Dayton, Cincinnati and beyond for nearly 30 years.

The Flock927 Race St., DowntownA new, laidback LGBTQ+ ultra-lounge hatched in downtown Cincinnati last summer after Ignite Entertainment turned its former bar, The Birdcage, into The Flock. Owner Juan Imeroni said he wanted The Flock to marry the vibe of The Birdcage with the intimacy of a lounge. Plush seating, backlit tables, lounge spaces and a lowered ceiling along the bar were added along with aviary-themed decor and accents. This low-key hangout hosts smaller entertainment acts ranging from drag shows to burlesque.

Rosie’s Tavern643 Bakewell St., CovingtonFor more than a century, there’s been a bar with a pressed-tin ceiling and stained glass windows at W. Seventh and Bakewell streets in Covington’s Mainstrasse Village. For two decades, Rosie’s Tavern has been a dive bar that welcomes everyone, gay or straight — that intersection even has rainbow crosswalks. Inside, a dozen barstools face the fully stocked bar — six taps and shelves of liquor and spirits. No food (just chips and nuts), but friendly bartenders will point you to good dining nearby. The pool table is ready and waiting, and drinks are very affordable, especially on Mondays.

Tillie’s Lounge4042 Hamilton Ave., NorthsideTillie’s Lounge is the life of the party in Northside, offering delicious cocktails, a friendly atmosphere where all are welcome and a plush, luxurious Old-World-style that feels upscale without being stuffy. Every day at Tillie’s features a special theme, with Service Industry Night on Mondays, TuesGAYs with a special Showtunes and Stitch & Bitch Happy Hour, Bear Night on Wednesdays, DJs on Thursdays, karaoke on Fridays, DJ dance parties on Saturday and the laidback Sunday Fundays.

Home Base Tavern2401 Vine St., CUFWoman- and LGBTQ+-owned Home Base Tavern makes you feel at home when you step in. This dive bar has a familiar, cozy feel — a Cheers-esque vibe where everyone knows your name, but make the cast gay — with its pressed-tin ceiling tiles, rainbow decor and friendly bartenders. Tuesday nights are home to karaoke or stop in Wednesday nights for $2.50 domestics and free pool.

Bar 32701 Bakewell St., CovingtonCovington’s Bar 32 has all the fun and come-as-you-are-ness of your favorite dive bar mixed with a welcoming, inclusive vibe where a Kentucky “y’all” truly means ALL — it’s even got a rainbow-colored crosswalk just outside its doors. The cocktails are creative, strong and reasonably priced, and the pool table is calling your name.

Bloom OTR1120 Walnut St., Over-the-RhineInclusive nightclub Bloom OTR offers an ultra-friendly and happy-go-lucky space that allows you to blossom into your truest yourself. Emma Nurre, part owner and director of operations at Bloom, says the goal of the bar is to play off the history of the building, creating a safe space that also offers drinking, dancing and drag performances. In addition to the nightclub revelry, the bar also offers a weekly Sunday drag brunch.

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About The Author

Katherine Barrier

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 oversees the digital and social media strategies, edits web and print content and writes for the dining and arts...