The 12th annual Tailspin Ale Fest will take place March 1 at Bowman Field.
The always solid Tailspin Ale Fest that kicks off warmer weather each year finally is a 12-pack years old. I feel like I’ve been attending this crazy beer fest much longer than a dozen years, but perhaps I’m just old. It’ll be held Saturday, March 1, at Bowman Field, and there are still a few GA tickets left — so you better grab ’em while you can!
This year will feature more than 50 breweries sampling 250+ beers, ciders, seltzers, etc. A lot of that is local, but there is also a great selection of top beers from around the country, as well as an impressive (and high octane) lineup of bourbon-barrel-aged stouts and other varieties.
Beer makes you happy.
And if beer isn’t your thing at a beer festival, then you can enjoy Drake’s Silent Disco (the restaurant, not the rapper), a cider and sour bar, live music from Vinyl Richie, food trucks and so much more.
It’s a great people-watching event, too, because folks will get crunk with all the options that abound. And by crunk, I mean ready for Derby.
They’re also bringing back the VIP potty option for those who don’t want to wait in line for port-o-pots. For an extra $30 (well worth the money, trust me), you can get access to bougie restrooms that are equipped with heat, running water and elbow room. I think I even used some hand lotion and hairspray last year in one.
This year’s Tailspin will sell out, so if you’re on the fence, just go ahead and buy the ticket. The charity this year is Pints for Parkinson’s/TKO, so the funds go to a great cause. They also have shuttle bus opportunities from various locations around the city. So there’s no excuse!
Sure, you can coup us up for two months while Old Man Winter hides the sun and takes away all the fun, but as soon as the calendar flips from February to March, you better believe we Louisvillians are ready to bum rush the outdoors. And the first sign that spring is near is the beloved Tailspin Ale Fest, which draws thousands of thirsty people to Bowman Field each year to celebrate beer, friendship, beer and aviation.
This year’s Tailspin, which is now in its 11th year, will be held Saturday, March 2, from 3-7 p.m. VIP tickets are already sold out, but there are still some GA tickets available. (But be sure to get them ASAP, because this event will sell out.)
What’s New?
So what’s new this year? Well, of course there is more beer than ever, with over 250 American craft beers served by the sample. IPAs, pale ales, sours, stouts, ciders — you name it, it’s there. And for those who like a stiffer pour, Green River Distilling will be on hand again offering up samples of bourbon — but more on that later.
This year there will also be VIP bathrooms courtesy of Tom Drexler, and you can actually purchase a special potty pass on the Tailspin website for $30. One of the only downsides of a big beer festival like this one here is encountering long lines at the Port-o-Pots, so this pass could be a great way to circumvent that bladder ache. The pass will allow you access to 17 indoor restrooms that are located in a private area.
Now, if you’re bougie and want your own private bathroom, that can happen as well for a fee of $200. And I will be your friend for the day, too!
Who’s ready for some beer? | Courtesy
While you’re not drinking beer, you can hit up local food trucks, dance funny at the silent disco, sing karaoke, smoke cigars and/or listen to the cool tunes of Tony & The Tan Lines.
And, as always, a portion of the proceeds benefits a local charity. This year the funds are going to Pints for Parkinson’s | TKO. There will also be a live boxing demonstration that highlights “the importance of exercise and movement in combating the challenges of Parkinson’s disease,” according to the news release. “The demonstration pays tribute to Louisville’s own legend, Muhammad Ali, whose battle with the incurable disease underscored the significant role that boxing and commitment to life played in extending his earthly existence beyond expectations.”
What About That Bourbon?
A Green River Single Barrel will be available at Tailspin. | Courtesy
Let’s get back to the bourbon. Tailspin has teamed up with Green River for a special single barrel pick that will be for sale starting Feb. 29 at the Evergreen Liquors in NuLu (4-7 p.m.).
Any bottles left after this event and another one at Against the Grain will be sold at Tailspin. All I know is the bourbon is 119 proof, so you better believe I’ll be lining up for a sample!
Several of the breweries that have bourbon barrel-aged brews at the festival were given freshly dumped Green River barrels, so it’s like a tasty circle of life between beer, bourbon and my belly.
So let’s just all survive the next few weeks — we got the Super Bowl and the upcoming Bourbon Classic (Feb. 23-24) — and I’ll see your fine faces at Tailspin!
The Silent Disco is the place to be, if you’re not waiting in line to pee. | Courtesy of Tailspin Ale Fest
The fact that Tailspin Ale Fest is celebrating 10 years next week makes me feel like a proud parent, because I’ve damn near attended each and every one! It’s hands down one of the best beer fests I’ve ever gone to, and I wouldn’t miss this year’s event for anything — anything outside of the normal list of bad things that happen to people, that is.
I remember at one the early ones we had to endure freezing rain and sloshing through frigid puddles while standing in a long line to pee. And I remember at another one enjoying the incredibly odd warm weather we were rewarded one weekend in February — also while standing in a long line to pee.
The good news is the organizers of Tailspin listen to feedback each year, and they actually fix things and improve upon the event year after year. There are more bathrooms than ever before, more beer options, more food trucks and more ways to dance the afternoon away. The introduction of the silent disco a few years back was a score, and while I’ve never participated myself, it’s fun to watch others dance like nobody’s watching — even though everybody is.
This year, organizers are promising participation of more than 75 local, regional and national breweries with more than 250 beers available to sample. There will be at least 10 local food trucks, live music by Tony & the Tan Lines, Drake’s Silent Disco, Cox’s Cigar Bar, and a few other surprises.
Plus, there will be a “Women in Beer Bar” featuring craft beers brewed by women from around the country and here in Kentucky. I love that!
And perhaps the best news is that all proceeds go to Dare to Care Food Bank and the HOP Foundation. In fact, Tailspin has raised more than $90,000 for the organizations in the past nine years.
As always, the beer-soaked Tailspin takes place at the Bowman Field on Saturday, March 4, from 3-7 p.m. While VIP tickets are sold out, general admission passes are still available for $55. And if you’d like to hop on one of the nine shuttles located all around the city and one in New Albany, check out the website for more details.
The new Big Bar oozes neon in an awesome way! | Photo by Sara Havens
For the past four years, Big Bar owner Kevin Bryan has had to endure nonstop questioning about some wide open spaces next door. When is it going to open? What are you planning? Will there be more bathrooms? A dance floor? When is it going to open? When is it going to open? When is it going to open?
But first, some background: The little Highlands bar with the Big name is all but 500 square feet, and Bryan knew that when he opened his gay bar in 2012, the first of its kind on Bardstown Road that now boasts two more. He was content with 500 square feet, and the bar quickly found a groove in Louisville’s nightlife scene.
It was small, sure. But Bryan added some patio furniture and an extra urinal, and it worked. It got crowded most nights, but it worked.
Then, at the very end of 2018, Big Bar’s next-door neighbor The Wine Market closed, leaving a massive 2,000-square-foot space that actually shared a wall with the bar. Of course Bryan and his investors swooped in and scooped up the real estate. Bryan says he immediately started envisioning a grand extension of Big Bar, which would actually incorporate two floors.
People will finally stop asking: “When will it be done?” | Photo by Sara Havens
But projects, as we know, take time. And if a contractor says one year, you better plan for two. Throw a global pandemic into the mix and supply chain issues that ensued, and you have a valid explanation of why it has taken this long. Plus, Bryan wants to do things right. And he wants his community — everyone from neighbors and friends to his LGBTQ cohorts and regulars — to enjoy a space that is inclusive, fun, vibrant and even glows in the dark.
“Having more space means I can do so much more — more events, more mixers, more drag shows, more drinks and, yes, even more bathrooms,” Bryan says.
I stopped by the bigger bar the week before it was slated to open — Wednesday, May 4 — and Bryan showed off some cool new features. The massive two-level structure just oozes with neon, funk and sophistication. In fact, if you order a certain drink, it’ll come with a pair of 3-D glasses that you can use in one of the two new unisex bathrooms. The wallpaper literally comes to life.
There’s a large dance floor with a DJ booth perched up on the second floor. And lining the walls are pub tables and chairs where you can hang while you muster the courage to cut a rug. There’s also a new bar on the ground floor as well, along with the two bathrooms. And on the second floor, which overlooks the dance area, there’s a swanky lounge where you can chill with bigger groups, and even a small little four-top table hidden away in a private nook.
Bryan seemed excited but stressed with last-minute details that needed tending to.
“It’s been 10 years in the making, so I want it to be 100% from when the doors open,” he says.
Big Bar owner Kevin Bryan
One of the new features at the bar is the state-of-the-art Highball Machine that pumps out the fizziest soda water you’ve ever tasted. Plus, as Bryan said, there will be more of everything, including a bigger premium bourbon selection, new cocktails, more beer taps, more TVs, and even a handful of zero-proof cocktails.
Big Bar first opened its doors on May 1, 2012, and now, 10 years later just about to the exact day, it’s both growing and showing to the delight of its numerous regulars, including myself. Words can’t really do the space any justice, so be sure to stop in sometime to check it out after Wednesday.
And speaking of 10 years, Bryan says the bar’s official 10 Year Anniversary Celebration will be held the week of May 18-22, so get ready to throw down and dance the night away.
Big Bar is located at 1202 Bardstown Road, and it opens at 4 p.m. most days, 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Check out more before and after photos below:
The upstairs lounge areaThere are TWO unisex bathrooms!Check this out with your 3-D glasses!A little nook area upstairsA before shot: A lot of work had to be done.A before shot: It’s a mess!A before shot: It’s come a long way.
24 ounces of ridiculous! I made this poor soul pose for a picture, but he was happy to show off the beer as big as your head.
When I was, say, 22, I would have been thrilled to order a 24-ounce beer while watching Limp Bizkit do it all for the nookie. And in fact, I probably would have ordered a couple throughout the show. But for the love of Chris Kirkpatrick, what the hell is going on at Louisville concert and sporting venues with offering ONLY 24-ounce canned beers???
This is bullshit, and I need to know why I’m forced to purchase a beer as big as my head if I’m in the mood for a little bubbly? Is it all about the cost? The economics of: “Let’s make them bigger so people spend more”?
More beer = more calories!
I guarantee you people will spend more buying normal sized 12-ounce beers — making more trips to the bar and possibly purchasing some overly priced stale popcorn — than one dumptruck dickload of White Claw.
These 24-ounce Sasquatches of suds have invaded the Louisville Palace, Lynn Family Stadium, Iroquois Amphitheater and so many more of our live music and sports venues.
Not only does the beer get warm halfway through, but I’m forced to haul my ass to the bathroom at least five times during the event. If I wanted to drink that much beer, I would have crashed a frat party and reignited my college namesake of Keg Stand Queen.
(For the record, yes, you can still purchase normal-sized pours of wine and spirits, so I decided to sip on some Maker’s Mark during last night’s Chelsea Handler show at the Palace.)
I need answers. Who is responsible for this careless and ridiculous decision? Is it the folks running the venues? The distributors? Are there supply chain issues with 12-ounce cans — but a surplus of 24-ounce ones? Is it really in the best interest of the venue to have the audience guzzling down vats of beer and seltzer?
Here’s the next size, coming soon to a stadium near you!
Someone explain this to me. And also let me know if it’s happening at venues all around the country. I thought the super-sized American gluttonous culture was coming to an end, but apparently not.
Who’s ready for the 8th annual Tailspin? | Courtesy of Tailspin Ale Fest
The last time I attended Louisville’s best beer fest, also known as the Tailspin Ale Fest, I was unaware that a global pandemic was on the horizon and shit was about to hit the fan. It was February of 2020, and I still had a job, I didn’t own a single face mask, and I had a fondness for the word Corona — it goes well with a lime.
Had I known everything that was to come after, I would have cherished my time at the festival more. But honestly, I had a frickin’ blast sucking down samples left and right, and I don’t know how I could have had more fun.
Good news is, while Tailspin got postponed in February 2021, organizers are bringing it back for a Halloween-themed party on Saturday, Oct. 30. It’ll once again be held at Bowman Field, but this time at the Central American hangar closest to Taylorsville Road, which is outside. And it’ll run from 3-7 p.m. as usual.
Tickets are still available, and guests are encouraged to dress in costume for the 8th annual Tailspin. So what all is planned? I’m glad you asked.
First of all, there will be more than 250 samples of craft beer from near and far, along with cider and wine. Need more? Check out this list of amenities:
Shuttle stop options and a dedicated shuttle entrance
Cox’s Cigar Pavilion
Bourbon Barrel Beer Bar
Cider/Sour Bar
Drake’s Silent Disco
Live music from 100% Poly
Tarot Card Readers and other festive Halloween fun
Kentucky Heritage Section – Brews brewed in the bluegrass
Food Trucks
If you’ve never been, trust me on this, it’s worth every penny of admission. And if you have been, then what are you waiting for? Buy your tickets already!
VIP tickets are $80 and include early admission at 2 p.m., a free food voucher, a souvenir taster glass, and a Bell’s Brewery VIP Tailspin souvenir. And general admission tickets are $50 and include a souvenir taster glass. If you have a DD who doesn’t plan on drinking, tickets for them are $15. You must purchase your tickets online before the event, as no tickets will be sold at the gate.
Shuttle rides to and from Tailspin are an additional $15, and locations include Against the Grain downtown, Cox’s Spirits on Ruckreigel Pkwy., Drake’s Paddock Shops, Drake’s St. Matthews, Drake’s Hurstbourne, Evergreen Middletown, Highlands Tap Room, New Albanian, Union 15 near Iroquois Park, and Nachbar.
Eat like a rabbit, drink like a fish. | Photo by Sara Havens
It’s not fun trying to be healthy. I don’t care if you’re name is Oprah, I’m never going to eat a pizza with cauliflower crust and pretend it’s better than the real thing.
Trying to be healthy as you get older is also quite a challenge, and by challenge I mean damn impossible. My metabolism, which has never quite fired on all cylinders, has seriously left the building. I may have to hire Dog the Bounty Hunter to help me find it.
Anyway, we all know what we should be eating, but rarely do we stick to rules. So when I can find compromise in my diet, I’m all for it. Case in point: The Louisville-based salad shop Green Districtnow has its own beer, so I can eat like a rabbit and drink like a fish!
If you don’t know what Green District is, there are a few locations around town now, and there’s about to be a whole lot more. They told me they hope to open about 100 new locations around the country in the next five years, so there’s that.
Salad & beer
Think of it like the Qdoba of salad … the employees can help you create your own salad from dozens of topping options, or you can just pick one of the already created salad concoctions if you hate making decisions.
The beer, which is only available at the Highlands location (1449 Bardstown Road) for now, was made by Falls City Beer and is called Not A Kale Ale. The description on the can is a “Light & Bright Citrus Ale.”
I stopped by the other day to try out the $3.50 beer and grab a fresh salad as well, and I must say that the beer pairs very well with a cob salad drizzled in ranch dressing.
First of all, let’s talk about the salad. They way it was chopped made it simple to eat. I just plunged my fork into the greens, and up came a perfect bite. No big lettuce leaves or huge bits of broccoli — everything was perfectly sliced and diced. They may actually get me to eat salads on the reg if this is how it’s going to be.
Now the beer. It was light and refreshing for an ale, and it really did complement my salad. The citrus notes in the ale worked perfectly with the greens and the grilled chicken. I secretly wondered how many calories and carbs the beer had, but I didn’t want to ask. I figure if my meal is healthy, then I can at least enjoy a beer.
Go check it out next time you’re in the Highlands. It’s located in the building that formerly housed a Comfy Cow, right near the intersection of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway.
Of course I couldn’t stop thinking about all my hot and sticky ice cream memories in that space, but I suppose I’m better off sticking to salad and a beer.
Another reason why 2020 was the green Skittle of years: No beer fests or bourbon bashes and not even a tea party to be found! The horror!
Thankfully, life is returning somewhat to normal, and now the summer of festivals begins with the Jeffersontown Summer Craft Beer Fest on Saturday, July 17. Tickets are still available, and you can get them for cheap ($40) at select Cox’s Smokers Outlet and Spirit Shoppes and Evergreen Liquors, or online ($45), or at the gate ($50, if they’re not sold out).
The festivities will include beer, of course, with more than 85 beer, wine and seltzer vendors on site to share samples and swag. There will also be live music, lots of food trucks, video games courtesy of Rec Bar, and lots more. Even if beer isn’t your thing, it sounds like there will be plenty of options for you between the Truly Bubbly Bar and a winery section.
Once again, Trevor Cravens and Tisha Gainey of HB Productions are responsible for the festival, so you know it’ll be a great time. They also put on the annual Tailspin Ale Fest held each year at Bowman Field.
“We are thrilled to get back to events and connect with people through beer,” said Cravens in a news release. “The pandemic provided us with a chance to examine our business and create some new opportunities, but events are our passion and we have big plans to bring them back better than ever.”
The event will take place on Saturday, July 17, from 4-8 p.m. at the Gaslight Pavilion in Jeffersontown. Better get your tickets soon, because it’ll likely sell out.
So I have something to admit, and I’m guessing you already know this. I haven’t been getting out as much as I’d like to, because I REALLY don’t want this nasty Corona-cock virus, especially when the vaccine is so close. I feel like I’m letting you down as the Bar Belle of Louisville, but that’s where I am.
The other day, however, armed with a mask and an appetite for discovering new places, I managed to get to two bars and a pizza place (later in the week).
I not only love tacos, I’m obsessed with tacos. I want to eat them every day. I want to bask in all their folded-up glory. I want to be a taco.
So naturally I figured I’d love this new restaurant and bar that opened recently in the former Panera Bread location in the Highlands, which used to be the world-renowned ear X-tacy before that. In fact, I never frequented that Panera Bread because I felt like it was spitting on the X-tacy legacy, but now that something local has moved back in, I’ve let that guilt go — and it has nothing to do with tacos being in the name, I swear.
Anyway, this place is awesome! It’s colorful, spaced out, friendly and quite delicious. And the tacos are fairly authentic — as in Mexican-style tacos, not the Americanized version that comes with mounds of cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.
I had one asada (steak) taco ($3.75) and one tinga taco ($3.50), which featured chicken, and both were tasty and flavorful. The asada was cooked to crispy perfection, with just onions and cilantro added to the meat. And the chicken on the tinga was juicy and flavorful as well, and it was more like pulled chicken than pieces or, well, chicken finger-style. Both were served on homemade corn tortillas (you can also ask for a flour).
Now, my girlfriend and I are regulars at El Mariachi in Lyndon, and while we loved these tacos and admired their authenticity, we still think Mariachi serves up slightly better tacos. This is no knock on I Love Tacos, because I’ll definitely be back for more.
My friend who joined us also ordered the queso dip ($4.99), and it was quite amazing, as most queso is. On my next visit, I’d like to try the nachos, and on my visit after that, I’d like to get a burrito.
So what did I drink, you ask? You think I would have started with that! Duh. I had Ernesto’s Passion Fruit Margarita ($5.99), the frozen version, because the menu stated it was a People’s Choice Champion in 2019. It was fabulously sweet but not overly sweet, and the passion fruit tang played well with the tequila.
On my next visit to the bar area, I’d like to try the sangria ($4.99) as well as the raspberry margarita ($5.99) and blueberry margarita ($5.99).
I see that there’s also a location in Jeffersontown, so if you’re out that way, give it a try!
If you like to drink with your four-legged friends, then this new Highlands dog bar is for you! And if you just want to be around dozens of dogs that are romping around a room for hours, then you’re welcome to perch at a table to watch (and drink).
The space used to be a car repair shop, so it’s big and airy and concrete from wall to wall, with garage door-styled windows and doors that’ll open up when it’s nice out.
Dogs!
There’s also a dog park out back, and the bar offers various membership options for this area.
The menu is fairly small, with just a handful of beer (craft and domestic), wine and cocktail options. But there’s also local coffee and cold brew served, so that’s a nice option if you want to bring your laptop and get some work done while your dog frolics around the joint.
I don’t want to paint the picture like it’s a wild, free-for-all dog party going on. There are actually “park rangers” armed with squirt guns and tin-can shakers patrolling the area to make sure all the mutts are behaving.
Plus, your dog has to be updated on all its shots before entering, and there are forms to fill out. But you filthy humans can come right in and partake in the festivities.
I’m a little late to the party on this one, but I blame the worldwide pandemic for that. This is Chicago-style pizza in the former space of the beloved Clifton’s Pizza, and it was nice to see that they actually cleaned and spruced things up!
Not only that, but the beer taps were clean and had to be new, because my Bud Light was ice cold, crisp and crazy delicious as I was stuffing my mouth with deep-dish pizza. Yes, I know Bud Light isn’t local, but sometimes I slide back into the tastes of my college days and partake in a guilty pleasure. Leave me alone!
Yum!!
Jake & Elwood’s only serves beer and wine, and since it’s a Chicago-themed place, there’s plenty of Old Style and 312 on tap as well, plus an assortment of cans and bottles.
But let’s get to the pizza! You can get either thin crust or deep-dish Chicago-style, and the toppings are all the usual suspects. The menu also includes hot dogs (another Chicago staple), french fries — loaded or naked — as well as appetizers and salads.
I had a 10-inch cheese deep-dish pie, and my friend had two slices of thin-crust. We both enjoyed what we ordered and had plenty to take home.
I just had one criticism, since I have actually eaten a Chicago-style pizza in Chicago, and it’s about the amount of cheese that was used — or lack thereof.
The pizza came out with 2- or 3-inch-thick crust, per usual, but the middle part should be so heaving in cheese that it’s almost like a lasagna. This was not — it was actually thinner (since I didn’t add any toppings) than my friend’s thin-crust pizza.
That didn’t stop me from eating it, of course. And next time I’ll just ask for extra cheese. The sauce is spot-on, and overall it was a fun dining experience. I’ll definitely be back for more beer, too.
Here’s my most recent story for the national website Alcohol Professor: a profile of Kentucky’s own Hive & Barrel Meadery. If you like sweet drinks like cider and fruit-based wines, you will really dig mead — for those who have never tried it.
Hive & Barrel is located in the same space as 3rd Turn Brewing in Crestwood, Ky. If you’ve never been, you’re missing out on an awesome outdoor drinking experience, as the expansive space is set under a canopy of greenery.
In fact, they call it the Oldham Gardens, and it’s quaint, charming and easy to stay distanced. It’s located right down the street from Kentucky Artisan Distillery, where Jefferson’s is based.
I met up with head brewer and co-owner Joel Halbleib at Hive & Barrel this fall to talk and sample mead, and also hear more about his barrel-aging experiments and his dabbling with cider and winemaking. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Halbleib credits brewing for changing his life for the better, and the path that brought him to mead is like the cherry on top, he says. Nearly two decades ago, he was in the IT world, pecking away on keyboards all day long and making a hobby out of homebrewing at night. He realized brewing was such an important, creative drive for him, he took the risky leap to pursue it full time. He quickly worked his way up the ladder in Louisville’s bustling brewery scene and spent 14 years as head brewer at Goodwood. And when the opportunity to dive into mead presented itself 3 years ago, he took the leap — mainly because he loves learning and welcomes a challenge. “This is my happy place. It really is. I’ve found it, and it excites me to do creative stuff,” Halbleib says. “I still do administrative stuff to keep my busier than I want to be on a computer, but it makes me happy to be creative.”
