A scene from last year's Tailspin Ale Fest

Tailspin Ale Fest turns 12-pack on March 1

January 28, 2025The Bar Belle Leave a comment

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.

People smiling at last year's Tailspin — 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!

Beer there or beer square.

It’s almost Tailspin time! Behold the best beer fest in Louisville

February 9, 2024The Bar Belle Leave a comment

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!

Scene at Tailspin Ale Fest — 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!

Scene from last year's Tailspin Ale Fest

Behold the best beer fest: Tailspin Ale Fest celebrates 10 years

February 22, 2023The Bar Belle Leave a comment

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.

See you there!

Louisville’s best beer fest, Tailspin Ale Fest, returns Oct. 30!

October 15, 2021The Bar Belle Leave a comment

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.

The Bar Belle

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