Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival

This past Saturday, rather than participate in local bar crawls or door parties, I spent April Fool’s Day partaking in my favorite things. Food & good alcohol.

The Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival held at the Cow Palace at the Timonium Fairgrounds is a yearly tradition of southern taste. Starting on March 31^st, the down-home fun began at 2pm each day & end at 6.

Based on my experiences from this weekend, I can only dream of the fantastical plans they have for next year! Attending the festivities with me was my friend Megan Shrewsbury, we entered the event around 4pm because I was running late (it says you need to have the printed-out ticket but you can just use your phone). Because of this we were limited by how much we could eat but Kolby’s Smokehouse made a very good impression!

In preparation for this long-awaited day, I did not eat at all beforehand so I felt comfortable enough to order a ½ rack of pork ribs &a Jar-B-Que (layers of BBQ sauce, pulled pork, baked beans, & coleslaw). The ribs were served dry but they had 3 of their BBQ sauce options there for everyone to choose: Original, Carolina, & Chipotle. Not being particularly fond of spicy foods, I decided not to risk the chipotle & tasted the other two instead. Kolby’s Carolina BBQ sauce was the best sauce I had ever tasted on a rib! It had a peppery note to it that offset the sweetness of the BBQ without being overbearing. Megan ordered a BBQ pulled pork sandwich.  Both of our meals disappeared in a matter of minutes! After eating we helped ourselves to a few different beers. With the tasting cup, (included in your general admission ticket price of $39) you get a free sample from each liquor vendor, & they aren’t afraid to fill your cup!

Whilst socializing, we were given a tip from a man named Jim Corcoran that the best drink there was the Saranac Coffee Lager. With a name like Corcoran we of course listened to him & went off to find the vendor tent. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, all the coffee lager was gone! Next year we will have a plan of action in place to try everything they offer! But based on how fast it went, the lager must have been good!

During the festival, a live band was playing everything from classic bluegrass to modern pop. The lead singer of Lost In Paris, Randy Major said that their, “booking agent has been putting bands,” at the Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ events for a long time. They put on a terrific show & many people took to them quickly. On bass is Vinny Derenzis, Jeff Gerowsky on guitar, Josh Allen on keys, & on the drums, Brandon Johns. Major reported that it was a “fun crowd, everyone was enjoying themselves, everybody had some spirits in them,” (literally & figuratively)! You can find out more about them at lipband.com or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram! Megan & I truly enjoyed their performance as did many others who were there.

One thing I wanted to know was what the purpose of the event was. Why did people go to the trouble to create this yearly event? Luckily, I made some new friends who were more than willing to help me figure it out! A friend of mine Dwayne Trawick worked at the Arcadia vendor that day. He offered up Battle Creek & Sky High Rye for consumption & jokingly said the purpose was, “to get people trashed” the festival prides itself on making sure each person drinks responsibly, but they still know how to have fun. Nick Silverson, from DC, & his cousin Noe, from Connecticut, came to the festival to connect with each other for the first time! When I asked them what they thought the purpose of the event was, they had a few ideas. Silverson first said it was to, “get drunky,” but after taking another moment he then said that the, “higher purpose is comradery”. Agreeing, Noe stated that it was all about, “bringing people together around a shared interest in alcohol.” Both answers were right on the money.

At the end of the event, I managed to meet Greg Nivens, the owner of Trigger (the company that produces the Drink. Eat. Relax. events) &he could enlighten me. For 11 years Beer Bourbon &BBQ has attracted over 12,000 people to the festival each year. He says that Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ, “was invented to celebrate all the things I miss,” elaborating that good food produces good feelings & he wanted to create an event that would bring those feelings back.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the festival with Megan & I met many people who enjoyed themselves as well! If you are reading this post, I urge you to attend this event next year. And the year after that. And the year after that… but you get the picture. Take the time to slow down with this new savory tradition!