SIPosium 2023

This past weekend I attended the 6th annual SIPosium thrown by the group Bourbon Women. If you haven’t heard of them, you should definitely check them out. The group, founded in 2010 by Peggy Noe Stevens, is a networking group where women come together to empower each other and enjoy many aspects of bourbon and the industry, including (but not limited to, of course) drinking it. SIPosium itself takes place in downtown Louisville which means that for one weekend, hundreds on women from all over the country come to Bourbon country to network, drink, and explore. This year’s SIPosium was also special because it would include the inaugural “Women of Whiskey Awards”. These awards would recognize women in many different roles and the impact they had within the industry. I had never heard of this event until last year, so when the opportunity came around I jumped to buy tickets and now I wanted to share my experience with you. The event ran August 24-27 and tickets are definitely pricey, spending close to $600 just for the entry/weekend. There are also additional excursions and events that you can purchase that are not included in that original base ticket price but being this was my first year I did not get anything extra, wanting to see if the event itself was worth the hype. The organization does also include a discounted rate for the hotel hosting the event but since I live in Louisville, I chose to return home every night which meant spending money for Uber instead. Breakfast and lunch were included both Friday and Saturday with the additional dinner on Friday and breakfast on Sunday as well. But let’s get into the event and the different types of events I attended while there.

First stop was the registration desk to pick up my badge for the weekend. I was also given a canvas tote bag from Mary Dowling Co, a new venture by the founder of Rabbit Hole Bourbon and named after the “Mother of Bootleggers” herself and an empty 200ml bottle so we could create our own Infinity bottle. There was also a table set up by a company called “The B-line” offering “recovery bags” containing liquid IV drink powder, a silk eye mask, ibuprofen and a few other must needed items for a long weekend of drinking and exploring. Since I did not take on any additional excursions, my first event was the Mixer on Thursday night. Sponsored by Coors Whiskey company (yes like the same Coors that makes beer, who knew?) we gathered in the ballroom of the hotel and enjoyed two custom cocktails, a twist on the Gold Rush with honey lavender syrup, and a Brown Sugar Maple Old Fashioned. We were also able to taste 3 expressions from Coors and their Five Trails bourbon brand. The mixer allowed for all Bourbon women members, old and new, to get together, network and enjoy a nice cocktail amongst fellow enthusiasts.

We were told from the start that this would be a “marathon not a sprint” and it certainly was. Friday morning we began bright and early at 8am with a buffet breakfast and a cocktail courtesy of Holladay distillery. After getting some food and topping off my water bottle, I moved out into the hallway to participate in a “Sip and Survey” in which 3 brands were pouring samples attendees were encouraged to taste them and fill out a survey on what they liked and didn’t to submit to the brands. After making our rounds, we were encouraged to move back into the ballroom for our Friday Keynote speakers and attend a panel with 3 “Rockstars” in the industry: Heather Greene, Lisa Wicker and Sherri Carter. This also included tastings from 2 additional distilleries.

After the keynote we would move into our first workshop of the day which for me was hosted by Tennessee whiskey brand Uncle Nearest. We created 3 different cocktails using fresh ingredients and 3 different Uncle Nearest Expressions and were taught how we could grow and use our own fresh ingredients at home. Not only were we able to enjoy 3 delicious cocktails (my favorite being the strawberry-mint Tennessee mule) but we were also given a goodie bag filled with branded items including 3 pieces of glassware to take home and a mini garden kit to grow our own thyme, mint, and lavender. We had a quick lunch, sponsored by Garrison Brothers whiskey, and then we would split off into our excursions for the day.

For my excursion I headed off to the house of Bill Samuels Jr, the son of the founders of Makers Mark. The entire experience was great from start to finish. Getting on the bus we were greeted with a gift bag from Four Roses Bourbon that contained a travel tasting kit (3oz travel bottle, miniature rocks glass and a container that zipped up to hold them both). When we arrived at Bill’s house we were greeted with a cocktail and given a tour by Bill himself. It was wonderful to hear him speak so highly of both his parents but especially his mother Margie, who was the mastermind behind the infamous red wax the Makers Mark company uses to seal their bottles and the calligraphy style label on the bottle. We were then given a second cocktail before speaking to the General Manger and Director of Sustainability for the company who spoke about their efforts as a company to increase their sustainability and limit waste. Then we were taken back to Bill’s wife’s “She-Shed” which resembled a mini cabin, and led through a tasting of 3 different samples with the Senior Manager for Innovation and Blending. As we prepared to leave, we were also given a piece of glassware made with recycled glass from Maker’s recycling program they have implemented.

Unfortunately, due to inclement weather and a power outage at my home I was not able to return to the hotel that night for the awards ceremony.

Saturday began just as Friday had, with a buffet breakfast, this time sponsored by Michters Whiskey, also with its own complimentary cocktail. After breakfast we heard from Alex Castle of Old Dominick Distillery who had apparently won during the awards last night about the importance of taking risks and taking that jump. I had not signed up for any excursions Saturday, instead opting for 2 workshops, the first being about Archaeology and studying bourbon history through the pieces left behind. We were led through this exploration by the official archivist for Sazerac brands and were able to view several artifacts from their E.H. Taylor collection and taste 6 different selections of liquors owned by the Sazerac company including Buffalo Trace, Stagg, and Weller. We then had lunch and a tasting led by Southern Spirits and were able to try their newest release before moving into another round of Sip and Survey where we were able to try 3 more expressions, including sponsor Mary Dowling Co.

My last workshop was a bourbon blending course led by Wenzel Whiskey. We were given 3 samples from 3 different selections of bourbon (one from KY, one from GA and one from LA) all with unique flavor profiles. We were encouraged to play around with them and mix them to find a blend that we enjoyed. This was done by using a pipette to fill up a 10ml graduated cylinder with various combinations. While we could not bottle anything during the workshop, we were given the opportunity to provide our mix and create our label and the distillery could ship the bottle to us. So after all that, do I think it is worth it? For the nonchalant bourbon drinker? Maybe not. But for myself and others who have a deep love and fascination of bourbon from every aspect including history, marketing, distillation and beyond, i

t was worth every moment. If I sat down and did the math, calculating up the cost of every pour, every item we were given as a gift of appreciation, and the travel and food, it was certainly worth the cost.