Whiskey Riot: A Festival of Whiskeys The world of whiskey is vast; diving in can be daunting. Our festival offers samplings of hundreds of whiskeys, seminars and fantastic conversations with whiskey lovers, distillers, brand founders and more to arm you with the tools you need to become a whiskey expert. And, oh, yeah... you'll have one hell of a time. WHO IS WHISKEY RIOT FOR? The Whiskey Lover, the Whiskey Curious, the Whiskey Enthusiast, the Whiskey Aficionado, the Whiskey Rookie. All are welcome! WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND? Discovering new whiskeys can be an expensive exploration. Signage in a liquor store and the details on a bottle’s label will only tell you so much. How do you know you’re going to take home something you love? There’s no better way to find your new favorite drink than side-by-side comparison tasting. Whiskey Riot is a large format tasting event complete with brand representatives who can answer questions, explain the nuances of what your tasting and leave you feeling armed with more whiskey knowledge. Taste hundreds of bottles without buying hundreds of bottles. Estimated Cost of 200 Bottles of Whiskey: $45/bottle x 200 bottles = $9,000 Cost of Trying 200 Whiskeys at Whiskey Riot = 1 Ticket Benefiting the Family Meal Hospitality Trust, a 501(c)(3) organization FAQs and General Rules Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025 Time: 4-7 PM (Early Entry Hour: 3-4 PM) Place: The Expo Center at Jacksonville Fairgrounds 510 Fairground Pl Jacksonville, FL 32202 How many whiskeys will be available to try? Over 200 varieties! What’s included in a General Admission (GA) Ticket? General Admission ticket holders will receive a branded rocks tasting glass and be given full range of the venue to taste whichever whiskeys they desire. Sorting through this many whiskeys would require a prohibitively expensive investment in bottles were a whiskey explorer to pursue a tasting this vast on their own. The GA ticket provides a pathway to finding your new favorite whiskey without breaking the bank. What’s included in an Early Entry Ticket? Early Entry ticket holders (formerly known as VIP in years past) will receive access to the event 1 hour earlier than General Admission entry. They’ll receive all of the same benefits of the General Admission ticket, which include a branded tasting glass, full range of the venue to taste whichever whiskeys they desire and access to limited edition and rare whiskies that will not be available during the General Admission time (list to be added in February!) The big emphasis on this ticket is an extra hour in the event without large crowds. Will there be Designated Driver (DD) Tickets available? Due to limited capacity, there are no DD tickets offered for the event. Please be responsible and coordinate a ride using a ride share service or friend/family member. Can I trade up to an Early Entry Ticket within the event? Unfortunately, no. We have limited supplies for the ticket tiers and don’t have the flexibility to add the necessary resources during the event. If you've purchased a GA ticket and wish to upgrade to Early Entry before the event, please reach out to TIXR customer support who may be able to assist. Purchasing an upgrade will be dependent on Early Entry ticket availability. Are samples free? Once you have your ticket for admission and enter the venue, you will not be charged for any whiskey tasting. Are cocktails free? Each guest will receive 1 ticket for each of the specialty cocktail branded sample bars (3-5 cocktail samples per event). Don’t think of a traditional bar where you walk up and tell the bartender what you’d like. The cocktail bars are hosted by showcasing brands and typically offer just one specialty cocktail per bar. Each attendee will have one redemption ticket for each of the cocktail bars. This redemption method is only used for the cocktail bars and not for the general sampling of whiskeys (it’s rooted in an effort to make sure that showcasing brands have enough inventory for everyone). What brands will be attending? The final list will be evolving until April 2025. Scroll down to find a sneak peek of participating brands (UPDATED WEEKLY - STAY TUNED FOR MANY MORE!). We’ll also be posting updates on our website, the TIXR page and social media regularly as new brands hop on board. In the meantime, check out our list of historic participating brands on our website. Is the event for people 21 and over? Yes. If a person is under 21 years old and tries to enter the event with a ticket they purchased online or one that was provided to them, they will not be granted entry and the purchaser will not receive a refund for the ticket. You must be 21 years of age or older to enter this event and no exceptions to the rule will be made. Do I have to buy anything when I’m in the event? No! All whiskey samples are included with purchase of admission. Complimentary water bottles will be available in the event! Can I purchase merchandise or food at the event? Yes! There will be food and merchandise on site for purchase. Is there security? There will be security present at the event and they are tasked with keeping the evening civilized and safe. Please be courteous, respectful and kind to others and keep in mind that everyone is coming together to have fun and positive experience. Strong Suggestions for a Safe and Enjoyable Time: -Eat a hearty meal beforehand! There's nothing worse than being hungry, and while we'll have snacks on hand and food for purchase, we encourage you to eat before the event. -Use the spit buckets. Seriously. You’re doing a tasting and should pace yourself! There’s no pressure to drink everything you’re trying. The brand representatives who will be present expect you to spit out their products after trying and won’t be offended if you do! It may seem silly or impolite, but it’s how the whiskey world works. This is sage advice. -Rinse out your glass between whiskeys! You don’t want a new bourbon to taste like the last smokey Islay scotch you tried! -Do not pre-game the event. Fight any social temptation you may have to do so. Your evening will be so much more enjoyable if you just wait for the event to start imbibing. -There’s going to be a rush at the beginning of the event as people get in and spread throughout the venue. It may seem like you won’t have enough time to try everything you want, but we promise that you will. No need to rush, be pushy or drink quickly. You will have time to explore everything! -Please coordinate a ride home from a ride share service or friend/family member. Hard Rules (Break them and you’re out): -No violence or aggressive behavior -No firearms or weapons, regardless of personal permits -No smoking in the venue BRAND LIST (UPDATED 1/25/25)….THIS LIST IS GROWING DAILY FIRST POUR & GLASSWARE: Hard Truth Distilling Co. featuring first pour of Hard Truth Sweet Mash OFFICIAL COCKTAIL BARS Bardstown Origin Series Bottled-in-Bond featured in “Whiskey Wedge” cocktail Green River Bourbon featured in “Stillhouse Smash” cocktail Cutty Sark cocktail TBD EARLY ENTRY POURS Milam & Greene Unabridged Cask Strength Bourbon Keeper's Heart 10 Year Old Irish Single Malt Compass Box Hedonism Limited Edition 2025 Balblair 15 Sui Generis Split Charisma Iron Smoke Double Oaked Balcones Cataleja Texas Single Malt Whisky RD1 10-year Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished With Brazilian Amburana Wood Sagamore Manhattan Finish Henry McKenna 10yr Bottle-In-Bond Single Barrel Five Trail Blended American Whiskey Barrel Proof Blend #003 Hard Truth Sweet Mash Reserve Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Barrell New Year Bourbon 2025 Old Elk Cigar Cut Island Blend Blue Note Special Reserve Slow & Low 6YR Old-Fashioned Glen Scotia Campbeltown Single Malt Victoriana STANDARD POUR Milam & Greene Triple Cask Bourbon Milam & Greene Port Cask Finished Rye Milam & Greene Bottled in Bond Bourbon Milam & Greene Very Small Batch Bourbon Von Payne Black Whiskey Keeper's Heart Irish + American Whiskey Keeper's Heart Irish + Bourbon Whiskey Keeper's Heart Irish + American 110 Proof Whiskey Keeper's Heart Irish + Bourbon Cask Strength Whiskey St. George Single Malt Whiskey St. George Baller Whiskey St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur St. George NOLA Coffee Bear Fight Kentucky Reserve Bourbon Bear Fight American Single Malt Whiskey Numbskull Flavored Whiskey Creek Water American Whiskey Creek Water Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey Compass Box Orchard House Compass Box Peat Monster Compass Box Nectarosity Compass Box Crimson Casks Nikka Whisky from the Barrel Hirsch The Horizon Writers’ Tears Double Oak Arran 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky August Distillery Old Route 8 Augusta Distillery Buckner's 10 Tomintoul Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Tomintoul Cigar Malt Glencadam 10 Yr Glencadam 13 Yr Sui Generis Siren Song Sui Generis Squanto's Secret Sui Generis Conquistador Sui Generis Orchard Buzz Oak & Iron Bourbon Whiskey Oak & Iron Rye Whiskey Florida Cane Red Drum Bourbon Whiskey Iron Smoke Straight Bourbon Iron Smoke Casket Strength Rattlesnake Rosie's Apple Pie Whiskey Rattlesnake Rosie's Maple Bacon Bourbon Redwood Empire TBD Burnt Church Distillery Anita's Choice Bourbon Burnt Church Distillery Palmer's Stretch Rye Whiskey Burnt Church Distillery Bluffton Whiskey Burnt Church Distillery Johnny Fever Bourbon Bardstown Origin Series Bourbon Bardstown Origin Series Bottled-in-Bond Bardstown Origin Series Rye Bardstown Origin Series High Wheat Green River Bourbon Green River Wheated Green River Rye Green River Full Proof Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt Whisky Balcones Texas 1 Single Malt Whisky Balcones Baby Blue Straight CornWhiskey Balcones Texas Rye Bottled in Bond Nomad Outland Sherry Cask Nomad Outland Single Malt(Irish) Nomad 10yr Reserve RD1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon RD1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished With French Oak RD1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished With Brazilian Amburana Wood RD1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Double Finished In Oak and Maple Barrels Caribbean Moonshine Cat 5 Coconut Caribbean Moonshine PB&C Cannonball Caribbean Moonshine Banana Breeze Caribbean Moonshine Marmalade Mayhem 1650 Premium Spiced Rum McTavish The Warchief Sagamore Small Batch Rye Sagamore Double Oak Rye Sagamore Cask Strength Rye Busker Single Pot Baby Jane Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Heaven Hill 7yr Bottled- In- Bond Widow Jane 10yr Copper Collar Bourbon Horse Soldier Bourbon Straight Bourbon Whiskey Horse Soldier Bourbon Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Horse Soldier Bourbon Barrel Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey James E. Pepper 'Decanter' KY Straight Bourbon James E. Pepper '1776' Straight Rye James E. Pepper '1776' Straight Bourbon Blackland Bourbon Whiskey Blackland Rye Whiskey Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon Blackland Texpresso Whiskey Barmen 1873 Bourbon Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Blue Run Bourbon (limited time offering) TBD Blue Run Emerald Rye Whiskey Natterjack Irish Whiskey Blend No. 1 Natterjack Irish Whiskey The Mistake Natterjack Cask Strength Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Hard Truth High Road Rye Hard Truth Sweet Mash Bourbon Hard Truth Sweet Mash Wheated Bourbon Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Mark and Digger's Mountain Legacy Corn Whiskey Mark and Digger's Rye Apple Moonshine Mark Rogers' American Peach Moonshine Duke & Dame Whiskey Seelbach's Private Reserve Toasted French Oak & Maple Seelbach's Private Reserve 10-Year Unfinished Cask Strength Seelbach's Private Reserve 10-Year Double Oaked Seelbach's Private Reserve 15-Year Unfinished Cask Strength Barrell Foundation Double Barrel Bourbon Barrell Foundation Bourbon Barrell Seagrass Barrell Bourbon Batch 036 Ole Smoky Bourbon - Pours TBD Cutty Sark Whisky Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition Cutty Sark 12 Year Cutty Sark Scotch & Ginger RTD Old Elk Double Wheat Old Elk Four Grain Old Elk Wheat N Rye Old Elk Cognac Finished Wheat Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Woodinville 100% Rye Whiskey Woodinville Port-finished Whiskey Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve Glenmorangie Original 12 Years Old Blue Note Juke Joint Blue Note Crossroads Blue Note Uncut Blue Note Rye Leiper's Fork Bottle in Bond Tennessee Whiskey Leiper's Fork Bottle in Bond Bourbon Breckenridge Bourbon Breckenridge High Proof Breckenridge Port Cask Finished Breckenridge PX Cask Finished Slow & Low Old-Fashioned Slow & Low Coffee Old-Fashioned Loch Lomond Single Malt Original Loch Lomond Single Malt 12 Year Loch Lomond Single Malt 18 Year Loch Lomond The Open Special Edition 2023 Rioja Finish MANY MORE TBA! **Disclaimer** Please note that the list of whiskey products provided in advance is subject to change without prior notice. For a number of reasons, including last minute changes in the availability of certain products or brand-specific staff members at time of the event, substitutions of products may result. Regardless of any adjustments, we promise that the product trial experience at Whiskey Riot will be extraordinary and feature a diverse selection of whiskeys from brands that embody the spirit of craftsmanship celebrated by Whiskey Riot.