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 150 Bottles of Whiskey: $45/bottle x 150 bottles = $6,750 Cost of Trying 150 Whiskeys at Whiskey Riot = 1 Ticket Benefiting our Non-Profit Partners - The Foundation for Hope Village & Family Meal Hospitality Trust FAQs and General RulesDate: Saturday, May 16, 2026 Time: 4-7 PM (Early Entry Hour: 3-4 PM) Place: Freeman Expo Hall - Hall 2 3201 E. Houston St. San Antonio, TX 78219 How many whiskeys will be available to try? Over 150 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 (formerly known VIP tickets)? 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 by late-February!) The big emphasis on this ticket is an extra hour in the event without large crowds. What happened to VIP tickets? If you bought VIP tickets for previous years, you might wonder where those went. Good news! Early Entry is the new name for the previously known VIP tickets. The only thing that has changed is the name! The same things are included in the Early Entry ticket as was previously included in VIP; you'll receive access to the event 1 hour earlier than General Admission and have access to limited edition and rare whiskies that will not be available during the General Admission time. 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? Yes! All cocktails are sample sized. 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 sample per bar. Cocktail bars to be announced close to event, keep checking the brand list updates below! What brands will be attending? The final list will be evolving until April 2026, but we’ll 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. Can I bring my dog? No dogs allowed. We love pups, but please leave them home for this event. 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, knives or weapons, regardless of personal permits -No smoking in the venue BRAND LIST (UPDATED 3/23/26)….THIS LIST IS GROWING DAILY OFFICIAL COCKTAIL BARS Rebel Bourbon Cutty Sark - Scotch & Ginger Tullamore Dew Lemonade EARLY ENTRY POURS James E. Pepper 'Decanter' Barrel Proof Pursuit Spirits Triple Mash Bourbon and Rye (Barrel Proof) Starlight Honey Reserve Bending Branch 1840 Culinaria Private Barrel Bourbon Blend Michter's 10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye Balcones Cataleja Balcones Mirador Old Dominick Original Toddy Blue Note - Limited Product TBD Ampersand Opimus 15 Year Dark Arts Sweet n Sour Mash Honey Cask Finished Bourbon Jimmy Red Wheated Bourbon Whiskey Aged 7 Years Giant Texas Brandy STANDARD POURS James E. Pepper 'Decanter' Bourbon Barrel Proof James E. Pepper '1776' Bourbon 100pf James E. Pepper '1776' Rye 100pf Old Pepper Bottled in Bond Bourbon Pursuit United Triple Mash Bourbon (88 Proof) Pursuit United Triple Mash Rye (88Proof) Pursuit United Double Oaked Rye Pursuit United Double Oaked Bourbon Dingle Single Malt Irish Whiskey Hirsch - The Bivouac Arran 10 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Old Potrero 6 YR Nikka Coffey Grain Nikka FTB Starlight Blackberry Whiskey Starlight Peach Whiskey Starlight Carl T Bourbon Starlight Rickhouse Rye Bending Branch 1840 Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon ChickenDuck High Rye Bourbon ChickenDuck Wheated Bourbon ChickenDuck Four Grain Bourbon, Eclipse Edition Boondocks 6 Year Straight 750ml Boondocks 6 Year Port 750ml Tomintoul Caribbean Rum Cask 750ml Tomintoul Cigar Malt 750ml Glencadam American Oak Highlands 750ml Glencadam 10 YR Highlands 750ml Michter's US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye Michter's US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Michter's US*1 American Whiskey Michter's US*1 Sour Mash El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum El Dorado 15 Year Old Rum El Dorado 21 Year Old Rum Balcones Baby Blue Balcones Lineage Balcones Texas "1" Single Malt Balcones Rye Bottled-in-Bond Old Dominick Tennessee Whiskey - 85 Proof Old Dominick Bonded Tennessee Whiskey - 100 Proof Old Dominick Straight Bourbon - 90.1 Proof Old Dominick Cask Strength Bourbon Blackland Bourbon Whiskey Blackland Rye Whiskey Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon Blackland Texpresso Whiskey Blue Note Juke Joint Blue Note Crossroads Blue Note Rye Whiskey Blue Note Uncut Gambit No. 6 Ampersand Malus Ampersand Vinea Hooten Young Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Hooten Young Rye Whiskey Hooten Young x Jack Carr Warrior Proof American Whiskey Hooten Young Barrel Proof American Whiskey – 15 YR Dark Arts Toasted Mizunara Bourbon Dark Arts French Oak Stave Finished Bourbon Dark Arts Barely Legal Bourbon Dark Arts Amburana Oak Stave Finished Rye Natterjack Irish Whiskey Blend No. 1 Natterjack Irish Whiskey The Mistake Natterjack Irish Whiskey Cask Strength Ole Smoky Salty Caramel Whiskey Ole Smoky Blackberry Whiskey Ole Smoky TN Straight Bourbon Whiskey Ole Smoky Salty Watermelon Whiskey Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila Tanteo Blanco Tequila Tanteo Espero Tanteo Habanero Tequila Horse Soldier Straight Bourbon Horse Soldier Small Batch Bourbon Horse Soldier Barrel Strength Bourbon American Metal Whiskey (V8) American Metal The Knuckle American Metal The Disciple Jimmy Red Classic Bourbon Whiskey Jimmy Red Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Bond Jimmy Red Bourbon Whiskey Sherry Cask Finish Jimmy Red Bourbon Whiskey Double Oak Leiper's Fork Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey Leiper's Fork Bottled in Bond Bourbon Frey Ranch Bourbon Frey Ranch Bourbon Frey Ranch Uncut Giant Texas 100 Proof Rye Giant Texas 95 Proof Prideful Goat 6 Year Bourbon Prideful Goat 12 Year Glen Moray Heritage 12 Year Glen Moray Malt 15 Year Glen Moray Malt Classic Glen Moray Malt Classic Chardonnay Cask Glen Moray Malt Classic Port Cask Glen Moray Malt Classic Sherry Cask Glen Moray Malt Phoenix Rising Charred Oak Cutty Sark & Ginger RTD Cutty Sark 12 Yr Cutty Sark Original Cutty Sark Prohibition Tullamore Dew Original Tullamore Dew Honey Glenfiddich 14 Glenfiddich 16 Balvenie 12 Balvenie 14 Luxco - Rebel Portfolio