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 Proceeds Benefiting Family Meal Hospitality Trust FAQs and General Rules Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026 Time: 4-7 PM (Early Entry Hour: 3-4 PM) Place: The Oklahoma City Convention Center 100 Mick Cornett Dr. Oklahoma City, OK 73109 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 select limited edition and rare whiskies, available on a first come, first served basis (list to be added in August 2026!) 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. What is included with a Designated Driver (DD) Ticket? This ticket only gets you access to the room. It does not include a tasting glass or the ability to taste samples. This ticket is for anyone driving attendees, or if you’re looking to enjoy a day out with friends and family, but who do not wish to drink. DD ticket holders can enter with Early Entry time (3pm) or General Admission time (4pm). 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? Check out the brand list below! 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 food at the event? Yes! There will be food 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 of any kind, regardless of personal permits -No smoking in the venue BRAND LIST (UPDATED 8/20/26)….THIS LIST IS GROWING DAILY OFFICIAL COCKTAIL BARS Penelope Bourbon Backyard Experience Tullamore Dew Lemonade EARLY ENTRY POURS 15 STARS Platinum James E. Pepper 'Decanter' Barrel Proof Starlight Honey Reserve Barrell Craft Spirits - TBD Michter's 10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye Blue Note - Limited Product TBD Still Austin DRS Augusta KY Distillery - Buckner's 13 Sagamore Spirit - Limited Product TBD St. George Single Malt Whiskey - Lot Series Dark Arts - TBD Redwood Empire Hyperion - Limitless by Nature Penelope - TBD Clyde Mays Special Reserve 110pr Ben Holladay 8 Yr STANDARD POUR 15 STARS - First West Explorer 15 STARS - Kentucke County 12 Year 15 STARS - Kentucke County 6 year 15 STARS Private Stock 8 15 STARS Private Stock 15 Ben Hollady 6 Yr BiB Holladay Soft Red Wheat 6 Yr BiB Ben Holladay Rickhouse Proof Holladay Soft Red Wheat Rickhouse Proof Tullamore Dew Original Tullamore Dew Honey Glenfiddich 14 Glenfiddich 16 Balvenie 12 Balvenie 14 LUXCO - Penelope Four Grain LUXCO - Penelope Wheated LUXCO - Penelope Architect LUXCO - Penelope Toasted James E. Pepper '1776' Bourbon 100pf James E. Pepper '1776' Rye 100pf Old Pepper Bottled in Bond Bourbon Old Pepper Bottled in Bond Rye Redwood Empire Bourbon - The Pipe Dream Redwood Empire Rye - The Emerald Giant Redwood Empire Rye & Bourbon Blend - The Lost Monarch Redwood Empire Wheated Bourbon - The Colonel Armstrong Minden Mill Nevada Straight Bourbon Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Minden Mill American Single Malt Dark Arts Toasted Mizunara Bourbon Dark Arts French Oak Stave Finished Bourbon Dark Arts Barely Legal Bourbon Dark Arts Amburana Oak Stave Finished Rye 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 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 Barrell Craft Spirits - Foundation 5 Year Bourbon Barrell Craft Spirits - Batch Series (Batch 037) Barrell Craft Spirits - Seagrass Barrell Craft Spirits - Black or Red Label TBD 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 Silver Star Whiskey Silver Star Ranch Style Coffee Whiskey Silver Star 1849 Bourbon Silver Star Texas Honey Whiskey Blackland Bourbon Whiskey Blackland Rye Whiskey Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon Blackland Texpresso Whiskey Company Distilling Bourbon Whiskey w Maple Wood Finish Company Distilling TN Whiskey w Apple Wood Finish Company Distilling Rye Whiskey w Cherry Wood Finish Blue Note Juke Joint Blue Note Crossroads Blue Note Rye Whiskey Blue Note Uncut Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon Still Austin Cask Strength Rye Still Austin Single Barrel Bourbon Still Austin Single Barrel Rye Augusta KY Distillery - Old Route 8 Augusta KY Distillery - Buckner's 10 Augusta KY Distillery - Augusta Small Batch Augusta KY Distillery - Augusta Wheated Single Barrel Sagamore Spirit Small Batch Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Sagamore Spirit Cask Strength Ole Smoky Salty Caramel Whiskey Ole Smoky Blackberry Whiskey Ole Smoky TN Straight Bourbon Whiskey Ole Smoky Salty Watermelon Whiskey Natterjack Irish Whiskey Blend No. 1 Natterjack Irish Whiskey The Mistake Natterjack Irish Whiskey Cask Strength Horse Soldier Straight Bourbon Horse Soldier Small Batch Bourbon Horse Soldier Barrel Strength Bourbon St. George Spirits Baller American Single Malt Whiskey St. George Spirits Valley Gin St. George Spirits Nola Coffee Liqueur St. George Spirits Spiced Pear Liqueur Clyde Mays Alabama Style Whiskey Clyde Mays Straight Bourbon 92pr Clyde Mays Straight Rye El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum El Dorado 15 Year Old Rum El Dorado 21 Year Old Rum Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila Tanteo Blanco Tequila Tanteo Espero Tanteo Habanero Tequila