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We catch up with Tracy and Barb Napolitano as they lay out the biggest upgrades to New Orleans Bourbon Festival, from a new self-contained downtown venue to a rooftop Grand Tasting with sweeping views of the city and the Mississippi River. We also dig into the dinners, ghost tours, VIP judging, seminar lineup, and the barrel picks that support charity while keeping the whole weekend easy to navigate on foot.

• new downtown venue that keeps tastings, seminars and hotels close
• rooftop Grand Tasting setup with a full outdoor atmosphere
• Britannia Theater seminar experience with comfortable seating and service
• French Quarter ghost tour ending at Oddfellows Rest Cemetery
• Dark Arts tasting in the cemetery as a true New Orleans twist
• VIP judging experience and what makes it special
• brand and distillery presence including Four Roses, Sazerac, Michter’s, WhistlePig, Barrel, Penelope, Proof and Wood, Old Carter and more
• why the festival prioritises passionate whiskey people over empty booth pours
• awards judged by real bourbon fans and everyday drinkers
• Friday and Saturday seminar schedule highlights including cigar pairings, women’s panel and next generation panel
• barrel pick reservations through the festival website with festival pickup only
• charity focus behind bottle sales and how proceeds are handled
• ticket timing for dinners and ghost tours plus remaining festival tickets

A bourbon festival can be big and still feel close knit, but only if the layout, the people, and the programming are built with intention. That’s why we sat down with Tracy and Barb Napolitano to get the real plan for this year’s New Orleans Bourbon Festival, including the biggest change yet: a brand-new downtown venue that keeps the weekend together and walkable.

We talk through what that actually means on the ground. The Grand Tasting moves fully outdoors to a rooftop overlooking the New Orleans skyline and the Mississippi River, while the seminar track shifts into the Britannia Theater for a true sit-back-and-learn experience with comfortable seating. We also hit the event schedule: VIP judging, brand dinners, late-night meetups, and the kind of after-parties that make New Orleans the perfect backdrop for a whiskey weekend.

Then we get into the line-up and why it matters. You’ll hear which distilleries, blenders, and personalities are coming, plus why this festival leans into independent and craft whiskey alongside heavy hitters like Four Roses and Sazerac. We also break down barrel pick reservations, the no-shipping rule, and how bottle proceeds support charity. And yes, we cover the ghost tour that ends with a Dark Arts tasting in a haunted cemetery, because New Orleans is going to New Orleans.

If you’re planning a bourbon festival trip, want the best bourbon seminars, or just love whiskey travel stories, this one is your blueprint. Subscribe, share this with your festival crew, and leave us a five-star review on Apple so more bourbon fans can find the show.

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