Text graphic with the words "Bourbon & Belonging" in white lettering on a black background.

october 1-4, 2026

presented by

The Queer Kentucky logo.

Kentucky’s Only LGBTQ Newsroom

enjoy kentucky’s bourbon culture in a safe, welcoming, and inviting way.

GLAAD-nominated independent newsroom Queer Kentucky is proud to introduce the third annual “Bourbon & Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week”, the only LGBTQ+ inclusive Bourbon week in the country. This year’s Bourbon & Belonging will take place October 1-4, 2026 all across Kentucky. Thanks to support from our tourism partners in Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, and Paducah, this will be the premier event for LGBTQ+ consumers from Kentucky and beyond. Want to make sure you don’t miss a moment? Be sure to join our mailing list!

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Kentucky’s biggest Bourbon brands

From exclusive tastings, tours, and classes, to panels, and more, we invite you to experience the best of the Bourbon world in exclusive experiences designed for our community.

and True Kentucky Hospitality

Explore the Bluegrass State and see all of the beauty that Kentucky has to offer.

Events in Louisville, Lexington, Northern Kentucky, and Paducah allow visitors to experience all corners of the state.

Participating brands

  • Logo for Old Chattanooga's Limited Production American Whiskeys featuring an image of a distilling kettle.
  • Old Forester logo with the tagline "Never Gets Old"
  • Logo for New Riff Distilling with a stylized letter R and the words 'New Riff Distilling' in white on a black background.
  • A sunset over a mountain range with silhouettes of trees.
  • Text logo reading 'ANGELS ENVY' in stylized brown font on a white background.
  • Hotel Covington logo featuring a stylized monogram with the letters H and C.
  • Jefferson's Bourbon logo in black and white with elegant font.

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Our Sponsors

  • Old Forester logo with the text 'Never Gets Old' underneath.
  • Logo for Duckacher's Limited Production American Whiskeys featuring a black and white illustration of a distillation pot, with text curved around it.
  • Louisville logo with a stylized fleur-de-lis in the center and text 'Louisville' and 'Est. 1778'.
  • Blue horse artwork above the text "VISIT LEX" in black and blue letters.
  • Logo for Northern Kentucky CVB featuring the words meet nky with a stylized wave and colorful letters n, k, y.
  • Graphic with the word "PADUCAH" in large navy blue letters, wavy lines in blue and green below, and the phrase "The city of many ways" in smaller navy blue text.
  • Dinsmore logo in brown and blue text with a stylized 'A' in 'môre'.
  • Circular logo of Kentucky Distillers' Association with black background, beige text, and design elements including wheat, a Kentucky state outline, and the text 'EST 1880'.
  • The word 'PASSPORT' in large black letters with smaller colorful words underneath: travel, culture, style, adventure, romance.