5th Annual Winter Bourbon Fest Returning To Bay Shore

BAY SHORE, NY - Bourbon lovers rejoice!

The 5th Winter Bourbon Festival will be returning to Bay Shore next month.

Whiskeys and bourbon barrel aged craft beers are on tap for the 2018 Winter Bourbon Festival taking place on

The event will take place on Saturday, February 24, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at T.J. Finley’s on 42 E. Main Street.

“The Winter Bourbon Festival is one of our favorite events of the year," Drew Dvorkin, owner of event host, T.J. Finley’s said. "Enthusiasts from all over Long Island, Queens, and New York City gather to enjoy an eclectic variety of whiskey and barrel aged beer. It's great to spend a winter afternoon—sipping amazing whiskey, enjoying a hand-rolled cigar, and eating barbeque food with friends—all while supporting a worthwhile cause."

Tickets are on sale now, a limited number of tickets are available. For event information and to purchase tickets, visit www.winterbourbonfestival.com.

For $95, guests can enjoy unlimited samples of more than 30 whiskies and over 30 craft beers. Tickets also come with unlimited barbecue and a commemorated glass. The first 100 guests will receive a bonus "swag gift."

Festival goers will also be able to learn the art of mixing the season's most popular cocktails—the Boulevardier and the Manhattan. Brand ambassadors from Buffalo Trace will be on site to teach, preach, and provide samples of these specialty cocktails.

Sales of American whiskey rose 7.7 percent in 2016, outpacing the entire spirits industry.

The growth in sales of American whiskeys — which include bourbon, rye and Tennessee whiskey — was led by millennials’ interest in the spirit, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

“What we’ve found is that people are interested in learning more about whiskey,” Dvorkin said. “People drink seasonally. Starting in the fall, and continuing through the winter, people do a good deal of exploring and experimenting with different whiskies and whiskey cocktails. They ask questions and taste-test to find their favorites.”

The event will help raise funds for Gavin’s Got Heart, a local 501c3 charity with a mission to educate people about congenital heart defect (CHD) while offering support to families with children affected by CHD.

Back by popular demand is local cigar purveyor, Village Cigar Headquarters (locations in both Babylon and Patchogue) who will be selling hand-rolled cigars as well as cigars with tobacco that has been soaked and aged in Tennessee whiskey barrels.

Photo: Facebook.com/Tj Finley's‎