Bourbon & BBQ Festival

Embrace the heat this summer with Bourbon & BBQ at Hard Truth!

Join us Saturday, July 18, as at least 15 teams take to the Hard Truth on the Rocks terraces to compete for top honors in this incredible barbecue competition.

A panel of judges will select winners in a series of categories and you, the spectators, will help select the top team for the People’s Choice awards.

Hard Truth will also be celebrating the release of two Barrel Finish Reserve whiskeys that day: Double Oaked Rye and a special Amburana-rested bourbon and rye blend.

And, while the teams work their meaty magic, Ariana & the Bourbon Britches and the Blue Ridge Boys will take the Hard Truth on the Rocks stage together to keep the crowd movin’ and groovin’.

Tickets start at $50 for general admission and include entry to the event, one food sample at each team’s station, an enamel pin and tastings of our new whiskey

Serious barbecue fans can up the ante with the $125 Charred Truth admission package, which also includes entry to the live fire Charred Truth competition, where teams will vie for a golden ticket to the 2026 World Food Championships.

Or, take it all the way to the top with a VIP package that adds an air-conditioned VIP lounge with included grazing boards and beverages, a bottle of Hard Truth Maple Bourbon Barbecue Sauce to take home, and samples of the new-release whiskeys.

See below for full details.