Making Music and Whiskey: Check Out the Concert Lineups at These Distilleries

Few things in life go together better than whiskey and music. Some whiskey makers, most notably Blackened, even use music to enhance the liquid’s maturation process. In summertime and sometimes year-round, many distilleries add sparkle by hosting live music events, and their distillery spaces can often serve as natural concert venues, with refreshments available, of course! Here’s a brief selection of distilleries around the country that offer music on-site.

CONNECTICUT

Sono 1420

City: Norwalk
Type of Music: Acoustic
Admission: Free

Local bands are featured at the tasting room Friday nights in the distillery's Acoustic SoNo series. Admission is free and guests can order light bites, whiskey, craft cocktails, beer, and wine during the shows.

ILLINOIS

Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.

City: DeKalb
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Free

Whiskey Acres features bands, most of which play country, on most Saturdays and Sundays. Both whiskey and cocktails are available for purchase during the events, with grub provided by food trucks.

INDIANA

Hard Truth Distilling Co.

City: Nashville
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Varies

Hard Truth hosts its On the Rocks series on Fridays and Saturdays, May through November, weather permitting. The distillery also hosts live entertainment on Sundays in October and on holidays. Beverages and food are served, with a focus on bourbon and barbecue at this year’s series.

IOWA

Cedar Ridge Distillery

City: Swisher
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Varies

Cedar Ridge holds concerts year-round. There’s live music every Friday night from 6:00–9:00 p.m. inside the event center, and the occasional show on Sunday afternoons under a pergola out on the patio, all open to the public. The distillery also hosts some ticketed concerts throughout the year. Food and drink are available at all shows, which sometimes have a special menu.

KENTUCKY

Bardstown Bourbon Company

City: Bardstown
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Reservations recommended

Bardstown Bourbon Co. hosts eight concerts in its Summer Patio Series. Concerts take place every other Friday from May through August. Food and drink are available from Bardstown’s Kitchen & Bar, including whiskey flights and classic cocktails. Although reservations aren’t required, they are encouraged.

Castle & Key

City: Frankfort
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Ticketed

The Springhouse Music concert series from Castle & Key encompasses 10 shows between May 14th and September 24th, taking place on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month on the Springhouse lawn. Signature cocktails like bourbon Paper Trains and rye Old Fashioneds are available during the shows, alongside beer, wine, and other spirits. There are light bites available from local food trucks.

Jeptha Creed

City: Shelbyville
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Ticketed

Jammin’ at Jeptha is their yearly concert series, held at the Shelbyville distillery. The first concert this year will be held on June 21st, featuring actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael in The Bacon Brothers band. The distillery bar serves drinks and food at the events.

Log Still

City: New Haven
Type of Music: Rock & Roll and Country
Admission: Ticketed

Log Still holds its concerts on an outside stage known as The Amp. The current concert season runs until October, with the first show on May 16th. Though the tasting room is closed during concerts, cocktails can be purchased at bars on the concert grounds, and food trucks are on-site.

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston Harbor Distillery

City: Dorchester
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Ticketed

Boston Harbor Distillery hosts shows nearly every week (sometimes more than one) from blues, rock, jazz, folk, and R&B bands. Whis key cocktails are available, and food trucks are occasionally on-site.

MISSISSIPPI

Cathead Distillery

City: Jackson
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Ticketed and free options

This year’s Cathead Jam Festival will take place on June 6th and 7th with a lineup of nine bands, both local and national touring acts. Beyond the festival, live music is offered every Friday and Saturday night with no cost to attend.

NEW YORK

Great Jones Distilling Co.

City: New York
Type of Music: Jazz
Admission: Reservations required

Based in Manhattan, Great Jones offers a jazz brunch every Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendance requires one entrée and drink per person.

Iron Smoke Distillery

City: Fairport
Type of Music: Rock and Jam Bands
Admission: Cover charge

With musician Tommy Brunett at the helm, Iron Smoke Distillery has a solid music program. The Sideshow is an outdoor event space that hosts concerts year-round. The Watering Hole bar is open during these events, with cocktails available for purchase.

PENNSYLVANIA

Altered State Distillery

City: Erie
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Free

Altered State Distillery has a near-constant flow of live music events every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Open jam sessions take place on Thursdays, inviting guests to join in on the music-making. Every Sunday it offers a brunch with live music performances.

Iron City Distilling

City: Pittsburgh
Type of music: National acts
Admission: Ticketed

Situated on 42 acres along the scenic Allegheny River, Iron City Distilling and its companion Pittsburgh Brewing Co. host occasional summer outdoor shows with giant video screens, capable of hosting 10,000 concertgoers. Straight pours, cocktails, and beer are available, and food trucks will make sure you’re sated.

Manatawny Still Works

City: Pottstown
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Free

Manatawny has four tasting rooms spread across Pennsylvania, but most of the music happens at its Pottstown location. Here, free indoor music events are held regularly, right in front of the stills or inside the barrel room. Occasionally, DJs make an appearance at some events held in Manatawny’s other locations.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Firefly Distillery

City: North Charleston
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Ticketed

Firefly Distillery has two separate concert venues. The Back Porch is for smaller shows, hosting local musicians or DJs every weekend. For larger concerts, Firefly has The Field—a five-acre outdoor venue. Whiskey, beer, cocktails, mocktails, and food are available at shows held in both spaces.

TENNESSEE

Uncle Nearest

City: Shelbyville
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Free

Humble Baron, the longest bar in the world, opened at Uncle Nearest Distillery in 2023. Since then, it’s been hosting live music almost daily. Listen to R&B, country, rock, or jazz while chowing down on Tennessee staples and sipping cocktails and/or flights. First come, first served seating.

TEXAS

Iron Wolf Distillery

City: Spicewood
Type of Music: Country/Southern Rock/ Blues
Admission: Varies

Events take place nearly every weekend year-round, with free daytime concerts and night shows on the Freedom Stage, requiring tickets. Iron Wolf’s 15-acre ranch hosts local acts, tribute bands, and touring artists.

Garrison Brothers Distillery

City: Hye
Type of Music: Country and Rock
Admission: Free

Garrison Brothers Distillery hosts a year-round concert series called The Hye Note, currently booked through the end of December, with shows taking place on Fridays and Saturdays. Enjoy smoked meat dishes and savory bites alongside neat bourbon pours and cocktails.

Still Austin

City: Austin
Type of Music: Various
Admission: Free

From the distillery that brought you a bourbon called The Musician comes a concert venue that offers year-round performances. Still Austin also has a rotation of acts that perform on stage and in its whiskey garden regularly. Cool down with an iced Cold Fashioned or bourbon lemonade and grab a slice of pizza from the resident food truck.