Good mornin’, y’all!

There’s a lot to get to this week so let’s dive right into everything and anything you need to know to get your August off to a sudsy good time at Saturday’s Frazier Summer Beer Fest.

First off, tickets are going fast! If you want to secure full museum access with air conditioning, indoor bathrooms, a Kentucky Peerless Bourbon tasting, Bluegrass music, and a premium slate of VIP selections, I suggest you secure your tickets today. VIP options will likely be sold out by Saturday.

This year, Frazier Summer Beer Fest celebrates 250 years with 250 beers, three live bands, Kentucky brewers lined up and down Main Street, and that VIP experience inside unlike any other festival around. Yes, we’re amping up the entertainment and the number of beers for our general admission guests to taste.

We’ll have radio stars from SummitMedia in a dunking booth talking trash and giving away tickets to Bourbon & Beyond every half hour. Our live music features the great Bernie Lubbers inside previewing his upcoming Bourbon Through Bluegrass event and the Bourbonauts on the outdoor stage rocking Main Street. All the while Old Lou’s Ragtime Band will be walking the festival grounds delivering jazz, Dixieland, and swing. It’s always a toe-tappin’, knee-slappin’ good time!

Toss in outstanding Kentucky brewers like Against the Grain, Apocalypse Brew Works, Beeserker Meadery, Big Rock Bar & Brew, Butchertown Brewing, Country Boy Brewing, Falls City Brewing, Goshen Mercantile Brewing, Noble Funk Brewing, Sig Luscher Brewing, Trellis Brewing, West Sixth Brewing, and many more, and this promises to be a banger.

In today’s Frazier Weekly, Simon Meiners has all the logistic details—including parking, a shuttle from Derby City Gaming, food vendors, etc. Our outstanding sponsors are highlighted below, along with brewery artifacts, Cool Kentucky Shop merch, a Grateful Dead–inspired Beer Fest tee, and the annual Beer Fest edition of Sippin’ with Stephen, lightly rebranded as Sudsin’ with Stephen.

We’ll see you Saturday! Learn more and buy tickets here.

Please note: The museum will be closed Saturday, August 1, as we set up for our Beer Fest. We will reopen Sunday at 11 a.m.

This Week in the Museum

FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About 2026 Frazier Summer Beer Fest

We’re so excited to host our sixth annual Frazier Summer Beer Fest this Saturday, August 1! As one of the museum’s largest fundraisers, Frazier Summer Beer Fest financially supports lifelong learning through our exhibitions and educational programs.

If you’re interested in attending, you probably have questions. What beers will I get to try? Where do I park? Are there designated driver options? Can I wear a backpack? Can I volunteer? Can I walk up and buy a ticket?

Lucky for you, I’ve whipped up an FAQ—a list of answers to the Beer Fest questions we most frequently receive.

Learn more at fraziermuseum.org/beer-fest-faq.

I hope to see you Saturday! Word to the wise: snag your tickets before VIP sells out.

‍ Sudsin’ with Stephen: Goshen Mercantile Taproom with Joe Bowling

The Frazier Kentucky History Museum is a nonprofit that encompasses everything Kentucky. We are the state’s largest history museum! Proceeds from Frazier Summer Beer Fest ticket sales support lifelong learning through the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs, which allow us to fulfill our mission of igniting the human spirit. The Frazier shares the unique and diverse people, geography, and stories that make us Kentucky.

‍Today’s installment of Sippin’ with Stephen is my annual Frazier Summer Beer Fest episode. My guest is Joe Bowling, Managing Partner at Goshen Mercantile Taproom. Goshen Mercantile will be one of the local breweries that will be pouring their unique Kentucky expressions at the Frazier Summer Beer Fest on Saturday, August 1. Goshen Mercantile Taproom is a hidden treasure in Goshen, Oldham County, that needs to be experienced by all beer enthusiasts in the metro area.‍

Connecting Goshen’s potential to its rich past, the Goshen Mercantile Taproom embraces community, history, and locally owned small businesses. They focus on Kentucky-produced craft beer from smaller, independently owned breweries paired with a food menu sourced from local restaurants. But there’s something for everyone—wine, spirits, non-alcoholic, gluten-free, sodas, snacks . . . they’ve got it! The Goshen Mercantile Taproom is your local spot to watch the big game, meet with friends or coworkers, work remotely, whatever. Let them know if you’d like to host a private event or have an idea for regular public events. They’re working with partners at the Goshen Store Trading Post to provide new and exciting options while preserving Goshen’s traditional feel.

For more information on Goshen Taproom, visit goshentaproom.com. To purchase tickets to Frazier Summer Beer Fest, visit fraziermuseum.org/beer-fest.

I look forward to raising a tasting glass with all of our Beer Fest supporters on Saturday!

Cheers!‍

Collections Team to Display Louisville Beer Fest Artifacts Saturday

Bourbon distilling is the lifeblood of Louisville, or so the tourism, lore, and ad campaigns would have you think. However, you don’t have to look that hard to find just as many craft breweries and taprooms in almost every neighborhood in Louisville. But long before the first modern IPA was poured here in the craft brew boom, Louisville was already one of America’s great brewing cities. Names like Oertel’s, Falls City, and Fehr’s were woven into the fabric of the city’s industry, history, and everyday life. These breweries supplied generations of Kentuckians with beers that were part of family celebrations, neighborhood taverns, and events.

Step back into that remarkable era at this year’s Frazier Summer Beer Fest, where the exhibits team will table in the VIP area with a special display of historic brewery items from the museum’s collection that capture the spirit of Louisville’s golden age of brewing. Whether you’re a collector, a history enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates a cold beer and a good story, you’ll discover fascinating artifacts that have survived decades—and in some cases, more than a century.

From the proud heritage of Oertel’s Brewing Company to the enduring popularity of Falls City Beer and the beloved Fehr’s brands (voted best beer five years in a row from 1883 to 1887 at Louisville’s Southern Exposition), these iconic names evoke memories for many and offer exciting discoveries for first-time viewers. Each artifact provides a glimpse into an era when local breweries competed not only through the quality of their beer but also through imaginative advertising tchotchkes.

Whether you’re reliving fond memories, learning something new about Louisville’s brewing heritage, or simply admiring some pieces of history, our Beer Fest offers something for everyone. It’s an opportunity to see many of these items gathered in one place and to celebrate the breweries that helped put Louisville on the map as one of America’s early beer cities.

You may come for the beer festival—but you’ll leave with an appreciation for the rich brewing traditions that made Louisville famous (along with Bourbon). Raise a glass to the past and don’t miss this chance to experience history!

Old Lou’s Ragtime Band and the Bourbonauts to Play Beer Fest

You can’t have a proper street party without live music, and we’re excited to get people into the spirit of things with music on Main Street. Throughout the day, you’ll find horns and drums strolling and strutting through the crowd. That’s Old Lou’s Ragtime Band, treating you to a mix of Dixieland, ragtime, and second-line.

When the horns aren’t blowing, you’ll find the Bourbonauts at the main stage. This rock four-piece has been a mainstay of Louisville’s music scene for over a decade. Their good-time rock and roll will be a great pairing for all the other fun of Frazier Summer Beer Fest.

Whiskey Professor Bernie Lubbers to Perform for Beer Fest VIP

Musicians Bernie Lubbers and Steve Cooley lead a *Bourbon Through Bluegrass* tasting experience at the Frazier, July 16, 2025.

We’ve got great music both inside and outside at this year’s Frazier Summer Beer Fest.

Andy told you about the Bourbonauts and Old Lou’s Ragtime Band on the outside.

Now, for the inside, get ready for some toe tappin’ fun with the Whiskey Professor himself, Bernie Lubbers, in our Great Hall!

As Bernie likes to say, in the last year he traveled over 150,000 miles preaching and teaching the world about Bourbon and American whiskey.

He’ll be schoolin’ us in the best of ways on bluegrass and Bourbon with his unique style of fun and bluegrass music at both 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

And don’t forget Bernie and bluegrass legend Steve Cooley join forces for an amazing program on August 13 called Bourbon, Bluegrass & History in the Frazier Museum’s Brown-Forman Theatre. Click here to buy tickets for that.

Cool Kentucky Shop: Tie-Dyed Beer Fest Tee

Get ready for 2026 Frazier Summer Beer Fest with our Grateful Dead–inspired tie-dyed shirt! Pick yours up at the Cool Kentucky Shop at the Frazier. Best of all, every purchase supports the museum.

Cheers to our 2026 Frazier Summer Beer Fest Sponsors!

The sixth annual Frazier Summer Beer Fest would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Their commitment to the Frazier’s mission to inspire, engage, and educate by connecting Kentucky’s past with its present allows us to host a great celebration of Kentucky brews, America’s 250th birthday, and our shared history!

Their sponsorship means the Frazier can continue bringing Kentucky’s history to life through engaging exhibitions, educational programs, and experiences for visitors of all ages. As you toast with your friends new and old on Saturday, raise a glass to the sponsors whose generosity made this event possible and whose support extends far beyond Beer Fest.

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