SPIRITS OF BLUEGRASS
A WHISKEY EXPERIENCE ROOTED IN CAROLINA TRADITION
Bluegrass & whiskey have always shared the same backroads.
At Earl Scruggs Music Festival, that tradition comes to life through Spirits of Bluegrass: a whiskey lodge celebrating Carolina distilling, Appalachian storytelling, live music, craft cocktails, curated tastings, and regional food pairings.
Presented in collaboration with The Bluegrass Situation, this immersive festival experience brings together distillers, makers, and fans for a weekend rooted in the flavors, stories, and traditions of the Carolinas.
From moonshine legends and mountain traditions to today’s craft distilling movement, Spirits of Bluegrass honors the people, stories, and spirits that helped shape the culture surrounding bluegrass music.
Must be 21+ with valid photo ID to participate.
SPIRITS OF BLUEGRASS TASTING PASS
Your whiskey journey starts with a
$25 Spirits of Bluegrass Tasting Pass.
This includes unlimited access to the Spirits of Bluegrass: including an indoor and air-conditioned area along with other covered outdoor areas, Cooks Mill Hi-Fi Lounge, Fireside chats, plus five spirit tasting tokens to redeem on tastings or food throughout the weekend in the Spirits of Bluegrass area.
Every Pass includes:
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One 21+ wristband for weekend-long lodge access
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Access to premium tasting pours, whiskey-forward cocktail menu, Fireside Chats, and Smoke & Spirits BBQ plates
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Five spirit tasting tokens to redeem for tastings and/ or food
Token Redemption:
1 - 2 tokens = Spirits pour
2 tokens = Smoke & Spirits BBQ Plate
Want to keep exploring?
Additional tasting tokens and Whiskey-forward cocktails will be available for purchase inside the lodge.
COOK'S MILL WHISKEY HI-FI LOUNGE
Sip handcrafted cocktails, discover your next favorite pour, and unwind with a vinyl listening experience presented by Citizen Vinyl.
For guests looking to linger a little longer, this upstairs loft offers a relaxed place to settle in, slow down, and enjoy the sounds and traditions that helped shape bluegrass music.
FEATURED DISTILLERIES
FIRESIDE CHATS
JOIN US FOR DAILY CHATS IN SPIRITS OF BLUEGRASS!
CAN YOU TASTE THE MOUNTAINS?
How Place Shapes
Southern Whiskey
FRIDAY, SEPT 4
2:00-2:40PM
Moderator: JK McKnight
Panelists: Cook’s Mill Whiskey, Jeff Irvin
(Director, Craft Beverage Institute
of the Southeast)
Can you taste a place? Southern whiskey is shaped by more than water, grain, climate and landscape — it also carries generations of regional tradition. From North Carolina family farms and hidden stills to today's craft distilling revival, makers and educators explore how geography, history and culture shape both the story and flavor of whiskey across the Blue Ridge and beyond.
PICKIN' YOUR POUR
A Guide to Southern Whiskey
SATURDAY, SEPT 5
2:00-2:40PM
Moderator: JK McKnight
Panelists: Cook’s Mill Whiskey,
Oaklore Distilling Company
Bourbon, rye, malt whiskey, moonshine, high proof, low proof, finished and unaged—where does a curious drinker begin? Southern makers offer a friendly, jargon-free guide to finding the flavors you enjoy, ordering confidently and appreciating whiskey without memorizing a rulebook.
HEAT, HILLS & HUMIDITY
How the South Ages Whiskey
SUNDAY, SEPT 6
2:00-2:40PM
Moderator: JK McKnight
Panelists: Cook’s Mill Whiskey,
Oaklore Distilling Company
Whiskey doesn't age the same everywhere. From Kentucky heat to Piedmont humidity and Blue Ridge elevation, makers explore how barrels, climate and time influence what's ultimately in your glass. This in-depth conversation also examines why the South remains America’s most recognizable whiskey-producing region, home to most of its most popular and widely exported brands.
STRINGS, SPIRITS & STORIES
Myths, Truths &
the Sound of Appalachia
FRIDAY, SEPT 4
4:00-4:40PM
Moderator: JK McKnight
Panelists: Jon Weisberger (GRAMMY and IBMA Award-winning songwriter; Chair, Mountain Home Records Board)
Bluegrass, old-time music and mountain spirits grew from the same communities, backroads and front porches—but the stories surrounding them have become a blend of history, folklore and popular mythology. Festival artists, historians and distillers explore how music and moonshine became intertwined, separating mountain truth from Hollywood legend while sharing the songs, places, people and rituals that shaped both traditions.
MUSIC, MOONSHINE
& WHISKEY TRIVIA
SATURDAY, SEPT 5
4:00-4:40PM
Moderator: JK McKnight
Put your knowledge to the test in a lively, audience-driven trivia showdown celebrating the sounds, stories and spirits of the South. From Earl Scruggs, bluegrass and Americana to North Carolina history, moonshine lore, whiskey traditions and a little pop culture, guests compete for prizes, bragging rights and festival glory in a fast-moving game designed for music fans and whiskey lovers alike.
WHISKEY 101
Ask the Experts
SUNDAY, SEPT 6
4:00-4:40PM
Moderator: JK McKnight
Panelists: Cook’s Mill Whiskey,
Oaklore Distilling Company
Bourbon vs. whiskey? Rye vs. wheat? Does age really matter? What’s the deal with proof? What makes a great whiskey cocktail? Should you add water or ice? Whiskey experts answer the questions drinkers actually want to ask in a fast-moving, audience-driven conversation designed for everyone from the whiskey curious to longtime connoisseurs.