Whiskey Riot is a festival tour offering more than 200 whiskey samples, various seminars and opportunities to meet other whiskey lovers, brands and distillers.
Whiskey Riot has become a popular event in Dallas, selling out its tickets in past years.
“Previous Dallas Whiskey Riot events have been a blast,” said Lexi Osher, director of operations for Whiskey Riot. “We know our attendees love the opportunity to try whiskeys they might not otherwise have the opportunity to try, so diversity in brands is always a focus. This year, we're curating an even more diverse lineup of distillers. You’ll find not just American whiskey but everything in between, including Irish and Scotch.”
This year's event promises a wider variety of whiskies.
“Thanks to the addition of exciting new brands like Starlight, Pinhook, Compass Box and American Metal Whiskey, to name a few, alongside returning favorites like Balcones, Hard Truth, Highland Park and Bardstown, we're showcasing a wide range of styles, regions, and flavor profiles,” Osher said.
The first round of brands, announced on Jan. 10, includes local, regional, national and international names, including some North Texas whiskies brands like Lewisville-based BENDT Distilling Co. and Fort Worth-based Blackland Distillery.
Other returning Texas brands and distilleries include Milam & Greene Whiskey Distillery from Blanco; its Unabridged Cask Strength Bourbon will be one of the early entry ticket pours. The standard pours selection from Texas include Iron Wolf Ranch and Distillery in Spicewood, Giant Bourbon spirits from Giant Texas Distillers in Houston, Ironroot Republic Distilling in Denison, Coastline spirits from Texas Tail Distillery in Galveston and Austin Craft Spirits Co. in Austin.
The other already announced spirits hail from out-of-state, with a big selection coming from Kentucky like Bardstown Bourbon Company and Green River Distilling Co. The remaining list of whiskies will be announced by February. Whiskey lovers can search for their favorite brands ahead of time from the list of historic participating brands on the brand partners page of the Whiskey Riot website.
Local brands (and local artists, apparently) will be at the event, in addition to some bottles from Scotland and Ireland.
Kathy Tran
How it Works
During the event, each guest will receive a booklet of tear-out tickets that can be used to redeem cocktails at different branded bars. Two ticket options are available for the Dallas Whiskey Riot. The $90 general admission ticket (for 4–7 p.m.) gets you a taste of all featured whiskies at the event, along with a whiskey cocktail from certain brands and a keepsake tasting glass.
The $120 early entry admission ticket includes all the standard perks plus an exclusive tasting hour (3–4 p.m.) before the general event start time, with premium access to every whiskey brand and cocktail bar available. Early entry ticket holders will also have special access to rare and limited-edition whiskies that won’t be available during the general admission time.
The selection of exceptional whiskies brought together in one place makes this event a unique, enticing experience for whiskey connoisseurs.
