Make a list of your 10 favorite things. If you are anything like me, beer, bacon and bourbon probably made the cut.
Saturday night, presented at the Factory in Franklin by Acklen Park Productions, those three things combined for the first annual Beer, Bacon and Bourbon from 5 to 9 p.m.
The event featured 18 craft-brewed beers from around the country, 10 of the south’s best bourbons and a bunch of bacon hor d’oeuvres from Cool Cafe. Also there was a home brew competition with 13 home brewed beers competing for event-goers votes.
“We came up with this concept last year, and thought it would be an awesome night to pair three really cool things that a lot of people like,” Phil Goodman, of Acklen Park Productions, said. “One of the really cool components that came together was the home brew competition. The laws changed in Tennessee recently to allow them to serve in public, so this is one of the first of its kind.”
Acklen Park Productions put together the Music City Hot Air Balloon festival last year, and is organizing the upcoming Franklin Hot Air Balloon festival in May and Bramble in June.
Here is a video look from Beer, Bacon and Bourbon:
Home Brewing
The home brew beers, brought by teams from around middle Tennessee, were especially popular. The Clarksville Carboys brought an Irish Red, an IPA and a Juniper Porter. The Bad Ideas brought a Honey Date Saison (my favorite), a bourbon-barrel aged Coffee Stoudt and a Caramel Pecan Porter. Music City Brewers brought an Oktoberfest, a Strong Scotch Ale, a Schwarzbier, a beer called Journey Into Darkness, Outrage Brown Ale and a Rye Barrel.
“We get together because we all enjoy the process, make batches and share with each other,” said Nick Powell, president of Clarksville Carboys brewing club. “It is a fun hobby and when your talking about money its affordable for anyone to get into and there is a lot of satisfaction when you are making something that is better than anything you can buy.”
The Carboys are competing in the #homebrew competition of the Beer, Bacon, Bourbon festival. #beer #homebrewers pic.twitter.com/WPeEdZRcAF
— Clarksville Carboys (@CCBHomebrewing) March 6, 2016
Local Sponsors at BBB
Local sponsors of the event included Founding Fathers Brewery, which won a taste test with its Amber and Light beers, the Casual Pint, H Clark Distillery, Global Motorsports, and Jack Yocoubian Jewelers.
Heath Clark, H Clark Distillery, along with the bourbons that were part of the event, was sampling its gin and its new Tennessee Black and Tan whiskey.
“This is the first time in more than 100 years there has been a legal distillery in Williamson County, Tennessee,” Heath Clark said. “We have had a great response.”
Their whiskey was unlike anything I ever tasted. It was clear, for starters.
“We make it with oatmeal and malted chocolate, first basically starting with mash that resembles a Guinness and distill it, take it from 7 percent to 75 percent alcohol, then age it in oak but only for 17 months, so you get a very unique taste without the overwhelming oakiness.”
@hclarkdistillery | Beer Bacon & Bourbon! Need I say more? #allyouneed #beerbaconbourbon #thefactoryatfranklin #t… pic.twitter.com/vKIJSM68iH
— Franklin Factory (@factory_tn) March 6, 2016
Beers
American Pale Ales
Jackalope Thunder Ann Pale Ale, Nashville, TN
Green Flash 30th Street, san Diego, CA
American Double Pale Ale
Tallgrass 16 Bit, Manhanna, KS
American Blonde Ale
Mayday Boro Blonde, Murfreesboro, TN
American Brown Ale
Wise Acre Neon Brown, Memphis, TN
American IPA
Good People IPA, Birgmingham, AL
Founders All Day IPA, Grand Rapids, MI
Honky Tonk IPA, Nashville, TN
American Rye IPA
Terrapin Mosaic, Athens, GA
American Porter
Bell’s Porter, Kalamazoo, MI
American Stout
Turtle Anarchy Portly Stout, Nashville, TN
Wise Acre Gotta Get Up to Get Down, Memphis, TN
Belgian Ale
2nd Shift Hibiscus Wit, New Haven, MO
English Ale
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Lexington, KY
Green Man ESB, Asheville, NC
German Lager
Victory Prima Pilsner, Downingtown, PA
Scottish Ale
Calfkiller Smoky Treat, Sparta, TN
Cider
Roots Cider, Nashville, TN
Bourbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Bulleit 10Yr
Jeffersons 15Yr
Town Branch
High-Rye Bourbon
Four Roses Small Batch 100
Old Hickory Blended
High-Wheat Bourbon
Larceny
Makers Mark 46
Rock Town Ark Bourbon
Organic Bourbon
Koval
Oola Waitsburg
