Event Sponsor - Kentucky Eagle
Kentucky Eagle
During the Great Depression, OA Bakhaus took a risk and relocated his family from Oklahoma to Lexington, Kentucky to make a better life. He worked tirelessly, acquiring several businesses, including the purchase of Bennie Robinson, Inc in 1948 – the one that would become Kentucky Eagle. A lot has changed since then. Beers have come and gone; the business has grown in size and scope. Second-generation leader Ann Bakhaus took the company from an exclusive Anheuser-Busch distributor to a total beverage distributor. What hasn’t changed is the will to go above and beyond every day. Excellence in all we do. Connection to our community.
Today, Mr. Bakhaus’ legacy is carried on, through the third generation of leadership and the work of the entire Kentucky Eagle team. From our 190,000 square foot, LEED-certified facility, we distribute beer to central and southern Kentucky, and wine and spirits statewide.
Our Purpose
We deliver good times by distributing beer, wine, spirits, and beer cheese to your favorite outlets, assuring quality control through our product knowledge. With a strong family legacy and dedicated family of employees, we push ourselves to succeed every damn day.
Our Vision
We are leading Kentucky Eagle into a new era of innovation. We intend to be the most forward-looking distributor in our industry, constantly challenging the status quo.
Barrel Pick Sponsor
10th Mountain Whiskey
The patriotic men of the 10th brought diversity, courage, and hope to the Rocky Mountains when they arrived in the 1940s to train just a few miles south of what is now Vail.
They were part of the greatest generation of men, wanting to make each day count and each day better than the last. The mentality they had was strong after being shaped from the rigors of mountain warfare, their egos humble.
Camp Hale, the legendary home of the 10th Mountain Division, was constructed in 1942, located 22 miles west of Vail between Leadville and Minturn in the Pando Valley. The initial population of Camp Hale included 15,000 soldiers, 3,000 administrative, medical, and other non-skiing staff, 5,000 mules, and 200 dogs.
In January of 1945, the 10th deployed to Italy’s Apennines Mountains, where they would battle the German army for the next two and a half months. On May 2, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies in Florence, Italy, ending the 10th’s Italian Campaign.
After World War 2, many of the 10th Mountain Division warriors came home to the USA and continued skiing. The 10th Mountain Division veterans started many of the US ski areas we now love. At least 62 ski resorts have been founded and managed by former 10th Mountain Division veterans.
The tradition of excellence established by the original 10th Mountain Division continues with today’s 10th Mountain Division Light Infantry (LI). Now based at Ft. Drum in Watertown, New York, the 10th Mountain Division LI has the distinction of being the most deployed military unit when a humanitarian, natural disaster, or conflict arises in the world.
The 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Company is an extension of the mountain lifestyle, bringing together the old with the new. Generation after generation, men and women alike, all share this same passion, enjoying it for a day, a weekend, a lifetime, or somewhere in between. No matter how long it’s embraced the combination of friends, mountains, memories, and spirits, brings people together like no other.
To encourage these relationships, to embrace the mountain lifestyle, and to honor the 10th Mountain soldiers who inspired our way of life, we created a tribute spirit company in Vail Colorado. Not only is it a tribute to the 10th Mountain soldier, but it is also a tribute to those that enjoy the mountain lifestyle, living it fully, every day.
Event Hosts
Bourbon With Friends Podcast
Bourbon With Friends Podcast is a self-funded podcast heard in 76 countries around the world, featuring numerous celebrity guests such as Sam Heughan, Ian Somerhalder, Graham McTavish, Michael Ray, Jefferson White, and Terry Bradshaw. We have also recently founded "With Friends Media Group" to encourage more people to get into podcasting and new shows include "Outlander With Friends" which debuted as one of the top 50 TV podcasts on Apple.
Our podcast has a strong focus on philanthropy and giving back to the community, having donated over $50,000 since January 2022. The 2022 Ball raised over $30,000 for Folds of Honor and we are expecting this year's event to be even bigger and better.
Co-Hosts Paul & Connor will be leading the 2023 Bourbon Ball and are very excited to bring this event to the local community to support our great veterans and their families!
Live Concert
Thomas Fountain & Band
Thomas Fountain was born and raised in the mountains of North Georgia and that way of life is reflected in his songs. The music that has influenced him as a singer/songwriter is well rooted in the past. However, he has taken that vintage edge and blended it with a distinct modern sound to make what he refers to as, “Solid Mountain Country”. His classy look, smooth vocals, and genuine style is what gravitate people, pull them in, and make them fans for life. Thomas’ fans are treated like friends and family and he wants to make sure every one of them enjoy the ride. His first single “FLOAT” from the debut self-titled EP, was played in rotation on various terrestrial and digital radio outlets across America.
Thomas is fresh off the release of his 2nd EP titled “Mountain Climber”, and was featured on NBC’s lifestyle show, Atlanta and Company and Today In Nashville to support the EP. Singles like “Break My Heart”, “Mountain Climber”, and “Window Pane” show the versatility of Thomas as a songwriter. All three singles garnered massive amounts of media within the industry and saw play on large market stations 94.9 The Bull, New Country 101.5, and 96.5 The Bull, all Iheart stations. The music video for his upbeat and fun sing along single “It Don’t Matter” released in 2021, premiered on CMT.com. Being a Georgia native, Thomas is consistently selling out shows in the Atlanta area and his fan base is quickly expanding around the southeast and beyond.
Thomas has shared the stage with acts like Chris Stapleton, Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler, LoCash, Brett Young, and Riley Green to name a few. He is putting his own mark on the country music world doing things the only way he knows how, with honesty. Fountain says “I want my songs and lyrics to make people feel something. Not just now but years from now”. It seems to be working as Thomas’ fan base continues to grow rapidly. It’s only a matter of time before everyone knows who Thomas Fountain is.
