Recap and Highlights from Thursday, August 15, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

As a bourbon-loving woman, I have been looking forward to this event for several months. The notion of over 400 women coming together in Louisville, KY from August 15-18, 2024 to celebrate the only consumer-based, female-focused whiskey conference in the US is something to get excited about.!

SIPosium is often described as more than just an industry conference – it’s a gathering of kindred spirits, a time for connections, and a celebration of sisterhood. The magic of 400+ bourbon-loving women in one room is an experience like no other. It’s a weekend that promises to be the ultimate dream for any bourbon or whiskey-loving woman.

Check in at the Hyatt was a breeze. Once settled into our room, we headed to the Bourbon Women SIPosium check in. This was very organized and terrific swag bags were received.

Before we knew it, we needed to locate and board the bus. Our bus as “first time attendee” had Peggy Noe Stevens as our hostess. She gave us a warm welcome, shared a bit about the organization, of which she founded, and hints and tips for having a fabulous weekend.

It was a brief drive to Angel’s Envy and you could feel the excitement on the bus.

Mix & Mingle at Angel’s Envy

As the bus arrived, you could feel everyone getting ready to start the party. This opening event was a Mix & Mingle at Angel’s Envy. This was certainly not our first visit to Angel’s Envy but I can certainly attest that I have never seen it so a-buzz!

We were immediately greeted with a cocktail and invited to enjoy the appetizers toward the back of retail center. It was a very nice spread with something for everyone. The catering team kept everything replenished and attendees were enjoying the atmosphere. We met a very nice woman, Yolanda, from Chicago. This is also her first time attending and I learned that she is also a huge cigar fan.

Probably my favorite table of the evening! Featuring sample pours of Angel’s Envy Rye with an array of amazing chocolates by Art Eatables!

I tried the white chocolate angel’s wings as a pairing and it was very luscious and complimentary.

Next I sampled the dark chocolate with nutmeg. Oh my, that combination offered an amazing taste sensation as the nutmeg highlighted some of the rye spices.

We decided to head to the second floor as we knew that more activities awaited us there. Wow – there were MANY more people there! Two bar areas were open and making cocktails. We opted to try the “Swanky Style” – Angel’s Envy Port Finished Bourbon, Angel’s Envy Rum Finished Rye, Sweet Vermouth, and Fernet Branca.

There was a ring toss game where you could try to win a bottle of Angel’s Envy. In addition, people were enjoying a photo booth. We sat at a table and met many very nice people. One person asked if we had been to Dueling Grounds and we gave that a resounding yes! As it turns out, she was Anne Dottore! She and Marc own Dueling Grounds and I asked if she would be interested in interviewing with us at a later date. We will get that on the schedule for this Fall!

We were fortunate to acquire some of their cask strength bottled-in-bond in June and really enjoy it. A special room opened where we could enjoy samples. We also were able to meet Master Distiller, Owen Martin. It was a terrific conversation regarding the spirits, his journey, and life in general. We look forward to talking with him in the future and hopefully in an interview as we start up our YouTube channel.

That’s a Wrap for Day 1!

Wow! So much fun in just a few hours! Truly looking forward to what the first full day has to offer. The schedule looks terrific!

Until tomorrow –
Rebecca!

For more about the conference:
2024 Bourbon Women SIPosium Day 2
2024 Bourbon Women SIPosium Day 3