Chicago, New Orleans, Miami, Las Vegas: They each have whiskey festivals that draw in thousands of people and brands from all over the world. But what about small-town America? What about Galena, Illinois?
Galena is about 13 miles east of the Mississippi River in the extreme northwest corner of the state. A former mining town, its most famous resident was President Ulysses Grant, and many buildings and businesses still bear his name. It has a bustling downtown, a handful of wineries and breweries, and a single distillery: Blaum Bros. Distilling Co.
Co-founders Mike and Matt Blaum have been making whiskey for a decade. Along the way, the Blaums have amassed a cult following with their sourced “Knotter” (pronounced Not Our) Bourbon while waiting on their own distillate to mature. Their spirits portfolio includes a variety of whiskeys, including bourbon, rye, and American single malt, along with rums, gins, and vodkas. Blaum Bros. also sponsors Galena Whiskey Weekend, its annual whiskey festival at the historic 1874 Turner Hall. This past March was the fifth anniversary of the festival.
So how did such an off-the-beaten path location come to host a major whiskey festival?
It helps that Galena is a year-round tourist destination — which means it isn’t actually so far off the beaten path at all. This cozy town of 3,500 residents hosts about 1.7 million visitors annually. And from what I experienced attending both sessions of Galena Whiskey Weekend, there were plenty of folks from out of town and neighboring states. I spent the first session simply observing and chatting with attendees and brand representatives. Despite a crowded, frequently shoulder-to-shoulder atmosphere, everyone seemed happy. Still, I wondered: Why would Blaum Bros. create and sponsor a whiskey festival highlighting their competition?
All About the Whiskey Drinkers
Mike and Matt freely admit that Galena Whiskey Weekend wasn’t an original idea. It began as Wine Lovers Weekend, which, as you can imagine, had nothing to do with whiskey. The three-session wine-tasting event was regularly held in Turner Hall, with the backing of the local wineries and Family Beer & Liquor, the region’s largest wine and liquor store.
The Blaums were interested in doing something similar with whiskey. Instead of reinventing the wheel, the Blaums worked with the organizers of Wine Lovers Weekend, and whiskey was soon a part of it. Mike and Matt bought out the two Wine Lovers Weekend partners and continued working with Family Beer. Eventually, Wine Lovers Weekend became the Galena Whiskey Weekend, and the rest is history.
“We had been to many different whiskey events, so we wanted this one to be ‘better’ than the others ones we went to,” says Matt Blaum. “We decided to keep it to high-end and regional whiskeys. Our aim was to have bottles that other events didn’t have. We wanted the whiskey fans to be able to try things they likely wouldn’t be able to try otherwise.”
“Ultimately, the event was less about us and more about the whiskey drinkers. Bringing in competitors wasn’t really a concern of ours. We just wanted to have a top-level whiskey event,” he says.
Bob Windy and Jeff Yosowitz, the owners of Star Union Spirits from Peru, Illinois, participated in this year’s Weekend for the first time. Bob and Jeff were pouring three corn whiskeys: one aged in apple brandy barrels, another in cherry brandy barrels, and a third in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, along with two light whiskeys, a rye, and a unique rum and rye. I asked them why they decided to participate in a small-town whiskey festival, especially when their competition was responsible for the event.
“Blaum Bros. and Star Union Spirits are invested in their communities. There is almost an implied need to participate, and it gives us an opportunity to reach new audiences,” said Windy. “There are plenty of advantages to coming to an event like Galena Whiskey Weekend. The people you see here, they’re into discovering new, local distilleries, and we’re here to introduce them to ours.”
I also met with Dominic DiBenedetto, the Illinois sales manager for Hard Truth Distilling Co. of Nashville, Indiana, who was pouring the brand’s Sweet Mash four-year bourbon, Small Batch Wheated Bottled-in-Bond four-year bourbon, High Road rye, and Sweet Mash Barrel Reserve rye.
“Galena Whiskey Weekend is the perfect place for a whiskey festival. Aside from the amazing historic venue, there are all the small shops downtown and all the great restaurants. One thing is for certain; the people attending the event are friendly and passionate about whiskey,” DiBenedetto said.
Jim O’Connor, the Illinois manager for Western Spirits, was on hand to pour samples from Calumet Farm of Lexington, Kentucky, including eight-year-old, 10-year-old, 16-year-old, and Small Batch bourbons.
“Galena Whiskey Weekend is the show I look forward to every year,” explained O’Connor. “The people who come are so open-minded and want to learn about what whiskeys you have and the history and details behind the brand. Bourbon is universal now. As a brand, coming to this show is worth the time and effort because of the consistently high turnout. This is a well-run event for the tri-state area.”
Not Just Local
Another participating brand was ImpEx Beverages, an exclusive importer of spirits from around the world. ImpEx represents well-known brands like The GlenAllachie, Fukano, and Kilchoman, as well as less familiar brands, such as Pōkeno Whisky and Lochlea. I had a chance to speak with Mary Barthelt, national sales director, while she was pouring Penderyn Legend Welsh whisky, Kilchoman Machir Bay and Sanaig, GlenAllachie 12-year-old, and Lochlea Our Barley.
“We come to Galena Whiskey Weekend because this is one of the best events in small American towns and is a way for me to meet with whiskey fans. Most people that come here want to learn. While some of them may appreciate world whiskeys, there’s also the challenge of reaching bourbon drinkers and inviting them to enjoy spirits from outside the United States. If I can reach just one, I’m happy, but the more, the better,” said Barthelt.
Seventy-five distilleries in all were featured at Galena Whiskey Weekend. Several brands poured whiskeys that are tough to get your hands on, many of which are either never seen “in the wild,” or if so, are offered at prices many times higher than the distillery’s suggested retail.
This year, coinciding with the start of the 2024 festival, Blaum Bros. opened their Public House, a new cocktail bar on Main Street located a short walk from Turner Hall. The Blaums burned the midnight oil to make sure the cocktail bar opened on time, and the place was packed — even before the official whiskey festival began.
Galena Whiskey Weekend was composed of two sessions: one at 1:00 PM and one at 5:00 PM. Each lasted two hours, and tickets were $110.00, which included admission and a Glencairn glass. If you got hungry, inside Turner Hall was a selection of charcuterie snacks, and several food trucks were parked in the lot outside. Family Beer & Liquor’s presence at Galena Whiskey Weekend featured available store picks from each of the participating brands.
With the continuing growth of whiskey tourism, craft and artisanal distillers are seeking innovative ways to gain a foothold in this market. According to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, 2.1 million people visited at least one of its member distilleries in 2022. Distillers have been investing in visitor centers and even overnight accommodations for their fans. And while those may benefit larger distilleries, much of that is beyond what many of the smaller ones can subsidize. Participating at a whiskey festival is more feasible, and with the help of social media, it is easier to garner attention and brand awareness.
I found Galena Whiskey Weekend remarkable. This was not only because of how many vendors and people attended in a relatively small space but also because of how friendly people were despite the sometimes intimate atmosphere. You’d expect that from the brand representatives; that’s part of their job. They seemed genuinely excited to be there — and so did the attendees. Moreover, I encountered something happily missing at whiskey festivals all the time: There were no ill-informed pourers there; they knew their stuff and were genuinely interested in their brands. From an outsider’s point of view, it was an obvious success — one other distilling regions might do well to emulate.
