Longview is deep in the heart of the Piney Woods Wine Trail, but it’s making its mark with another spirit: bourbon.
Two upcoming events will celebrate this uniquely American, barrel-aged, distilled concoction while benefiting the community. The Texas Bourbon Shootout and the following evening’s Bourbon & Bowties gives area residents the chance to not only taste world-class bourbons from all over the state, but to raise funds for Longview World of Wonders, a children’s hands-on discovery center, at the same time.
In fact, event co-chair Cole Tomberlain is hoping that the momentum generated from six years of Bourbon & Bowties and the inaugural Texas Bourbon Shootout will create enough buzz to earn Longview another moniker: Bourbon Capital of Texas.
“All we really need is a distillery here to put that crown on,” he said.
In its first year, the Texas Bourbon Shootout brings together 14 distilleries from all over the state in a head-to-head tasting competition of epic proportions.
Each guest at the event will receive a glass and be guided through a flight of Texas bourbons by Jim Murray, world-renowned British journalist, whiskey critic and author of “The Whisky Bible.”
“Everyone who buys a ticket gets the same whiskey that Jim Murray is getting,” Tomberlain said. “He’ll guide us through the tasting and talk about the taste, smell and how it should read on your palate.”
Then, after a reception featuring dinner, dancing and a full bar, the winner of the Best Bourbon in Texas will be crowned at 10 p.m.
The 14 distilleries committed to the event represent all corners of the state of Texas.
“Every entry has to be grown-to-glass in the state of Texas,” Tomberlain explained. “Our state varies so much that you can taste the difference in the bourbons from the different parts of the state.”
He said that the wide range of temperatures around the state affects the ingredients that go into the bourbon, and a corn grown in West Texas is going to taste different than a batch from deep South Texas.
“Texas is also one of the first states, out of necessity, that went to smaller barrels for aging,” he said. “Smaller batches tolerate the heat in Texas better.”
Distilleries participating include Kiepersol Estates from Tyler, Iron Wolf Ranch and Distillery from Spicewood, Fire Oak Distillery from Liberty Hill and 1876 from Dripping Springs.
But you don’t have to be a bourbon connoisseur to enjoy the event.
“It’s a competition and there are great bourbons, but it’s set up just as if you were going to a wine tasting,” Tomberlain said. “Jim will teach you how to taste, sniff and drink from the glass. He’ll walk us right through it.”
The Bourbon & Bowties event, sold out in its sixth year, will feature a bourbon bar with more than 100 kinds of bourbon and every kind of mixer and fresh ingredient imaginable to mix with it, Tomberlain said.
The events will happen on back-to-back nights to take advantage of the momentum of having Murray in town for the Shootout.
“It’s kind of neat how it all evolved,” Tomberlain said. “The first year we had Bourbon & Bowties, all the organizers were young couples having babies. Now our kids are enjoying the benefit of our little project through the World of Wonders.”
