James B. Beam Distilling Co. has announced its autumn and winter 2026 programme at its Clermont, Kentucky campus, about 30 minutes south of Louisville. The Jim Beam distillery events run from 15 October to 3 December and include a bourbon and barbecue feast ($250), a Kentucky Proud dinner built around Hardin’s Creek ($175), Beam Family Friendsgiving ($150), two Clermont Supper Club dinners ($275 each) and a free concert on 17 October. The headline for collectors is the 3 December Supper Club, which offers early access to a new Distiller’s Share release. A new Distillery Exclusive is poured on 5 November, and Booker’s The Reserves is also part of the season.
The most interesting bourbon James B. Beam Distilling Co. pours this autumn won’t be sitting on a shop shelf. It will be on a dinner table in Clermont, Kentucky, and the only way to get your hands on it early is to book a seat.
The home of Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Booker’s and Basil Hayden has published its autumn and winter 2026 calendar, running from mid-October to early December. On paper it reads like a food and music programme. Look closer and it’s a release schedule: a new Distillery Exclusive in November, a new Distiller’s Share bottling in December, Booker’s The Reserves, and the recently revived Beam’s Ten-Pin Bottle in the campus shop.
Jim Beam distillery events at a glance
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 15 October | Smoke and Oak: Smoked BBQ Dinner Feastival | 6:00-9:00 pm | $250 |
| Sat 17 October | Free Concert Series with Matt Red Moore | 4:00-6:00 pm | Free |
| Thu 22 October | Kentucky Distilled: A Hardin’s Creek Culinary Experience | 6:00-9:00 pm | $175 |
| Thu 5 November | Clermont Supper Club: New Distillery Exclusive | 6:00-9:30 pm | $275 |
| Thu 12 November | Beam Family Friendsgiving | 6:00-9:00 pm | $150 |
| Thu 3 December | Clermont Supper Club: New Distiller’s Share (Holiday Edition) | 6:00-9:30 pm | $275 |
All prices are per person in US dollars. Tickets and event details are on beamdistilling.com.
The bottles are the real story
The 3 December Clermont Supper Club is the date collectors should circle. It’s built around a new Distiller’s Share release, hosted by a Beam Master Distiller, with a multi-course dinner, cocktails, early access to the new bottle and after-hours shopping at The American Outpost, the on-site store. Beam hasn’t published the specs of the release yet.
A month earlier, on 5 November, the first Supper Club of the season pours a new James B. Beam Distillery Exclusive. Again, no details on mash bill, age or proof so far, which makes the dinner the first chance anyone gets to taste it.
Booker’s The Reserves also arrives this season. It’s the annual limited expression drawn from what Beam describes as some of the best barrels in the family rackhouses. Booker’s as a brand is bottled uncut and unfiltered, so expect a high-proof pour, though the 2026 figures haven’t been released.
Then there’s the bottle that’s already on the shelf in Clermont. Beam’s Ten-Pin Bottle returned on 22 August for the first time in decades, a revival of the bowling-pin decanters Beam first introduced in the 1950s.
Beam’s Ten-Pin Bottle
Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 10 years old
Strength: 100 proof (50% ABV)
Availability: Clermont only, at The American Outpost
Price: Not disclosed
Bourbon, barbecue and a Kentucky Proud dinner
Smoke and Oak on 15 October is the season opener. Guided tastings of new, rare and exclusive releases sit alongside live barbecue cooking from The Kitchen Table, Beam’s on-campus restaurant, plus a campfire social with regional bands.
Kentucky Distilled on 22 October is the one we’d book on value. At $175 you get a guided tasting of the Hardin’s Creek series, Beam’s line of small-batch experimental releases, a welcome cocktail and a three-course dinner made only from Kentucky-sourced ingredients. It’s run with Kentucky Proud, the state’s official agricultural marketing programme, and the producers behind the food are there to meet.
Beam Family Friendsgiving on 12 November is the cheapest ticketed dinner at $150. Chef Brian Landry of The Kitchen Table cooks classic Thanksgiving dishes, with bourbon cocktails, rare and exclusive pours, and the chance to buy new product launches.
If you’re on a budget, Kentucky singer Matt Red Moore plays the final free concert of the season on the event lawn at The Kitchen Table on 17 October. Entry is free and cocktails are sold on site.
Who is James B. Beam Distilling Co.?
The company traces its whiskey-making back to 1795 and is now on its eighth generation of family distillers. Fred Noe (seventh generation) and his son Freddie Noe (eighth generation) lead the distilling side today. The portfolio stretches from Jim Beam, which the company calls the world’s best-selling bourbon, to Knob Creek, Booker’s, Baker’s, Basil Hayden, Little Book, Legent, Old Grand-Dad and Old Overholt rye.
Since 2014 it has been part of the Japanese-owned group now called Suntory Global Spirits, which makes it a sister company to Maker’s Mark, Laphroaig, Yamazaki and Hibiki.
For readers outside the US: bourbon is a legally defined American whiskey. It must be made from at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% ABV), aged in new charred oak containers and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof (40% ABV). “Straight” bourbon, like the Ten-Pin Bottle, must be aged at least two years. US labels quote proof, which is double the ABV.
Planning a visit from outside the US
Clermont is about 30 minutes’ drive south of Louisville, so Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) is the natural arrival point. The distillery sits on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, so it’s easy to build these dinners into a wider trip.
The campus is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Eastern Time, and closed on Thanksgiving (26 November 2026), Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The core Beam Made Bourbon tour lasts 90 minutes and ends with a guided tasting; Beam recommends allowing two to three hours on site. The US legal drinking age of 21 applies to all tastings.
One practical point for international visitors: the distillery shop does not ship. Any distillery-exclusive bottle you buy, including the Ten-Pin, travels home in your luggage, so check your country’s duty-free allowance before you go.
Is it worth the trip?
If you’re already in Kentucky between mid-October and early December, yes. The 3 December Supper Club is the pick for collectors: $275 buys dinner, a Master Distiller host and first access to a Distiller’s Share bottle nobody else has tried. Kentucky Distilled is the best-value evening, and the free concert is the easiest way to soak up the campus without spending anything.
None of these dinners alone justify a transatlantic flight. Pair one with a few days on the Bourbon Trail, though, and Clermont becomes the stop where you pick up bottles your friends at home simply can’t buy.
FAQ
What Jim Beam distillery events are on in autumn 2026?
James B. Beam Distilling Co. hosts six events in Clermont, Kentucky: Smoke and Oak (15 October), a free concert (17 October), Kentucky Distilled (22 October), Clermont Supper Club with a new Distillery Exclusive (5 November), Beam Family Friendsgiving (12 November) and a holiday Supper Club with a new Distiller’s Share release (3 December).
How much do tickets for the Jim Beam distillery events cost?
Prices range from free to $275 per person. The 17 October concert is free, Friendsgiving costs $150, Kentucky Distilled costs $175, Smoke and Oak costs $250, and both Clermont Supper Club dinners on 5 November and 3 December cost $275. Tickets are sold through beamdistilling.com.
What is the Beam’s Ten-Pin Bottle?
The Ten-Pin Bottle is a revival of Beam’s bowling-pin-shaped decanters first introduced in the 1950s. Relaunched on 22 August 2026, it holds a 10-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 100 proof (50% ABV). It is sold exclusively at The American Outpost shop on the Clermont campus.
Can I buy James B. Beam distillery-exclusive bottles online or have them shipped?
No. The distillery shop at Clermont does not currently offer shipping, and distillery exclusives such as the Ten-Pin Bottle are only sold on site. International visitors need to carry bottles home in their luggage and should check their home country’s customs and duty-free allowances before travelling.
Where is the James B. Beam Distilling Co. and how do I get there?
The distillery is on Happy Hollow Road in Clermont, Kentucky, roughly 30 minutes’ drive south of Louisville. International visitors usually fly into Louisville (SDF) and drive. The campus is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Eastern Time and is part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
What is the Clermont Supper Club?
The Clermont Supper Club is an intimate dinner series at James B. Beam Distilling Co. that pairs new and limited bourbon releases with chef-curated menus. In 2026 the 5 November dinner features a new Distillery Exclusive, while the 3 December holiday edition offers early access to a new Distiller’s Share release, hosted by a Beam Master Distiller.
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