The 10th Annual #30DaysOfBourbon Challenge Is Upon Us - Here's What you Need to Know!

 

Holy smokes, it is that time of the year again! 

 

Each September, for Bourbon Heritage Month, I host the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge, and, believe it or not, this is the tenth year! That’s a whole decade!

 

Despite its longevity, there’s someone new to the Challenge every year. Never fear; I’m here to tell you all about it.

 

For as many years as I’ve been into Bourbon, my bucket list includes attending the Bourbon Heritage Festival. But, what has happened every single year, and will happen again in 2024, is that it will remain unfilled on that list. However, ten years ago, I set a goal to do something special to celebrate America’s Native Spirit. I created the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge. Then, in 2016, I invited my former compatriots at Bourbon & Banter to join me in my Challenge. They thought it was a marvelous idea, and in 2017, the Challenge became a Bourbon & Banter tradition. 

The first part of the Challenge is to try 30 different Bourbons in 30 days.

 

Queue up the crowd who chimes in; I drink Bourbon every day. That’s not a challenge! 

 

That’s only the tip of the iceberg… there’s so much more. 

 

Some of us have our “daily drinker.” Others have what they refer to as a collection. It is easy to forget about a bottle tucked away in the back when you're in that latter category. Part of this Challenge has to do with exploration and adventure. 

 

But wait – there’s more! 

 

I firmly believe in whiskey karma: Do good things in whiskey's name, and it will return you in kind. That leads to the second aspect of the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge. 

 

For the last eight years, I’ve asked people to donate $30.00 (or more) to any charity they choose. Mine has always been the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association (RSDSA), which helps people battling Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Feel free to use them as your charity (I’d be eternally grateful as Mrs. Whiskeyfellow has been fighting CRPS for too many years). You can learn more about them by clicking on that link. 

 

The rules of the Challenge are pretty simple:  

 

Rule 1: This is a Bourbon challenge. Rye, Single Malts, or other non-Bourbon whiskeys don’t count toward the daily goal. There’s nothing wrong with you enjoying a sip of those other whiskeys during the Challenge. Remember that you’ll have to take a pour of Bourbon, too. 

 

Rule 2: Despite opinions to the contrary, Tennessee Whisky meets the legal standard for Bourbon, so feel free to pour Jack and George if that’s your jam.

 

Rule 3: What does and what does not qualify as “different” Bourbons: 

 

• Proof:  If you’re looking at, say, Old Grand-Dad and wondering if the 80° and 114° count as different Bourbons, for the sake of the Challenge, they don’t. However, if you came across Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, that is different because of the rules governing bonded whiskeys. 

• Different Mashbills within a Brand:  Four Roses has ten distinctly different recipes. Each one would be considered a single Bourbon. Moreover, their Small Batch and Small Batch Select are separate blends of those recipes, and they both count. Same with the Limited Editions.

• MGP/Dickel/Barton/Beam:  I had to clarify this several years ago because many NPDs are sourced from MGP. Dickel and Barton (and now, even Beam) are power players, too. There is so much variety in what producers do with sourced distillate that different brands count as unique Bourbons. 

• Blanton’s / Single Barrel Bourbons / Store Picks, Etc.:  If you love collecting horsey stoppers, remember that different letters do not equal different Bourbons. It is the barrel number (found on the label) that counts. If you have 30 different barrel numbers, you can make your entire month’s quota with a single brand.

 

• Cocktails:  They count! Just make sure you know what Bourbon is used as the base.

 

For each day of September, post your Bourbon of the Day on social media with the hashtags #30DaysofBourbon. While you’re at it, go ahead and tag @Whiskeyfellow, too. Some folks post a picture of the bottle, while others post their updated calendar (you can download your free Challenge calendar by clicking on this link). Whatever works for you is fine. Be sure to give your charity a shout-out when you post! 

Awareness is vital to many charities, so don’t wait until the end; include them daily! 

A common concern from some people is that they don’t own enough Bourbon, and they can’t participate. Part of enjoying Bourbon is about sharing some with friends. 

 

If you do not have any Bourbon-drinking friends, this could be an excellent opportunity to make some and bond over the love of Bourbon. Or, hit up your local watering hole and buy yourself a pour. You can visit a good liquor store and see what “airplane” bottles they have. Many brands now offer flavored Bourbon, and there are no restrictions to that within the Challenge. 

 

Every year, without fail, people opine that this isn’t a real challenge. Nine years of history have proven otherwise. Life happens. People get sick. An unexpected trip pops out of nowhere. You may get invited to an event and completely forget. But, each year, people drop out for whatever reason. 

 

Don’t stress yourself out – this is supposed to be fun!

 

People who have successfully made it often express how challenging the process was, yet how satisfying it felt to complete. Additionally, contributing to a charitable cause and spreading happiness is genuinely superb. Remember Whiskey karma!

 

Will you join me on this milestone Challenge? Cheers!

 

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.