Straight Up 615

Daughters of Proof Presents Proof & Patience- an Evening with Jim Rutledge

Cary Ann August 14, 2026

An intimate evening of whiskey, stories, and legacy during Kentucky Bourbon Festival week On Thursday, September 10, Daughters of Proof will welcome legendary distiller Jim Rutledge to Bespoke In Bond in downtown Bardstown for Proof & Patience: An Evening with Jim Rutledge. This is an evening built around the things that matter most in whiskey:…

AJ Bond Tennessee Whiskey: A Legacy Unveiled

Cary Ann June 1, 2026

It’s not often I tear up while writing about a whiskey release. This one is something extraordinarily special. AJ Bond. The forever bond between Allisa and John, bottled for us all to get a taste of that sweet relationship.

Celebrating Tennessee Whiskey Day: Bourbon’s Precocious Cousin Still Has a Lot to Say

Cary Ann May 21, 2026

The Tennessee Whiskey revival is real, the standards are strict, and the next chapter is already underway.

Buffalo Trace’s New Cafe Is More Than Lunch

Cary Ann May 15, 2026

Buffalo Trace just delivered something fans have been waiting on for ages: it opened a permanent cafe that asks visitors to stay a little longer and actually enjoy the campus. More than lunch, the John G. Carlisle Cafe is an invitation to linger, and yes, it might be the best hospitality move this distillery has…

WORLDWIDE ALLIANCE OF WHISKY FESTIVALS APPOINTS STRAIGHT UP 615 FOUNDER TO FIX LINEUPS AFTER DECADES OF “BEST AND BRIGHTEST” ALL LOOKING ALIKE

Cary Ann April 1, 2026

Women in whiskey take center stage. Straight Up 615 founder Cary Ann Fuller appointed Global Head of Panel Balancing Act after her viral 31 Days of Women’s History Month series exposed decades of identical “best and brightest” whiskey festival panels—all men named Chad, Steve, or Nate.

Discovering Harrodsburg: A Hidden Gem in Kentucky

October 1, 2025

Just up the street from Danville and about an hour from Bardstown, Frankfort, Lexington, and Louisville, Harrodsburg offers respite from the Bourbon Trail and quite a few surprises Sometimes the best adventures don’t come from grand plans but from unchecked impulses. For me, it was a fiddle leaf fig on Facebook Marketplace that sparked an…

Unity in a Glass: Inside the New Heaven Hill Springs

Cary Ann September 19, 2025

Bardstown, Kentucky is no stranger to ribbon-cuttings, but the grand opening of the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery wasn’t just another “Welcome to the neighborhood” moment. It was the return of a legacy—homecoming and rebirth wrapped up in one, with a toast that carried the weight of 90 years of history. As Kate Latts proclaimed,…

BREAKING: Cowdery’s Astonishing Return to Kentucky Bourbon Festival Has Whiskey Fans Sanguine— Forgotten Fiancée Fuller to Finally Fulfill Fate?

September 2, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Will 2025 At Last Hold the Fuller-Cowdery Union? BARDSTOWN, KY — September 2, 2025 — After an eight-year absence, renowned whiskey writer Chuck Cowdery is set to return to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival this week. His arrival coincides with the relocation of his longtime social media sweetheart, Whiskey Wanderer Cary Ann Fuller,…

Trump Issues Executive Order Banning Single Barrel Selections, Citing “Woke Whiskey Woes”

April 1, 2025

Trump’s latest DEI ban targets single barrel bourbons citing too much diversity.

Women In Whiskey Fire Up the Nashville Whiskey Festival

September 25, 2024

Join Women In Whiskey in Nashville on October 10th for an unforgettable VIP experience celebrating trailblazing women in whiskey. Enjoy exclusive samples, small bites, and insightful panel discussions featuring industry leaders like Lynne Dant and Ale Ochoa. Secure your spot now at the Nashville Whiskey Festival.