The Ultimate Guide to the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge: 2024 Edition

Can you believe it? We're only 30 days away from celebrating the most badass month on the calendar: Bourbon Heritage Month! For over a decade, Bourbon & Banter has been at the forefront of this worldwide celebration, turning National Bourbon Heritage Month into a high-proof, month-long party filled with amazing giveaways and exclusive content dedicated to celebrating the spirit of bourbon.

And now, get ready for the highlight of our celebration: the highly anticipated 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge! This isn’t just for the seasoned bourbon enthusiasts; it’s an open invitation to everyone, whether you’re taking your first sip or you’re a seasoned aficionado, to join us in a shared passion for this quintessentially American elixir.

So, what exactly is the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge? Let me break it down for you. It’s a simple yet bold endeavor: drink 30 different bourbons over the course of 30 days. Sounds easy, right? But wait, there’s more to this challenge than just the daily toast. It’s about immersing yourself in the rich and varied tapestry of bourbon, exploring its nuances, and experiencing the depth of its character in a truly remarkable way. Get ready to unlock a world of bourbon like never before!

Join us for this exciting journey, and let’s make this Bourbon Heritage Month unforgettable. Cheers to discovering new bourbons, sharing great moments, and celebrating the spirit we all love!

30 DAYS OF BOURBON CHALLENGE RULES

Let’s lay down the ground rules for the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge: BOURBON ONLY. This challenge is exclusive, so no Rye, Scotch, Irish, Indian, Taiwanese, Canadian, Japanese, Australian, or Mexican whiskies. And definitely, no flavored concoctions that don’t meet the TTB standards for bourbon (yes, Red Stag and Fireball, we're talking to you).

Your 30-day quest is all about pure bourbon – nothing else counts. Anything other than bourbon doesn’t make the cut for this challenge.

Now, let’s clear up a common question: Are Jack Daniels and George Dickel allowed? Absolutely! Both these iconic spirits get the green light. Why? Because Tennessee Whiskey is essentially bourbon before it undergoes the distinctive Lincoln County process. This technicality works in our favor, as Tennessee Whiskey still aligns with bourbon’s legal standards even after the Lincoln County process, which doesn’t impart any additional flavors.

What about Uncle Nearest? You're all good if you're sipping the Uncle Nearest Tennessee Whiskey expression.

Here are your guidelines to ensure each daily pick counts towards conquering the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge:

• Proof Parley: For instance, Wild Turkey 81 and Wild Turkey 101? We're treating those as one in the Challenge. But different expressions from the same brand, like a Bottled-in-Bond versus a non-bonded variant, count separately.
• Mash-Up Mastery: Take Four Roses, for instance, with its ten unique recipes. Each of these recipes stands as an individual bourbon. Their Small Batch and Small Batch Select, which are blends of these recipes, are also fair game. Don’t forget about Four Roses' limited editions – they’re included too, thanks to their distinct blend ratios.
• Finished Bourbons: Fans of finished bourbons like Angel's Envy are more than welcome to drink them as part of their 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge. As long as the finished bourbon started life as a bourbon we see no reason to exclude it due to alternative barrel finishing. (Take that, you TTB label minions.)
• Sourced Stories: With many brands sourcing from larger distilleries, things can get a bit confusing. To keep it simple, sourced bourbons – even if from the same distillery – are valid as long as they adhere to the other challenge rules.
• Single Barrel Shuffle: Different barrels of the same brand expression no longer count towards your 30-day feat. While they may have differences in color, aroma, and flavor, they’re all considered part of the same expression. So, no more counting each unique horse stopper on Blanton's, and drinking 30 distinct single barrel numbers of the same expression won't seal the deal anymore.
• Cocktails Count: Prefer your bourbon in a cocktail? No problem. When crafting cocktails, feel free to get creative as long as you use a new bourbon for each drink..

Get ready to dive into a world of bourbon brilliance, and let the challenge begin!

30 DAYS OF BOURBON DRINKING CALENDAR

Download and print out a copy of our 30 Days of Bourbon Drinking Calendar to chart your progress as detailed above.

30 DAYS OF BOURBON LOGO OVERLAYS

Download and use our BHM24 logo overlays when sharing your 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge progress online. Each file is a .png, perfect for overlaying on your photos. For iPhone users, we recommend using the Canva app to create your final images with the overlays. Cheers to sharing your bourbon journey!

Download/Usage Instructions: Click on one of the links above to download the overlay graphics. The image will open in a new browser tab/window. Then right-click on the image in the new tab/window and save the image to your computer or phone. Please note that the images are shown in black on a white background for illustration purposes only. When downloaded, they will be in white with a transparent background, allowing you to overlay them on a photo.

SHARE YOUR 30 DAYS OF BOURBON JOURNEY

At Bourbon & Banter, we believe bourbon is best enjoyed with friends. So, we encourage you to share your daily calendar entries by snapping a photo of your updated calendar and posting it on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using #30DaysofBourbon, #BourbonHeritageMonth, and #DrinkCurious. Don’t forget to tag @BourbonBanter. Throughout September, a few lucky participants who share their journey online will win some awesome surprises from Bourbon & Banter and our sponsors. Cheers to spreading the bourbon love!