COVINGTON, Kentucky – meetNKY, the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, and The B-Line, a collection of Bourbon Trail distilleries and bourbon forward bars and restaurants in Northern Kentucky, have partnered with Braxton Brewing Co. for the brewery’s famous Dark Charge event. The winter block party takes place from 3 – 11 p.m. Friday, December 2 and 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday, December 3.
The organizations have partnered on a limited-edition Dark Charge variant, Chocolate Pretzel Bourbon Ball Imperial Stout, which is only available for purchase onsite during the now two-day event. Bourbon aficionados and beer enthusiasts alike can enjoy this rich, imperial stout, aged in bourbon barrels from three distillers along The B-Line – Old Pogue Distillery, New Riff Distilling and Boone County Distillery – finished off with hints of cacao nibs and pretzels.
“This year’s Dark Charge event is a full-on, two-day collision of beer and bourbon,” said co-founder and CEO of Braxton, Jake Rouse. “There’s no surprise that the crossover between bourbon and craft beer is a quickly emerging trend, so when we approached our annual Bourbon Barrel Aged beer release Dark Charge we knew we wanted to play into this crossover. Additionally, partnering with meetNKY and The B-Line® on this event allows us to fully showcase all that our region has to offer on a national level.”
Attendees will also be able to enjoy the new B-Line Lounge in the brewery’s loft space during the event. All three distillers will have booths in the lounge where they’ll be pulling bourbon tastings from the barrel and serving them alongside another holiday staple – bourbon balls.
“Nothing speaks to the uniqueness of our region like a fusion of bourbon and beer,” said Jay Erisman, co-founder of New Riff Distilling. “We’re excited to partner with Braxton on this limited-edition B-Line® brew and to tap into the beer enthusiasts who are curious to learn more about bourbon.”
2022 Dark Charge Variants
In 2022, Braxton plans to release seven variants of its beloved Dark Charge Imperial Stout. So far, the brewery has announced and released for sale:
Dark Charge Imperial Stout – The original bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, serves as the base for the other variants with an 12.6% ABV.
Dark Charge Triple Vanilla Stout – This variant, selected by the Braxton Builders, features Madagascar bourbon, with Tahitian and Indonesian vanilla with an 12.7% ABV.
Dark Charge Maple Pecan – This variant features warm, nutty hints of maple syrup and roasted Georgia pecans with an 13.1% ABV.
Dark Charge Cinnamon Whiskey – Nothing says Happy Holidays like cinnamon whiskey. This double barrel aged in Wild Turkey and cinnamon whiskey barrels, imperial stout has an inviting flavor reminiscent with tastes of the holidays and an 12.9% ABV.
Dark Charge Chocolate Pretzel Bourbon Ball Imperial Stout – Only available for sale at the event, this bourbon centric brew was aged in bourbon barrels from three distillers across The B-Line and finished off with hints of cocoa nibs and pretzels with an 13.3% ABV.
Additional Dark Charge variants will be announced on November 23 and 24. These collabs also tap other local staples for some iconic collaborations. Those curious to learn more can follow Braxton on Instagram and Facebook for these announcements.
Entertainment Lineup
To celebrate this year’s Dark Charge Winter Block Party expanding into a two-day event, Braxton is going bigger than ever with music and entertainment, pulling both local and nationally touring music artists. Open format DJ, DJ JAY KAY, will be playing on the main stage in a special all-day set, establishing a groove throughout Dark Charge Day. Additional acts include:
Friday, December 2
From 6 – 8 p.m., another well-known “progressive auditory ensemble” will take the stage. The final musical act will be announced on November 23.
From 9 – 11 p.m. nationally acclaimed MAGIC GIANT will take the main stage. The band has amassed over 60M streams and was named one of the “10 Artists You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone. In addition, MAGIC GIANT has played festivals such as Coachella, Firefly, BottleRock, Electric Forest and Lightning in a Bottle. Having shared the stage with the likes of Foster the People, The Lumineers, Vance Joy and Mumford & Sons, MAGIC GIANT has shown they are an alt powerhouse.
Saturday, December 3
From 3 – 5 p.m. Jake Speed & The Freddies will play a mix of traditional and original folk, country blues, and ragtime tunes that muse on Cincinnati’s unique past and present.
From 6 – 8 p.m. The Hot Magnolias, Cincinnati’s finest Creole/Cajun shake yo’ tail feather, wave your hanky New Orleans musical act, will take the stage.
Finally, from 9 – 11 p.m. Juice, a band from Boston blending rock, pop, R&B, and hip-hop will get crowds dancing with the diversity of their signature sound.
Dark Charge-Infused Bites
To complement the theme of the event, Braxton worked with seven local food vendors to create food that leverages Dark Charge for attendees to enjoy. These including Dewey’s Pizza, Taco Fuerte, Rich’s Proper Food & Drink, The Empanada’s Box, Parts & Labor New School Barbecue, Smoke Justis and Coppin’s.
While the event is free to attend, two VIP experience options are available for purchase in various packages. The Dark Charge VIP Tickets are available as single day passes or two-day passes ranging from $90 to $175. Dark Charge Winter Block Party Igloobar Experiences are also available for private parties of up to eight ranging from $600 – $1,200.
“This event is a true celebration of all things Northern Kentucky,” said meetNKY President and CEO, Julie Kirkpatrick. “It’s been incredible to see how this winter block party has evolved over the years. We can’t wait to welcome music, bourbon and beer fans from across the country for this exciting two-day event in the Commonwealth and show off some of the southern hospitality we’re known for.”
About Braxton Brewing Company
Born in a garage, Braxton Brewing Co. has become an entrepreneurial obsession. Melding the age-old tradition of brewing beer and innovative new-age technology, dreams are born and fermented at Braxton Brewing Company. It is the hub where Jake and Evan Rouse showcase their passion for brewing beer. It’s here, where the expert team holds every single pint of Braxton beer to the highest standard of excellence. And, like the garage of their past, the brewery is deeply rooted in the community of Covington, Kentucky. Braxton Brewing Company was also recently honored with Brewbound’s prestigious Rising Star Award, and Braxton’s own Evan Rouse was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink list. Further amplifying Braxton’s accomplishments, the brewery was highlighted on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list.
About meetNKY:
meetNKY drives quality of life and economic growth for Northern Kentucky through tourism marketing and destination development.
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