Bacon and Bourbon

Very disappointed. The venue was uncomfortably crowded, temperature was too warm, few tables, no chairs. Barsa ran out of food before the public portion of the event even started.

I was extremely disappointed with this event. It was so crowded as to be uncomfortable. You had to wait in long lines for a morsel of mediocre food or a few drops of bourbon. I would not attend this event again even if given free tickets!

Bacon and bourbon was out of this world this year. I went last year and had a great but they had a few hiccups. This years they bat a thousand. Opened right on time, they food was delicious and the bourbon flowed all night. I can not wait till next year. My favorite part was sitting at they cigar bar sipping on fine bourbon with my son, brother and nephew. I will be back

Ted’s Butcher Block.
A meat pie to die for. Very well presented. The smoked apple sauce adds the spice to the mix of wonderfully presented pork shoulder turin

This is an amazing event! The great city of Charleston should be proud of this amazing showcase of Southern hospitality!
Travelled all the way from Ontario, Canada to be here!

This was an amazing idea! They did pretty well for it being their first. I’m sure next year, they will work out the wrinkles and gain a consistent 5 star review.
I’ll start with the bad so as to end on a high positive note:
Really, there was only one main flaw. The food ran out well before the event ended. This had to do with the same people jumping back in line repeatedly. Although, this was not discouraged, it prevented some people from having enough food to absorb the bourbon. I’d recommend for next year giving people a ticket to get stamped so everyone can try something from each business.
The good: The little food that I was able to sample was amazing. There was a few places that seemed to have brought enough food to last until after 9pm. They were my lifesaver. The selection of bourbon was amazing! The representatives were knowledgeable about their bourbon/​whiskey. The choice of the bands were spot on. Slightly eclectic with a good mix of tunes. The skeet shooting outside was also a great sight to see.
All in all, for it being their first event, I think they did a pretty good job. The few glitches will be easy to create a solution in the future. A great event to add to Charleston’s culture!

The inaugural Bacon and Bourbon event was definitely a fun time. I’m sure it will continue in the future. All types of Whiskey/​Bourbon were available for tasting, as well as some wine and beer. Small bacon inspired food selections were available, all were very good. One issue I had was the signs at the food tables giving the description of what was being served was right in front of the table, so when people stood in line, you couldn’t read the description. Next year, they should put the description above the table.

Postmodern Jukebox was AWESOME! Such a great choice! The free flowing bourbon was awesome, and I like that there was wine and beer for the less brave ie me. The mechanical bull was so much fun, even though it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. My only complaint, which I’m sure other people have noted, is that at least 3 chefs ran out of food by 8:45!!! Mind you, the event started at 7:30 for normal/​non-​VIP guests, so for the food to run out 1 hr 15 min later for an event that is supposed to last 4 hours… not exactly good. I was very sad to miss out on the foie gras stuffed maple bacon donuts. Seriously?! Why did that have to be the station I decided to skip to get wine, then go back only to find they were OUT! :*(
I will come back next year only if they address the fact that they ran out of food and that it won’t happen again. I mean, they knew how many people were going to be there… no excuse!

This event was amazing. That bacon cotton candy?! Out of this world. Can’t wait till the next one!

Bacon and Bourbon pulled off its virgin entry to the Charleston event world like a seasoned pro, with the thoughtfullness and attention to detail that you’d think would only come from screwing it up at least twice. Last night, GoCo events transformed Memminger Hall into a bull-​riding-​skeet-​shooting drunken orgy of over indulgence and too many good things in one place.
The circumference of the enormous vaulted-​auditorium was lined by vendors from local restaurants prowdly flaunting whatever delicacy they had managed to infuse with bacon and/​or pork belly or some part of the pig. The tastes ranged from a cotton candy coated bacon (wHaT?!?) and bacon ice cream to a delicate pork belly gnocchi or asian-​style scallop and pork belly soup. The culinary creativity juices were running about as thick as the bacon grease.
Its a good thing they had so much food, because the food stations encircled a myriad of equally enthusiastic Bourbon distilleries showcasing their spirits. I’m not bourbon connoisseur and have nothing intelligent to add about the kinds of bourbon that were featured, but luckily the vendors were willing to dilute the liquor for the weaklings like me with deliciousness such as local Cannonborough sodas, just to name one.
Although the event sold out, it never felt too crowded and I never had to wait long for food or drink. As someone who likes something to do besides stand around, I really enjoyed the activities, especially the laser skeet shooting, at which I humbly allowed my fellow competitors win.
Only criticisms were the line for charcuterie during the VIP session, and the relatively poor acoustics from the bands. I can’t wait to attend again!