A festival of Southern spirits and gourmet grub
Grains & Grits, a festival of southern spirits and gourmet grub at the Townsend Visitors Center, will return on November 3. This year, the event’s culinary aspect will be elevated as high-profile chefs
in the area offer tastings of their renowned fare and tickets for dinner-sized portions will be available.
The festival brings together whiskey lovers and distillers from across the country to celebrate the culture of whiskey, spirits and distilling in Tennessee.
An emphasis on food lets the festival appeal to a broader audience, highlight the area’s unique culinary offering and ensure guests are satiated.
Chefs from throughout the region will team up with distillers to demonstrate how whiskey can be used as a culinary ingredient, providing tastings for attendees. The tastings are included in the Grains & Grits Festival ticket price, but for attendees who would like a dinner-sized portion of their favorite fare, additional $10 food tickets will be available.
“The chefs participating in this year’s festival are passionate about the whiskey, our region and the culture, and their cuisine will be representative of this,” said Dancing Bear Lodge Executive Chef Shelley Cooper. “Whiskey is great for drinking, but the chefs will show how whiskey has broader applications and can also be used for cooking.”
The festival is hosted by the Tennessee Distillers Guild and the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority.
“We think both whiskey and culinary enthusiasts alike will enjoy the broader food selection this year,” said Blount Partnership Director of Tourism Kim Mitchell. “The ticket price for Grains & Grits will remain the same, but the option to purchase an additional food ticket for a larger, dinner-sized food portion in addition to the tastings will ensure guests don’t leave hungry.”
Tickets for Grains & Grits are $65 online or $75 the day of the event, and include live entertainment, whiskey and food tastings. Tickets for dinner-sized meals are $10.
No one under the age of 21 is allowed to attend.
For more information or tickets to Grains & Grits, visit the event website.