Every fall, something special happens in Louisville that pulls together two things most guys love: hard-to-find whiskey and a rock-solid reason to open the wallet. Kroger just kicked off its fifth annual Ultimate Bourbon Auction on November 12th, and this year the lineup is stacked deeper than ever. The best part? Every dollar spent goes straight to Dare to Care Food Bank, the outfit that handed out 20.5 million meals last year across Kentucky and southern Indiana—including 5.7 million meals just for kids.
If you’ve ever stood in a liquor store line at 6 a.m. hoping for a shot at a allocated bottle, you already know how wild the bourbon game has gotten. This auction takes that same energy and turns it toward something that actually matters. You’re not fighting some flippers on a Facebook group—you’re bidding against other grown men who want the same dusty treasure you do, and the guy who wins still sleeps good at night because the money is buying groceries for families who ran thin before payday.
The bottles up for grabs read like the wish list you keep in your phone notes. We’re talking the full Pappy Van Winkle lineup, every age statement of Weller you’ve ever chased, Blanton’s single barrels, Eagle Rare 17 from the Antique Collection, Stagg that actually tastes like barrel-proof heaven, King of Kentucky (the 2025 edition is already in there), Parker’s Heritage, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond decanters, Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, Michter’s 10 and 20 when they decide to show up, Russell’s Reserve picks, Penelope private barrels, Four Roses limited editions, Angel’s Envy cask strength, Knob Creek single barrels, Wild Turkey Master’s Keep bottles that never hit shelves, Little Book chapters, 1792 expressions nobody sees anymore, Jack Daniel’s heritage barrels, Maker’s Mark private selects, and plenty of Buffalo Trace stuff that makes grown men weak in the knees.
Then there are the raffles—because sometimes you just want to throw fifty bucks at a dream instead of getting into a bidding war that ends at four figures. They’ve got tickets for the complete 2025 Pappy Van Winkle flight, the full 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, a vertical six-pack of Weller, the new King of Kentucky bottle, and a single Pappy 15 with a stupid-low number of entries. A man can dream, and fifty bucks is cheaper than therapy.
But Kroger didn’t stop at glass. They tossed in some once-in-a-lifetime Kentucky experiences that any red-blooded bourbon fan would trade a kidney for: a full Kentucky Derby package with seats that don’t require selling the truck, a day at Valhalla Golf Club (yeah, the place where the PGA guys sweat), VIP passes to Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life festivals where the bourbon flows freer than the music, a Reds game done right with the good seats and all the trimmings, plus guitars signed by Luke Combs and Green Day if you’re the type who still cranks the stereo in the garage.
Everything happens online at ultimatebourbonauction.com. Bidding started at 9 a.m. on November 12th and runs until 9 p.m. sharp on November 23rd. You don’t have to live in Kentucky to play—bid from your deer lease, your man cave, or the parking lot at work for all they care. Just be ready to fly or drive to Louisville to pick up your winnings at Kroger headquarters within two months if you take something home. They’ll shoot you an email the night of the 23rd if Lady Luck finally looked your way.
Five years in, this auction has turned into the Super Bowl of charity bourbon drops. Last year they raised enough to do some serious good, and Dare to Care isn’t some giant national machine—they’re the local crew that knows every back road and holler where a kid might be wondering what dinner looks like tonight. When you drop a paddle (or in this case, hit “place bid” at 2 a.m. with one eye open), you’re putting food on those tables.
So yeah, you could keep hunting store shelves, trading favors, or paying secondary prices that make your wife question your life choices. Or you could log on, throw down on a bottle you’ve wanted for years, and know the money is doing work long after the cork pop fades away.
The clock’s running, fellas. November 23rd comes quick, especially when Pappy, Stagg, and a clear conscience are all on the same table.
