Every December for the past two years, one night at Vinny's has looked a little different. The lights go lower, there is a tent out back with heaters humming, and the smell coming off the tables is braised pork and good bourbon instead of marinara. This year we are doing it again, and it is bigger. Mark the date: Tuesday, December 15, 2026, from 6 to 10 pm, our 3rd Annual Bourbon & Cigar Dinner, featuring Wilderness Trail Distillery.
What the Night Includes
Tickets are $150 per person, and here is what that covers:
- A welcome drink when you walk in.
- A guided bourbon tasting with Wilderness Trail.
- A three-course dinner: a charcuterie plate to start, a braised pork shank as the main course, and a special dessert to finish.
- A complimentary bottle of Vinny's Café's own barrel-strength bourbon from Wilderness Trail to take home.
- A heated tent with cigars from Lord Baltimore Distributors.
- Prizes and vendor giveaways, a barrel giveaway, and entertainment through the evening.
About Wilderness Trail
Wilderness Trail Distillery is in Danville, Kentucky, in the heart of bourbon country. The distillery was started by two fermentation scientists, and it shows in the glass: they use a sweet-mash process rather than the more common sour mash, which makes for a cleaner, rounder bourbon. A barrel-strength bottle is the whiskey straight from the barrel, uncut, and the one you take home that night is from a barrel chosen for Vinny's.
Why Bourbon Belongs at an Italian Table
People sometimes ask what bourbon has to do with Italian food. More than you would think. Italians have always ended a long meal with a digestivo, something strong and warming poured in a small glass once the plates are cleared: an amaro, a grappa, a limoncello, a shot of espresso with a splash of something in it. A glass of bourbon, neat, plays exactly that role. The caramel and vanilla that come out of a charred oak barrel sit beautifully next to the salt of cured meat and the richness of a pork shank that has been braising all afternoon.
And the cigar afterward, in a warm tent on a cold December night, with the people you came with? That is the Italian idea of dopo cena, the after-dinner hour, done the Kentucky way.
How to Get Tickets
Tickets are sold by phone. Call us at (410) 633-7763 to reserve your seats. You can also download the flyer to share with the friend who needs convincing, or find it on our homepage.
It is the third year, and the first two sold out of good memories. We would love to have you at the table this December.