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Spend an evening tasting curated bourbons at the Jeremiah Lee Brick Kitchen in Marblehead. This guided fundraiser pairs pours with hearty appetizers and supports the Marblehead Museum—book early, tickets sell out.
Spend an evening tasting curated bourbons at the Jeremiah Lee Brick Kitchen in Marblehead. This guided fundraiser pairs pours with hearty appetizers and supports the Marblehead Museum—book early, tickets sell out.
Book with Marblehead Museum
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Marblehead Museum · Marblehead, Massachusetts
On a cool evening in Marblehead, Massachusetts, the Jeremiah Lee Brick Kitchen fills with the warm glow of amber spirits and conversation. Spirit Night Bourbon Tasting is the Marblehead Museum's annual fundraising social where guest bartenders and a guided host walk attendees through a curated flight of premium bourbons, each paired with hearty, locally inspired appetizers. Held at 157 Washington Street in a brick-lined room that recalls the town's colonial and maritime past, the event turns tasting into storytelling: each pour has notes to trace, provenance to discuss, and a practical tip for enjoying neat, with ice, or as a short cocktail.
The tasting format balances education and conviviality. A guided tasting introduces three to five bourbons - from sweeter corn-forward mash bills to drier, oak-driven bottlings - highlighting production notes, cask influence, and pairing logic. Heavy hors d'oeuvres punctuate the pours so the evening feels like a compact chef-and-distiller showcase rather than a sterile lecture. Tickets are offered at a member and public rate, and all proceeds support the Marblehead Museum, a local cultural institution preserving the town's maritime collections and historic properties.
What makes this night special in Marblehead's outdoor-recreation-rich region is its intimate civic energy: it's a social hub where locals, visiting sailors, and day-trippers converge after a coastal hike or harbor paddle. The Jeremiah Lee Brick Kitchen is steps from waterfront streets; you can arrive after an afternoon walking the old town or watching sunset from the harbor. The architecture - exposed brick, original hearth features - anchors the tasting with a lived-in New England character that amplifies small-batch bourbons' handcrafted ethos.
Practical details matter: the event runs in the evening, requires attendees to be 21+, and sells out at a modest ticket price; reservations are recommended. Dress is casual - think flannel or smart-casual - and bring a head for tasting notes if you want to keep up. For visitors staying in Marblehead or nearby Salem or Beverly, Spirit Night is an efficient, rewarding way to spend a coastal evening that mixes culinary creativity with local preservation.
Tasting runs 6-8pm; tickets are $85 for museum members and $95 for the public, and all guests must be 21 or older. With limited seating and proceeds funding museum operations, book in advance. Arrive early to visit nearby exhibits or stroll the harbor; one evening can pair a focused tasting with a short cultural walk through Marblehead's historic streets.
Whether you're a bourbon novice curious about cask influence or a collector seeking new bottlings, the evening combines tasteful instruction and social warmth. It's less about showing off rare bottles and more about building community: each ticket is an investment in the museum's work, so your next pour helps keep Marblehead's stories on display.
easy.
2 hours (6–8pm).
No special fitness required beyond the ability to stand and move through a small, indoor venue
The tasting typically runs from 6-8pm; check your ticket for exact check-in and start times.
Yes. All guests must be 21 or older and must present valid photo ID at check-in.
Ticket policies vary by event; because proceeds support the Marblehead Museum, refunds may be limited—check the event page or contact the museum for specifics.
Yes. Heavy appetizers are paired with the pours as part of the tasting experience.
There is limited street parking near 157 Washington Street and paid lots a short walk away; arriving early improves options.
Accessibility details are not listed in the event description—contact the Marblehead Museum directly for information on specific accommodations.
Marblehead has a deep maritime history and the Marblehead Museum collects artifacts and stories linked to the town's seafaring past.
Proceeds support museum operations; consider responsible disposal of single-use items and choose local transit or walking to minimize event-related impact.
Marblehead Museum, located in Marblehead, Massachusetts, preserves and interprets the town’s maritime, colonial, and social history through public programs, rotating exhibits, and guided experiences. The museum offers site-specific tours and presentations that explore Marblehead’s role in early American history and community life. Notable offerings include the Jeremiah Lee Mansion Tour, a 45-minute guided walk through three floors of the Georgian Lee Mansion that reveals the Lee family’s lifestyle, the presence of enslaved individuals in the household, and local economic and social contexts of the colonial era. Educational programming includes the Annual Ambassador Michael Brackett Smith Memorial Lecture, presented as John Glover’s Schooner Hannah (Zoom only), an illustrated talk detailing the schooner Hannah’s 1775 escape from the British naval vessel Nautilus and its significance to early Revolutionary maritime history. Another public presentation, Bittersweet: Dessert and Dissent, is a 45-minute session that examines eighteenth- and nineteenth-century anti-slavery boycotts, pairs historical desserts such as apple tartlet and gingerbread with interpretation, and concludes with audience Q&A. Marblehead Museum works with local historians, volunteers, and community partners to deliver informed programming for residents, students, and visitors. The museum’s public calendar, ticketed tours, and virtual lectures provide accessible ways to engage with primary history and to deepen understanding of Marblehead’s past. Visitors are encouraged to consult the museum’s official schedule for up-to-date event details. Admission and registration details are posted on the museum’s official website; groups, schools, and educators may request guided visits or tailor programs by contacting museum staff directly for scheduling and accessibility information.
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