The 6th Annual Burgers, Bourbon & Beer Festival raised $65,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village. The festival welcomed nearly 1,000 guests for its first year at the new venue, bringing together local restaurants, cook teams, sponsors, and the community for an afternoon of burgers, bourbon, beer, and live music.
Guests enjoyed unlimited gourmet burger tastings alongside craft beer and bourbon samples, while Below Alabama and Epic & Elegant Entertainment's DJ Christian kept the energy going throughout the afternoon. Local cook teams competed for both judges’ and guests’ votes in a friendly competition for the Emerald Coast’s best burger.
2026 Burgers, Bourbon & Beer Festival winners:
• Judge’s Choice Best Overall: Crazy Cajun Specialty Meats
• Judge’s Choice Most Creative: North Beach Social
• Judge’s Choice Best Topping: Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi
• People’s Choice 1st Place: Crazy Cajun Specialty Meats
• People’s Choice 2nd Place: North Beach Social
• People’s Choice 3rd Place: McGuire’s Irish Pub
The 2026 competitors included Crazy Cajun Specialty Meats, North Beach Social, Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, McGuire’s Irish Pub, Fudpucker’s Beachside Bar & Grill, Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl & Grill, LongHorn Steakhouse, Lesgo Personal CHEF, Boathouse Oyster Bar and Brunch with Ruby-Ruby Slipper.
“Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Burgers, Bourbon & Beer Festival such a success. Our cook teams brought their very best, our sponsors and volunteers made the move to a new venue seamless, and our guests showed up hungry and ready to support our club kids,” said Shervin Rassa, Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast. “The funds raised will go directly toward the more than 5,000 youth we serve each year, and we’re already looking forward to year seven.”
Beyond the food and festivities, every ticket to the event supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast and its efforts to create brighter futures for local youth. The organization serves more than 5,000 young people each year through programs focused on academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, visit emeraldcoastbgc.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast is a registered IRS 501(c)3 charity whose mission is to promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and influence through its programs focused on academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. The Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast receives funding from contributions, special events, grants, and major donors such as the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation and United Way agencies in Escambia and Okaloosa/Walton Counties.
