Equip Exposition has announced its inaugural small batch bourbon, Equip Reserve 42: Backyard Blend, which will debut at Equip Exposition, October 21-24, 2025 at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC). 

The bourbon was named by Sam Meagher, owner of Sam I Am Outdoor Services, who has attended the show annually since 2021 and submitted his idea for the name to a bourbon-naming contest run by Equip earlier this year.

Unveiled exclusively for Equip’s 42nd show this October, Backyard Blend marks the start of a new show tradition. Two hundred thirty-two bottles will be made of Equip Reserve 42: Backyard Blend. Attendees will have a chance to sample it at the Louisville Tourism booth Wednesday, October 22 from 3 to 5 pm. 

“We’re very excited about our new bourbon blend, which is crafted by a Kentucky distiller. It celebrates our host state’s legendary bourbon heritage, and it’s very fitting that the name for it was submitted by one of our attendees,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which owns and manages Equip Exposition.

Meagher came up with the name Backyard Blend while talking with his wife, Mary McGowan Meagher. “I wanted something ‘Equip Expo-y’, lawn care related. Something catchy, with alliteration. The feeling that name gives you [is something] a lot of people in this industry could relate to … that sentiment and that moment.”

The bourbon has earned a Silver Medal from the American Distilling Institute’s 2025 competition.