Whiskey Off-Road
April 30 – May 2, 2027 | Prescott, Arizona
Starting in the middle of Prescott’s historic and always lively Whiskey Row, the Whiskey Off-Road quickly leaves downtown behind and heads into the mountains and spectacular scenery of the Prescott National Forest.
And that’s where things get interesting.
The Whiskey combines some of the area’s best singletrack, double track, gravel roads, serious climbing and just enough pavement to connect it all together. Riders can choose their challenge, but whichever distance you pick, you’re going to earn that finish.
The Whiskey boasts about a 94% finish rate, which sounds reassuring until you see the course.
This is no walk in the park.
What makes the Whiskey special, though, is everything surrounding the ride. For three days, downtown Prescott becomes a mountain bike town, with an industry expo, live music, events, professional and amateur racing and thousands of people who share an enthusiasm for bicycles and being outside.
Whiskey Isn’t Just for the Grown-Ups
With a name like the Whiskey Off-Road, you might assume this is strictly a 21-and-over affair. Not even close.
The Whiskey is truly a family-friendly cycling weekend, and one of my favorite parts of the entire event is the kids race. Before some of the biggest names in mountain biking take their turn, the next generation gets to line up and race through downtown Prescott.
Kids show up on bikes of every size with parents, grandparents and spectators lining the course and cheering like it’s the World Championships. Some of the kids are just happy to make it around the course. Others are tucked over their handlebars and racing like there are professional contracts waiting at the finish line.
It’s fun, a little chaotic and one of the best reminders that the Whiskey is about much more than racing. It’s about introducing kids to cycling, getting families outside and making everyone, from the smallest rider to the fastest professional, feel like they’re part of the same mountain bike community.
So yes, there’s plenty of Whiskey in Prescott that weekend. But you definitely don’t have to be 21 to enjoy the Whiskey.
It’s also hard to imagine a better setting for the weekend. Prescott’s Wild West history isn’t something recreated for the event. Whiskey Row, the Courthouse Plaza and the historic downtown are already there. Add several thousand mountain bikers and the result feels like the town and the event were made for each other.
Then there’s the reward.
Finishers roll back into downtown Prescott and receive one of the Whiskey’s best traditions: a commemorative pint glass emblazoned with the distance they just completed. From there, the shaded lawn of the historic Courthouse Plaza is waiting.
Find some grass. Take off your shoes. Fill the pint glass. Compare stories about the climb that seemed like it would never end and the piece of singletrack that made you forget all about it.
The Whiskey Off-Road is challenging enough to give you something to brag about, but it’s also a three-day celebration of mountain biking, Prescott and the people who make this sport such a great community.
Come for the singletrack. Bring the kids. Earn the pint glass. Stay for the party on Whiskey Row.
