The Winnetu In Martha’s Vineyard Hosts First Annual Oceans and Oysters Weekend

An idyllic retreat along the southeastern edge of Martha’s Vineyard, Winnetu Oceanside Resort is associated with plenty of culinary delights. Most of them are maritime in nature…Lobster, chowder, oysters. Bourbon? Not so much. Until now.

This past weekend the prestigious property hosted Ocean & Oysters, a weekend of whiskey-fueled festivities and pairings, with Trey Zoeller, the charismatic founder of Jefferson’s Bourbon. It was a particularly fitting collaboration considering that his brand’s most famous expression is, in fact, maritime in nature. Here’s everything you need to know about what looks to be the Vineyard’s tastiest new autumn tradition.

First, a little background on that aforementioned expression of bourbon. Jefferson’s Ocean isn’t just any ol’ American whiskey. It’s a special sort of bourbon that spends much of its life maturing at sea. After distillation and initial aging in Kentucky, it’s sent out on shipping containers, where the liquid sloshes forcefully against its oak barrel enclosures.

The process helps pull in added wood sugar from within the cask, while the slight brine of the sea accumulate from without. It’s that last component that makes the final product particularly perfect for oyster pairings. And the Vineyard sure has plenty of beautiful bivalves to offer up in service of such.

Oceans & Oysters kicked off with a lively shucking session led by local purveyor, Cottage City Oysters. Attendees learned some pointers to help them in that particularly pesky endeavor, while Zoeller regaled them with tales of his whiskey voyages across the seven seas. Then a special Jefferson’s Bourbon bar, erected along water’s edge, served as the anchor point for a classic sunset clambake.

Saturday’s programming began with a ceremonial barrel-filling in the Winnetu courtyard. This new batch of Jefferson’s Bourbon might just make its way onto the open sea in the ensuing months. But no matter where it goes, the rich, caramel-laden whiskey will return to the Vineyard. It’ll be available to taste next year at the second annual Oceans & Oysters weekend, with returning guests getting a first crack at the cask.

Later in the afternoon, Zoeller led another oyster and bourbon pairing. This time, he went into greater detail on how and why this particular seafood and drink combo works so well. “The bourbon’s briny notes complement the punchiness of Vineyard oysters,” he explains. “It highlights a natural affinity between land and sea.”

The weekend concluded with a Sunday brunch hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group. There was more shucking, more seafood, and—you guessed it—more Jefferson’s Bourbon. Notably absent, however, were the crowds that can overrun the celebrated summertime getaway. It turns out, autumn might be the island’s best kept secret. There’s mild weather, fall foliage, less traffic, and now, great whiskey to wash it all down with.

Meanwhile, Little Gem Resorts, the parent company behind Winnetu, is endeavoring to expand its culinary programming across its broader portfolio. In addition to the new Oceans & Oysters, the brand also hosts the Taste of Lovango festival at the eponymous resort in the US Virgin Islands. The third annual iteration of that gathering takes place May 1-4 of 2025 and showcases celebrity chefs and Caribbean flavors. It might also soon receive its own barrel of Jefferson’s Ocean, too.

Zoeller, for his part, seems quite content floating his liquid to any islands he can spot on the map. And Martha’s Vineyard is one that’s actually served as a supportive market for well over a decade. This past weekend, he matched that exuberance in kind, ensuring that a first-time festival will become enshrined as annual tradition.

“In bringing together the distinct flavors of Martha’s Vineyard and the art of whiskey aging at sea, we crafted an experience that went beyond tasting notes,” he says. “We celebrated the synergy between salt-kissed oysters and ocean-aged bourbon with every bite, every sip, and every story shared by the water. And I can’t wait to do it again next year.”