Although visitors often head out to wineries in Texas Hill Country, I have found the wine industry there to still be evolving. As it improves, I tend to gravitate to the excellent breweries and distilleries just outside Austin proper. On this trip, we visited five distilleries and sampled some absolutely delicious spirits.

Garrison Brothers Distillery

Located on a secluded ranch in the small town of Hye, 60 miles west of downtown Austin, this is Texas’ “first legal bourbon distillery.” Dan Garrison, who founded it in 2006, custom orders his barrels with thicker staves to counterbalance the extreme Texas heat (average high temperatures hit 90 degrees and above for about three months of the year), which causes the whiskey to extract more of the oak essences in a shorter maturation time. The Cowboy, an uncut and unfiltered straight bourbon whiskey, was delightful. Though not especially viscous, it was rich and well rounded with a deep earthiness balanced by cinnamon and toffee flavors. We loved that it wasn’t too sweet, and when we added ice, floral hints became more prominent. While you’re there, you can also try the label’s other seven bourbons.

Garrison Brothers Distillery
1827 Hye Albert Road, Hye. Tel. (830) 392-0246