Garrison Brothers: Texas’ First Legal Bourbon Distillery
The Story:
Garrison Brother’s Distillery is the first distillery in Texas since the end of prohibition. After hearing his story, I believe that Master Distiller and owner Dan Todd might be one of my personal heroes. So, Dan ended up on the wrong end of the Enron crash. After this experience, he did what any red-blooded Texas man would do, he went to Kentucky and drank his body weight in bourbon. (One reason I like him!) Dan is not your average whiskey drinker who is simply happy to go to a bar on whiskey row with us average folks. He ended up befriending some of the most notable names in bourbon, like Mr. Elmer T. Lee, who sold Dan his first still, affectionally called the Copper Cowgirl.
The Copper Cowgirl has a story of her own. First she worked for Jimmy Russel at Wild Turkey, than she left him for Mr. Lee, thinking she could do better at Buffalo Trace, before deciding that her home was actually in Texas. She is currently happily living and working at the Garrison Brothers Distillery. Now you see why this man is my hero!
Experience: If you can only take one bourbon distillery tour before you die, this is the one! Upon arriving at Garrison Brothers Distillery, my first thought was “this is Texas!” I enjoyed the rustic beauty of the open fields and the authentic buildings. We passed by the fire pit to go to the gift shop and I immediately knew I was going to enjoy my visit. We walked in and asked to do our tasting early because we thought we would have to leave early. The ladies in the gift shop graciously allowed us to take our tour, whiskey first.
The first sip I had of their flagship bourbon, prior to hearing the story, reminded me of Elmer T. Lee’s bourbon and its flavor profile. We greatly enjoyed the three bourbons in the tasting; it was just what we needed to “sooth the soul” as those Texans put it. Everyone there was incredibly friendly and kindly put up with my questions and my excited focus as I walked around.
The tour, as previously stated, was amazing! It was by far the most thorough tour that I have ever been on. It combined the best part of every tour I have been on and taught me a few new things as well. The part that I found most impressive about this tour was that it made me feel like buying a bottle of Garrison Brothers Bourbon would give me my own little piece of Texas. Each beautiful bottle starts with pure Texas rain water and the ingredients are grown and harvested on the distillery’s land.
As the tour continued, the guides explained the mash and distilling process. During this time they provided samples of the fermenters beer and the white dog, or unaged whiskey. We received a courtesy warning that “it’s not your grandma’s chardonnay”. I actually found it to be sweeter and smoother than most “chardonnay” varieties I’ve tasted!
Next, we went into the bottling room and saw the area that local volunteers hang out in while they take their turn to hand fill and label every bottle. At the end of the bottling, one of the master distillers hand initials every single bottle of Garrison Brothers Bourbon. There is a real sense of community that radiates from that room, particularly as you hear about the pride these Texans take in their whiskey.
Next we were led over to the rick house, because any good tour has a tasting. We ended up having time to stay for just one more sip. I know…big surprise. The rick house is beautiful, with a patio leading out the back, rustic decorations (complete with bull head), and of course, barrels of that precious aging whiskey. Once we were finished, we loaded back onto the tractor and headed back to the gift shop.
Recommendation: This is a visit for anyone who loves whiskey and wants a true Texas experience. The tour is perfect for both experts and beginners, and the exterior is a perfect place to spend time with friends while enjoying a pour of whiskey! Even if you don’t love whiskey, they have a beautiful Texas landscape, a great story, and plenty of photo opportunities. Thank you to Garrison Brothers Distillery for hosting my “yoga session”. Cheers!
Best Little Distillery in Austin – The Still Austin Whiskey Co. (Part 1: The Story)