Cowboys and The Alamo. Barbecue and high school football. These are only a few things that come to mind when you hear Texas mentioned and, until recently, Texas whiskey certainly wasn’t on the tip of anyone's tongue. In fact, just a decade ago, there were only two whiskey distilleries in Texas: Balcones Distilling in Waco, and Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye. Unless you were already into whiskey or bourbon, even living in Texas would not guarantee you knew about Texas Whiskey.
This didn’t last long, as Texans began to get a taste for their own homegrown spiritus fermenti, and they were not about to let the rest of the world keep all the glory. Soon other distilleries began to pop up, like San Antonio’s Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling, and Austin’s Treaty Oak Distilling, and many more would follow.
Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling would become the first combined distillery and brewery operation in Texas. This unique business model would bring in a wider variety of imbibers, as well as allow for symbiotic experimentation, often aging their beer in their own barrels, as well as distilling the wort (the liquid extracted from the mashing process) into spirits. Makes sense. You have to make beer to make whiskey.
Texas was now showing signs of whiskey life.
The landscape of spirits in Texas has changed quite a bit over the last six years. Distilleries in the Lone Star State have been popping up all over—Still Austin Whisky Co. in Austin, Real Spirits Distilling Co. in Blanco (the spirits arm of Real Ale Brewing Company), Deep Ellum Distillery in Dallas, Lone Elm Whiskey - Five Points Distilling in Forney, to name a few. Treaty Oak Distilling even expanded its model to allow for a very modest brewing operation.
Texas now has more than 130 distilleries, all with different, yet very similarly distinctive flavor profiles. Texas has developed its own terroir, its own unique flavors. “We’ve noticed that ourselves and the other distilleries in the Blanco area have a specific terroir that we feel absolutely comes from the soil, heat, and water in our area,” says Brad Farbstein, President of Real Ale Brewing Company and Real Spirits Distilling Co. “So distinctive have Texas whiskies become, that others outside of Texas have tried to mimic the same conditions,” and so the Texas Whiskey Association was born.
Photo courtesy of Texas Whiskey Association
With the number of distilleries rising in Texas, there was a growing concern that without a definition as to what constituted Texas Whiskey, as well as the means to protect it, anyone could claim to their whiskey was from Texas. Some distilleries were “grain to glass,” meaning the final product was 100% made at the distillery. Some sourced their base spirit, then distilled and aged it at their location. Yet others bought finished products and labeled them as Texas whiskey.
Grain-to-glass distillers felt they had worked hard to create a unique profile for Texas whiskey. A definition that would truly represent the distillers of Texas, as opposed to larger national distillers.
So, what defines Texas Whiskey? “You start with grain, you mash, ferment, distill, mature, and bottle in the State of Texas.” Says Spencer Whelan, former Executive Director and CEO of the Texas Whiskey Association, who was interviewed prior to his departure earlier this year.
Whelan had been concerned with the appropriation of the name “Texas” by many non-Texas distilleries, who soured whiskey from out of state, then placed “Texas” on the bottle, or used Texas-themed artwork, and marketed the finished product with no disclaimer. Whelan approached several of the early pioneers about forming a trade association to help define, protect, and promote a new category of whiskey—Texas Whiskey.
Along with Garrison Brothers Distillery, Balcones Distilling, Andalusia Whiskey, Real Spirits Distilling Co., and nine others, the Texas Whiskey Association was formed in 2018. The Associations’ purpose is more than just defining and protecting Texas whiskey, but also educating those who enjoy its pleasures, as well as giving support to its members who produce whiskey within the borders of Texas.
Some, like Devils River Whiskey’s Mike Cameron, see the definition as limiting to the industry. “I think it’s a great marketing strategy and the direction that the industry in Texas should be going,” says Cameron. “Should we have a Texas Whiskey Association? Absolutely. But if you’re going to call it a Texas Whiskey, shouldn’t it be more than just made in Texas, should it be made with Texas grain?”
Cameron added that the addition of the Texas Whiskey Trail was a great way to get consumer and member involvement in the Texas industry. “There’s a lot of member involvement, and it’s getting some real legs, and I think it’s awesome. That’s why I’m joining.” Says Cameron.
On the issue of using 100% Texas grains, Spencer Whelan added that "there have been discussions about how to acknowledge Texas whiskeys with 100% Texas harvested grains. Growing the agriculture and allied-trade community to produce grains that meet the demand for Texas-grown raw materials is a priority issue for Texas Whiskey Association.
In less than three years, the association has worked to promote transparency in labeling, requiring distilleries in the Lone Star State to be honest in how their products are sourced. If it meets the basic definition of mashing, fermenting, drilling, and bottling in Texas, it can be labeled a Certified Texas Whiskey and bear that seal on each bottle.
Photo courtesy of Texas Whiskey Association
To address their mantra of educating consumers, Whelan and the rest of the Texas Whisky Association board at the time (which included Balcones Distilling Head Distiller Jerod Himstedt and Andalusia Whiskey founder Ty Phelps) created the Texas Whiskey Trail. Much like the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Texas Whiskey Trail allows whiskey lovers to experience every member distillery in Texas, learn what each is all about, and their unique approach to Texas whiskey.
The Texas Whiskey Trail has two levels of membership for enthusiasts: a free membership that allows members to get points for check-ins, a completion award for hitting up all trail distilleries, achievement bonus points, and points for attending special events; and (for those with a little more commitment, and desire to help out the cause) the Trailblazer membership that offers everything the free membership does, plus free tours of all member distilleries, a welcoming pack, distillery-only benefits, and distillery exclusives like members electing barrels that are bottled and available for Trailblazers only.
As of this writing, there are 25 distillery members of the Texas Whiskey Association and Trail, with more expected in 2021. The Texas Whisky Trail comprises four regions: South Texas Trail (Devil’s River, Maverick Whiskey, and Ranger Creek Distilling); Hill Country Trail (Andalusia Whiskey, Crowded Barrel Whiskey, Garrison Brothers, Distillery, Milam and Greene Whiskey, Modisett & Sons Distillery, Real Spirits Distilling, Spirit of Texas Distillery, Still Austin Whiskey, and Treaty Oak Distilling); Gulf Coast Trail (Gulf Coast Distillers, MKT Distillery, Shire Distilling, William Price, and Yellow Rose Distilling); and the North Texas Trail (1845 Distilling, Balcones Distilling, Blackland Distillery, Deep Ellum Distillery, Five Points (Lone Elm) Distilling, Iroonroot Republic Distilling, Oak & Eden Whiskey, and Tahwahkaro Distilling).
In addition to the member distilleries, the Trail includes what the Texas Whiskey Association calls outposts. Essentially they are non-distillery venues that promote and support Texas Whiskey. Presently True Texas BBQ and MainStreat Food Hall are outpost venues located in various HEB grocery stores around Texas.
Current board members for the Texas Whiskey Association are Ironroot Republic Distilling’s Robert Likarish – President; Crowded Barrel Distilling’s Daniel Whittington – Secretary; Real Spirits Distilling’s Davin Topel – Treasurer; Still Austin Whiskey’s Joanna Salinas – Director; Balcones Distilling’s Jerod Himstedt – Immediate Past President; and Wade Woodard – Compliance Officer.
Get out on the road and explore the whiskey and spirits that the Lonestar State has to offer!