Trade, Taste, and the Evolving Tale of Texas Whiskey

About this episode

Evan Stern explores the burgeoning Texas whiskey industry, its challenges, and its potential for growth.

In “Trade, Taste, and the Evolving Tale of Texas Whiskey,” Gravy reporter Evan Stern visits the Lone Star State to get a taste of a growing movement: Texas whiskey. Given the importance of saloons in cowboy culture and western mythology, one might think Texas whiskey has a long and storied history. But though Texans have always had a fondness for the demon drink, as a legal industry, Texas whiskey is barely even twenty years old. Despite this youth, however, its growth has been explosive. While as recently as 2010, the state claimed a mere two whiskey distilleries, that number now hovers around sixty and is growing. Yet as makers like Still Austin, Balcones, and Garrison Brothers have garnered awards and drawn national attention, its identity is still being discovered and remains challenging to define. In an increasingly saturated market, one also can’t help but wonder: Is Texas whiskey on the cusp of something big, or will it bust? Through visits to two “grain to glass” distilleries, Stern learns of the industry’s origins from Dan Garrison. The first licensed whiskey maker in modern Texas, Garrison tells of the challenges he faced aging bourbon in the torrid Hill Country and how…

People in this episode

Host: Evan Stern

Guest: Dan Garrison

Topics covered

• Texas whiskey
• distilleries
• cowboy culture
• spirits industry
• regional branding

Keywords

• Texas whiskey
• distilleries
• cowboy culture
• spirits
• Garrison Brothers
• Balcones
• Still Austin
• regional branding

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Still Austin, Balcones, Garrison Brothers

Places: Texas, Hill Country

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