If there’s anything that makes summer a jolly good time, it’s spending days outside with friends, refreshments, laughter, and music. Midway through July, a dear friend took the reins and planned a distillery crawl for twenty people – some of us friends, some acquaintances, some absolute strangers. We split our party between a rented 12-passenger van and a mini-van for a very spirited day out. (Note: thank you to the two kind friends who volunteered to be designated drivers for the day!)
Our host designed our day to hit a variety of distilleries with distinct specializations: whiskey, sotol, gin and liqueur, and bourbon (whiskey, of course, but specific). This plan assured everyone had their tastebuds tickled and had the chance to step outside of their comfort zone.
We started at the crack of 10 am for Crowded Barrel Whiskey Co. and squeezed our group into its adjacent Fang and Feather tasting room. Nestled in the evocative scenery of the Wizard Academy grounds (less Harry Potter and more Install Wizard), Crowded Barrel prides itself on being the world’s first crowd-sourced whiskey distillery. Fans and followers have the chance to voice their say in what ingredients and processes go into CBWC products. This unique approach makes for extraordinary, crowd-pleasing whiskeys in single barrel releases. We opted for a full tasting flight and agreed that each of the four choices ran hot, but mellowed with the addition of water droplets (which also balanced the palate). I recommend the Alliance Series Texas Whiskey Festival Blend for its blended spices and sweet honey notes.
I didn’t love everything Crowded Barrel had to offer, but given the charming, rustic vibes and constant promise of a new whiskey experience around the corner, we’ll likely return for another round.
For our second stop, we took a turn into the wild west for a visit to Desert Door Distillery, the first of its type in the USA. Proud sotol, a hardy plant native to the Texas Hill Country, will not be confused with agave; the Desert Spoon is actually a member of the asparagus family, as evidenced by its spirit’s herbal, earthy taste. We decided to go for the tour, which proved both interesting and interactive. We learned a lot about the sotol plant and saw each step of the ground-to-bottle process. Our guide even gave us a sample of the sotol swill pre-distillation, which tasted somewhere between thin mints and potting soil.
After the tour, we lounged awhile in the sparse, modern tasting room and enjoyed house cocktails. The Desert Paloma sips smoky, sour, and smooth, while the Desert Oasis Smash balances jammy fruit with heady botanicals. Desert Door provided by far the best tour, and their imaginative cocktails and welcoming space wove together a lively experience. I’m not sold on sotol as a standard on my personal bar cart, but I’d recommend Desert Door to anyone interested in trying something new.
Morning gave way to afternoon, and we headed to Revolution Spirits, a small craft distillery with gin, amaro, and liqueur offerings. Revolution’s tasting and tour aren’t showy or long, but they’re free. Mike and I are particular fans of gin, and Mike can hardly say no to a good Negroni. We so enjoyed Revolution’s amaro amico (a housemade alternative to Campari, but richer and more complex), we purchased a bottle to take home, alongside their coffee liqueur. If gin isn’t your thing, check out some of Revolution’s limited releases, which range from apple brandy to farmhouse liqueurs.
Our terminus for the day was the only distillery with which I’m familiar: Treaty Oak Distilling. My husband threw my birthday party at Treaty Oak last year, where we sat sipping craft cocktails under the shade of grand, reaching trees, danced to live music, and watched my best friend receive a spontaneous free haircut. If you’ve never been, imagine a lovely park where you can spread a picnic, watch children fly kites, or toss a Frisbee for your beloved pup. Only, here, you can do all of the above with an Old Fashioned in hand. By the time we made it to the sweeping vistas of Treaty Oak, many of our group had abandoned the intention to taste spirits and made a bee-line for the Rickhouse cocktail bar. A staunch few headed to the Tasting Room, where I savored the best rye whiskey I’ve had this side of the Canadian border (Red Handed: clean, crisp, with notes of green apple and pepper, finishes with caramel and spice).
Treaty Oak has plenty to offer, with a distillery, brewery, and winery on site. There’s also Alice’s Restaurant (serving up Southern favorites and Texas barbecue), a garden to explore, fire pits, and an outdoor stage featuring folk, swing, and honky-tonk music.
When it came down to it, none of us was ready for the day to end. We had forged friendships and expanded our horizons, a recipe for a delightful summer Saturday – second only to Treaty Oak’s Raspberry Gin Mojito. What are your favorite distilleries in the Austin area? Do you agree with my assessments? Let me know in the comments!