Think distilleries don’t exist in the Texas Hill Country where wine reigns? Think again. Hard spirit makers operate throughout the state and proliferate in the Hill Country. If you love sampling the finer vodkas, whiskeys, and more, you need to make these distilleries a part of your next Hill Country ramble.
Spirits
5 Distilleries to Visit in the Texas Hill Country for a High-Spirited Tour
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1. Rebecca Creek Distillery
Photo: Facebook/Rebecca Creek Distillery
Based in San Antonio, Rebecca Creek Distillery makes three labels sold around the Lone Star State, Rebecca Creek Whiskey, Texas Ranger Whiskey, and Enchanted Rock Vodka. Like many other Texas Hill Country distilleries, this one offers tours. Stop by Thursdays through Sundays for tours and several events on those days. Check out steak night, happy hour, and other fun things on tour evenings and afternoons at the Rebecca Creek Distillery while sampling their spirits and getting a look behind the scenes.
2. Hill Country Distillers
Photo: Facebook/Hill Country Distillers
Hill Country Distillers claims to be first in Texas to offer a spirits club, where members get bottles of spirits and discounts throughout the year. Should you consider joining, make sure you live near Comfort so you can pick up your drinks in person as distilleries are not allowed to ship materials around the state. Hill Country Distillers makes unusual drinks such as jalapeño and prickly pear specialty distilled spirits in addition to liquors and brandies concocted from Texas wines. If you have a dog, then bring it along because the dining area offers accommodations for your four-legged friend.
3. Garrison Brothers Distillery
Photo: Facebook/Garrison Brothers Distillery
Located in Hye, Garrison Brothers Distillery operates the oldest legal whiskey distillery in the state. It manufactures Texas bourbon. If you’d like to visit and try a sample, take a sit and sip tour of the grounds Wednesdays through Sundays. Tours cost $10 to $20, but since this is Texas, if you arrive for the tour on a horse, you get in for free.
4. San Luis Spirits
Photo: Facebook/Dripping Springs Vodka
San Luis Spirits produces Dripping Springs vodka and gin in small batches in Dripping Springs, Texas. The tasting room is open Monday through Saturday, but if you want a tour of the facility, you’ll need to go Thursday through Saturday. Cocktail hour and other events occur regularly at the distillery, so you will likely find an activity to strike your fancy when you visit.
5. Cypress Creek Reserve
Photo: Facebook/Cypress Creek Reserve Rum
Unlike most other Texas Hill Country distilleries, Cypress Creek Reserve in Wimberly offers tours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in addition to Thursday through Saturday. If you want to spread out your tours throughout the week, visiting Cypress Creek Reserve when other distilleries are closed will help your itinerary. On the tour, you can see how this distillery produces its rum and vanilla extract. It’s one of the few distilleries that produce rum in Texas and is close enough to Austin and San Antonio for a quick day trip to tour the facility or to stock up on liquor.
