Garrison Brothers Distillery

Garrison Brothers Distillery is the Hye, Texas operation that holds an unambiguous historical distinction: the first and oldest legal whiskey distillery in Texas, and the first distillery outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handcrafted, corn-to-cork bourbon whiskey. Founded in 2006 by Dan and Nancy Garrison in the Texas Hill Country town of Hye (population approximately 100, roughly 60 miles west of Austin and 90 miles north of San Antonio in the heart of the Pedernales River wine-and-spirits country), Garrison Brothers occupies a working farm-and-distillery property in the Hill Country that has become one of the most-visited Texas craft distillery destinations — over 50,000 annual visitors at peak years.

The founding-era story is genuinely Texas-craft pioneering. Dan Garrison discovered his interest in bourbon making in 2001 after leaving a software marketing career, began experimenting in his barn in 2005, received the Texas distillery license in 2008 (the first issued for whiskey production in modern Texas history), and released the first commercial Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon in 2010. The four-year gap between distillery license and first bottle reflects the bourbon production reality that Kentucky has long known and Texas was learning: real bourbon takes real time, and the inaugural release represented the actual minimum age statement Garrison was willing to bottle.

The mash bill is genuinely Texas-sourced: Texas-grown corn (the high-percentage primary grain), soft red winter wheat from local Hill Country farms (rather than the more standard rye second grain that dominates most Kentucky bourbon), and two-row malted barley. The Texas Hill Country climate — hot dry summers with dramatic seasonal temperature swings — accelerates the wood-spirit interaction in the new charred American oak barrels, producing mature flavor characteristics in 3-5 years that would typically require 8-12 years of aging in the milder Kentucky climate. The trade-off is meaningfully higher angel's share (annual evaporation loss) than Kentucky aging produces.

The product range covers Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon (the flagship), Garrison Brothers Single Barrel selections, Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon (the higher-proof annual release), Garrison Brothers Balmorhea (a charity-focused Hill Country aged release), Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre (an annual cask-strength release), Garrison Brothers Honeydew (an unaged honey-finished spirit), and the highly-sought Garrison Brothers Bottled in Bond program. The bourbon has earned over 800 competition awards across the past decade-plus, and the Hye visitor experience — operated as a working farm-distillery destination with daily tours, tastings, and the broader Hill Country wine-and-spirits tourism corridor — is the natural anchor of the entire modern Texas craft bourbon scene.