Still Austin Whiskey Co. Begins Distilling Whiskey In Texas

The Texas craft whiskey scene right now is certainly one of the most exciting in the country. Top craft distilleries in this market focused on whiskey include the likes of Balcones and Garrison Brothers, but it doesn’t mean there’s not room for other players to emerge. One of those, Still Austin Whiskey Co., out Austin, Texas, could give the others a run for their money in the long term.

Still Austin Whiskey Co., according to those behind it, is a so-called “grain-to-glass” distillery, which is a loosely defined industry term meaning they do most, if not all, of their production on site using local ingredients where possible. For these guys this is said to mean pretty much everything except growing the grains themselves: milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, barreling and bottling of their spirits happen all in house.

Now you may be wondering what might give this distillery a leg up on the others in Texas. A couple of possibilities come to mind. Firstly, the sourcing of local ingredients for their whiskeys. It is said that through their relationships with Texas farmers, those at Still Austin are taking advantage of a diverse variety of local grains and the warm Central Texas climate to make whiskey.

“Our commitment to a fully grain-to-glass approach symbolizes our desire to produce and deliver authentically crafted whiskeys to Austin,” said Still Austin Whiskey Co. CEO Chris Seals in a prepared statement.

Another thing which grabs us about them is the consultants they’ve brought in to help them make top flight craft whiskey. These include Nancy Fraley, a well regarded distilled spirits professional and blender who’s behind, among other things, the successful Jos A. Magnus & Co. distillery out of Washington D.C. She’s joined by Michael Delevante, one of the more respected and experienced master distillers in North America best known for his work in the rum world.

As it stands right now the distillery is producing unaged whiskey distilled from white corn, red wheat and malted barley off of their 42-foot bourbon still custom made in Scotland by Forsyths Ltd. Some of this is already barreled and aging, so we will have to wait awhile to see if Still Austin Whiskey Co. rises towards the top of the Texas whiskey food chain.