Welcome back to my occasional โstate of the businessโ report about Garrison Brothers Distillery and scathing indictment of whatever is pissing me off in liquorland. I was once good about publishing this blog with some frequency, but I have spent too much time traveling in recent months to get it out consistently. And my wife tells me I drink too much to be a good writer.
This publication needs a new name. โTexas Bourbon Newsโ is boring. How about โWhiskeyBent,โ โBlathering about Bourbonโ or โDanโs Whiskey Rant.โ We need something sexier. If you are a regular reader and have good ideas, please email me at texasbourbonnews@garrisonbros.com. Seriously.
The Texas Whiskey Association and Certified Texas Whiskey
Sourced whiskey (industrial commodity whiskey thatโs sold in bulk to marketing companies) may finally have met its match. Youโve heard me rant before about private label brands and sourced brands that claim to be made in Texas. Their bottles likely say something like โproduced or bottled in Texas.โ And most of the time, itโs horseshit.
Youโll soon start seeing this silver seal on bottles released by member distilleries. If that seal is on a bottle, you can rest assured that the liquid in the bottle was actually distilled here in Texas. Our own auditors are visiting Texas distilleries and verifying the production process as we speak. I hope youโll buy a bottle of Certified Texas Whiskey and go visit the distillery that makes it. You might also want to visit the Texas Whiskey Trail at https://texaswhiskeytrail.com/ โ also brought to you by the Texas Whiskey Association.
Red, White and Bourbon
General Michael Hagee, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, and supporters and staff from The Nimitz Museum in Fredericksurg, Texas, along with a few hundred veterans from the Gulf, Vietnam and Korean Wars, got together at the distillery to celebrate
Veteranโs Day and the Marine Corps 243rd birthday. My veteran father (Navy submarines) was there to tell firsthand stories about Admiral Nimitz and my grandfather Malcolm Everett โGaryโ Garrison. What a joy it was to see heroes of mine on stage together!
While the General and I flipped burgers for the kids, Reverend Jason โRevโ Brand drove the museumโs tank all over our ranch. Grape Creek, William Chris, Cicada Cellars and Hye Meadow Winery donated their fine wines for the event. Family Business Brewery was there, sampling a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout called The Grackle. Our friends and neighbors, Case and Dietz from Fischer and Weiser, donated ALL the food. Fredericksburg restaurants Ottoโs and Tubbyโs provided delicious food too. Rambler Sparkling Soda and Coca-Cola donated the beverages. And, of course, Garrison Brothers Distillery provided free bourbon samples to veterans and their families.
We opened the event in the morning with Garrison Brothersโ own Mike Walsh blowing Reveille on his trumpet, a formal flag raising ceremony and a brief prayer. We closed the party down early in the evening by playing Taps on the trumpet. It was a really moving day.
There were two highlights for me: First, at least a half-dozen of the vets in attendance shook my hand and said thank you (how backwards is that!). I had tears in my eyes each time. Second, was the remarkable, hair-raising flyover. Three T-6 Texans out of Dallas and Midland swooped down over our party right at high noon. These crazy beautiful pilots were clipping the treetops of the live oaks, and the flyover endured for almost 30 minutes. A sight I will never forgetโฆ
Texas Parks and Wildlife and Balmorhea State Park
Since then, the pool has reopened and is now ready for the beautiful Texas summer. Weโre working closely with the fine folks at TP&W to preserve its long-term health and beauty and to ensure future generations of Texans can cherish those beautiful, healing waters for years to come.
A Big and Bawdy Bottle of Balmorhea
Bartenders serving Balmorhea have asked us to get them a bigger bottle, so in May of 2019, weโll be introducing Balmorhea in a 750mL bottle. It takes some pretty special and expensive barrels to make Balmorhea though, so when we release it, there will only be a few hundred bottles available.
If you like that bourbon, please visit https://www.garrisonbros.com/find-it to find your own bottle. We would appreciate it and so will Texas Parks & Wildlife. And trust us, itโs worth every damn penny.
The Texas Bourbon Shootout
I could not have been more impressed with Longview, which shall be known henceforth as the bourbon capital of Texas. The east Texas bourbon society has more than 350 members, and they flew Mr. Murray across the pond to judge which Texas whiskey distillery is making the best bourbon. The competition was stiff: Ironroot Republic, Ranger Creek, Firestone & Robertson, Balcones, and Andalucia. All our friends were there.
Garrison Brothersโ Balmorhea was not only the crowdโs favorite, but also Jim Murrayโs. Jim awarded Balmorhea the Double Gold Grand Champion award and the title of The Best Grain to Glass Texas Bourbon! It was a proud moment. Too damn cool.
https://www.easttexasbourbonsociety.com/texas-bourbon-shootout
The Badass Sombidges from Team Rubicon
The Bourbon Takeover of Texas
The following night, I gave another golden ticket out to Scott Jenkins at Hide in Dallasโ Deep Ellum District. Scott and his mixologist Haley collaborated to create โA Sour with Merritโ. Outstanding! Scott is a mad chemist, creating an array of acid-enhanced mixers to alter the finish of his cocktails. The result? Bourbon Utopia.
Come Grab a Drink with Us in Hye
If you canโt make it to one of the Bourbon Takeover of Texas bars, please come have a drink with us in Hye. We conduct distillery tours at 10, noon, 2 and 4. You can make a reservation or buy a fancy t-shirt here: www.garrisonbros.com. But you donโt have to take a tour to taste our bourbon; we serve tastings at our Hospitality Cabin, Wednesday through Sunday from 10 to 5.
Good Bourbon Can Change the World
Friends, in 2018 we sold more bottles of Garrison Brothers bourbon than we have in our entire sordid history. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you for drinking good bourbon. Every time you buy a bottle, you are putting beans on the table for my family, my staff and our neighbors. You are also helping us take care of Texas treasures like Balmorhea State Park, The Nimitz Museum and Team Rubicon. And weโre just getting started. Good bourbon can increase oneโs faith in man and God, build enduring friendships and create legendary stories for life.
But thereโs more: The FDA and the TTB donโt like me to talk publicly about the medicinal properties of good bourbon โ but in the proper dosage, it is an aphrodisiac and can make you and anyone you are sleeping with better looking. Donโt believe me? Get a date and give it a try yourself.
Thanks for drinking good bourbon. Vaya con Dios,
Kind regards,
Dan Garrison
Distiller, Whiskey Peddler, Storyteller and Toilet Scrubber