Austin bartender of Irish descent wins $10,000, first place out of 50 competitors from across the state
AUSTIN, TEXAS — May 7, 2019 — Garrison Brothers, the first corn-to-cork bourbon distillery in America opened outside of Kentucky and the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, announced today the winner of its Bourbon Brawl contest, a 10-week long, statewide bartender competition that came to a close last Thursday. Terance Robson, managing partner at 612 Group and co-founder/mixologist at Here Nor Therein downtown Austin took home the grand prize. What was it? $10,000 from the public charity Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, founded by the Garrison Family and their staff in 2018 and an entire barrel of bourbon from Garrison Brothers Distillery. Terance was crowned victorious after a three-round, Top Chef-style matchup against four other finalists from across Texas. The showdown took place in the second-story ballroom of the historic InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel off 7th Street and Congress Ave. To make it to the final round of the competition, the five bartenders had to win their hometown semi-final. All finalists are listed below along with a brief video recap of their market semi-final.
●Austin: Terance Robson, Here Nor There| semi-final recap video
●Dallas: Hugo Osorio, Bourbon & Banter at The Statler| semi-final recap video
●Fort Worth: Jacob Peters, Whiskey & Rye at Omni Hotel| semi-final recap video
●Houston: Cody Northcutt, Ready Room| semi-final recap video
●San Antonio: Riamond Lomeli, The Edison Experiment| semi-final recap video
To make it to the semi-finals, each competitor participated in The Bourbon Takeover of Texas, a full week during which50 bars and restaurants across Texas featured cocktails incorporating Garrison Brothers 2019 Small Batch Bourbon. The Garrison Brothers team visited every location to taste, critique, examine, and enjoy the creations, considering each cocktail for potential advancement to the next round of the competition. From those initial 50 participants, 25 were selected to advance to the market semi-finals. Five bartenders from each market went head-to-head for the chance to represent their home turf, and only one winner from Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio was selected.
On May 2, Terance was named victorious over all. As winner of the Garrison Brothers Bourbon Brawl, Terancehas the opportunity to craft the official cocktail of Dallas Restaurant Week, instruct a series of cocktail classes at Total Wine and Morelocations throughout Texas, and guest bartend at Whiskey on the Rockin Las Vegas.“This is just the first year of the Bourbon Brawl,” said Dan Garrison, founder and proprietor of Garrison Brothers Distillery. “We wanted to find and recognize the best in Texas. The finalists came down to a diverse group of people, each of whom showcased different aspects of their background, whether from Texas or their home country. It’s been incredible to see what each finalistpresented when competing. The event truly exemplified the diversity of Texas and showcased how great bourbon can bring people of all backgrounds together. We’re excited to see the competition grow in the coming years as we continue to change lives with great bourbon.”
Terance hails from Ireland and is 27 years old. One of the cocktails that got him into the finals is called Straight Outta Dublin, and it’s his twist on an Irish Coffee. A hot cocktail with a cool whipped topping inspired by his favorite childhood dessert—Banoffee pie. You could say that culinary intuition runs in his family.“My mom was a pastry chef. My brother is a chef. My sister is a chef; well, a very good chef and sommelier. My granny was a chef, so my aunties are also all great chefs,” said Robson.Now, Robson is $10,000 richer and already knows what he’s going to do with the money. “My mom, my sister, and my friend Nick’s mom have never been to Austin, so I’m going to buy them all flights over,” he said.
For more information on Bourbon Brawl or Garrison Brothers Distillery, visit garrisonbros.comand follow @garrisonbros on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
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ABOUT GARRISON BROTHERS DISTILLERY
Garrison Brothers Distillery is a small farm and ranch located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country that authentically produces straight bourbon whiskey. Garrison Brothers introduced the first bourbon whiskey legally made in Texas in 2010 and has since developed a rabid fan base. They currently have a waiting list of more than 15,000 just to volunteer on bottling days, and their Cowboy Bourbon™ normally sells out within hours of its release. Garrison Brothers is the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas history and is one of the first distilleries in America outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, made-from-scratch bourbon whiskey and only bourbon whiskey. The business was founded in 2006. Every expression of Garrison Brothers bourbon is made from a sweet mash bill and barrel aged in the intense Texas climate. The extreme heat creates multiple aging seasons in a year, resulting in a darker, richer, and fuller bourbon; bolder than almost any other bourbon on the market. At the American Craft Spirit Awards in 2018, the Garrison Brothers team was awarded a gold medal for its Single Barrel Bourbon, a silver medal for its 2016 SmallBatch Bourbon, and another silver for its Balmorhea Double Barrel Bourbon. Garrison Brothers was voted Best Craft Whiskey Distillery in America by readers of USA Today in 2017.Garrison Brothers is a proud and active member of the communities of Blanco, Fredericksburg, Hye, Johnson City, and Stonewall. The distillery and its barrel barns are open to the public for tours in Hye, Texas. Anyone interested in learning more about Garrison Brothers Bourbon or in taking a tour of the distillery should visit garrisonbros.com or follow @garrisonbros on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
ABOUT GOOD BOURBON FOR A GOOD CAUSE
In association with the distilled spirits community, GOOD BOURBON FOR A GOOD CAUSE is the beneficiary of marketing and promotional events conducted for philanthropic purposes. Funds of GOOD BOURBON FOR A GOOD CAUSE are distributed to charitable organizations primarily, but not exclusively, in Blanco and Gillespie counties of Texas and also to charitable organizations that serve current and former American military personnel. The types of charitable causes that are supported include, but are not limited to:
●Organizations that help current or former American military veterans and their families
●Organizations that help former American military personnel get back to leading a rewarding life
●Organizations that help American veterans recover from debilitating medical, mental health or psychological challenges such as coping with memories of torture, lost friends and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
●Organizations dedicated to conserving and preserving nature, wildlife, green spaces, or historical landmarks and historical sites.
●Other charitable organizations that the board of directors determines to be within the intent and spirit of the formation of this corporation.To date, the organization has raised and contributed close to $200,000.
MEDIA CONTACT
Bryan Gonzales | 512-797-8579 | bryan@giantnoise.com| garrisonbros@giantnoise.com
