Curated cocktail kits provide the experience of an award-winning Texas bourbon distillery from the comfort of home
AUSTIN, TEXAS (June 16, 2020) — Garrison Brothers, the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas, announced today a new offering — an immersive virtual distillery tour with cocktail kits — available on June 14. With bars and restaurants shuttered across the nation and strict social distancing protocols set forth by local health authorities, Garrison Brothers got creative to provide bourbon lovers new and old a way to explore the spirit with a fun, one-of-a-kind way to best mimic the in-person tour of the Hye, Texas distillery without leaving home.
“I love giving personal tours of our grain silos, cook house, still room, and barrel barns,” said Dan Garrison, founder and proprietor of Garrison Brothers Distillery. “It broke my heart that with this terrible pandemic going on our loyal patrons couldn’t come visit to see how we make our award-winning bourbon. So we’re bringing the distillery to them.”
The immersive virtual distillery tour will be available in time for Father’s Day (June 21) making this great experience the perfect choice for those looking to provide a unique present for dad. Kits go on sale on June 14 — National Bourbon Day — and will be available for doorstep delivery in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, and Washington D.C. Patrons are encouraged to place their order by June 19 to ensure their package arrives in time for the kickoff tour at 4:00 p.m. on June 21. Kits are priced at $137.71 and can be purchased via at www.garrisonbros.com/sourced.
The Immersive Virtual Distillery Tour Kit Includes:
-One 750ml bottle of Garrison Brothers 2020 Small Batch Bourbon
-8 oz. of Cocktail Batch #1 – “The Honey Don’t List” homemade blueberry syrup and Sourced cordial
-8 oz. of Cocktail Batch #2 – “Maybe Tomorrow” – homemade vanilla demerara syrup and chocolate bitters
-A jigger (a bartender’s measuring tool) to mix your cocktails
-Instructions on how to make your cocktails
-A container of Garrison Brothers corn
-A container of barrel char chips
-Topo Chico
The Garrison Brothers team set out to design a live virtual distillery tour using aerial drone videography, helmet-mounted GoPro video, and wireless mics. After several test runs, they found themselves wanting to taste, smell, and see each part of the bourbon making process, and the idea of an immersive virtual distillery tour was born. To create the cocktail kits, Garrison partnered with Sourced Craft Cocktails, a service that delivers custom cocktail kits to homes in select markets, providing out-of-work bartenders the opportunity to earn a living wage by delivering local orders.
“Not only is the team at Sourced Craft Cocktails expert in curating cocktail kits, but their mission is to turn moments into memories through a cocktail experience, which is exactly what we’re trying to do with this virtual tour. They’re also committed to fighting unemployment in the liquor industry with their new pivot to delivery service. That means a lot to us, especially during these tough times,” Garrison said.
As the virtual tour begins, guests will be met by an expert Sourced mixologist who will walk them through unpacking the kit. The Sourced mixologist will guide guests in creating the two cocktail recipes with the ingredients provided in their kit. Then, with a freshly-made cocktail in hand, all will raise a glass to Father’s Day.
“I can’t wait to show everybody around,” Garrison said. “I already know this immersive virtual tour is going to make my day. If I can help make somebody’s Father’s Day special, you better believe I’ll be smiling.”
Guests will “climb aboard” a hayless hayride and hear about Garrison Brothers’ rich history as the oldest, finest Bourbon distillery in Texas. As Garrison guides guests around the property and through the various stages of bourbon making, they will be able to follow along with the samples in their kit, all the way from field to bottle.
Garrison will explain the ABCs of bourbon and help guests understand how to properly nose and taste the spirit. He will explain how master distiller Donnis Todd uses different methods to bring out specific aromas and flavors, and guests will be able to follow along by smelling and touching pieces of the barrels in which Garrison Brothers award-winning Texas bourbon ages.
Garrison Brothers is excited to have a hand in helping people across America celebrate their dads this Father’s Day. This one-of-a-kind experience is perfect for dads who love whiskey, food, science, technology, Texas, history, introverted dads, dads who can’t travel, or dads who just want to get away from quarantine for a little while.
“I’m a father of two,” Garrison said. “If my kids got me this kit for Father’s Day, I’d know I’ve done something right.”
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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 and only 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 waitlist of more than 17,000 people hoping to land a spot 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, handmade bourbon whiskey. The business was founded in 2006, though rumor has it they may have started production a little earlier.
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 San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2020, the Garrison Brothers team was awarded a double gold medal for its Balmorhea Double-Barreled Bourbon, a silver medal for its Single Barrel Bourbon, and a bronze medal for its Small Batch 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, Twitter, and Instagram.
ABOUT SOURCED: CRAFT COCKTAILS DELIVERED
Sourced is a craft cocktail service that brings classic cocktail kits right to your door. Currently offering services in Austin, Dallas, NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, DC, Sourced prides themselves in “Crafting Experiences at Moments that Matter.”
Sourced’s gourmet cocktail kits are delivered to homes by bartenders who have been put out of work by the bar and restaurant closures by the government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Knowing how many bars and restaurants are closed right now, and how many bartenders are out of work, we are honored to help support them by putting them back to work, delivering quality cocktails in their neighborhoods through this and our consumer program,” said Tim Angelillo, Founder of Sourced Craft Cocktails.
Sourced is proud to provide bartenders who are currently out of work due to bar closures across America the ability to earn a livable wage by delivering your order.
Visit sourcedcraftcocktails.com or follow @sourcedcraftcocktails on Facebook and Instagram.
MEDIA CONTACT
Bryan Gonzales | 512-797-8579 | bryan@giantnoise.com | garrisonbros@giantnoise.com
