Record amount raised in support of wildfire-damaged communities in the Texas Panhandle
HYE, TX (July 10, 2024) – On Saturday June 22, 2024, Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas, hosted Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, their annual fundraiser that takes places after the Stonewall Peach Parade. This year, the sold-out bourbon fueled event benefitted Panhandle Proud, an organization uniting Texans to provide urgent relief and sustained support for farmers and ranchers devastated by this year’s wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. Over $100,000 in much needed funds were raised at this year’s event. This was a record setting amount raised for any Garrison Brothers Distillery fundraiser to date. Garrison Brothers then extended their fundraising efforts for the entire month post-event with special limited-edition bourbon bottles for sale. Those additional funds are now being added to the final total.
Hosted in Hye, Texas at Garrison Brothers Distillery, the fundraiser attracted over 500 attendees to partake in a fried chicken dinner and auction. The occasion also featured guest speaker State representative and chairman of licensing and administrative committee Ken King from Canadian, Texas.
Guests enjoyed live music from local musician Noah Kurtis Band and auction items included 16 beautiful painted barrels donated by local Austin artists along with over 70 items donated by local Hill Country businesses. US Foods donated more than 1,000 pounds of chicken for the fried chicken dinner while Alstadt Brewery donated dozens of cases of beer.
“The Texas Panhandle is the great breadbasket of American agriculture,” said Dan Garrison, founder of Garrison Brothers Distillery and Panhandle Proud. “Garrison Brothers and authentic Texas whiskey producers purchase their grain from producers, coops and malting houses located there. Panhandle residents are tough as nails. They keep coming back after semi-annual fires, tornadoes and drought. Bless them for their resilience, faith and determination, and let’s help them rebuild.”
The distillery will continue to raise money for Panhandle Proud at The Whiskey Shack restaurant and Garrison Brothers gift shop with a month-long campaign featuring special cocktails, menu items and promotional items with all proceeds benefitting the cause.
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 waitlist of more than 18,000 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 the first distillery outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handmade bourbon whiskey—and only bourbon whiskey. 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. In
2023, Garrison Brothers Distillery was named Distillery of the Year and presented with the prestigious Bubble Cap award by the American Distilling Institute. Garrison Brothers’ Guadalupe was awarded Platinum at the 2022 ASCOT Awards as well as at the Monterey International Wine & Spirits Competition also taking home the 2022 Spirit of the Year. Guadalupe continued to take home Gold awards in 2022 including: San Francisco World Spirits Competition, San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge, Spirits International Prestige Awards (SIP), Denver International Spirits Competition and TAG Global Spirits Awards. At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021, Garrison Brothers’ Laguna Madre was awarded a Double Gold Medal along with one Silver Medal for Single Barrel and three Bronze Medals. At the Denver International Spirits Competition, Garrison Brothers won Best of Show in 2021, taking 1st place for their Cowboy Bourbon.
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.
MEDIA CONTACT: Di Moda Public Relations | 310-288-0077 | garrisonbros@dimodapr.com
