Deep in beautiful Texas Hill Country, Garrison Brothers Distillery is hard at work to bring you the finest handcrafted bourbon being made in the Lone Star state. The distillery also functions as a working ranch, so be prepared for some truly Texan down home charm. Nerd News Social had the wonderful opportunity to tour the first legal bourbon distillery to be found outside of Tennessee and Kentucky, and get a lesson in bourbon making from the charismatic Scooter Pearce.
Garrison Brothers bourbon is the closest to organic one can find in the realm of alcohol. Using only fresh, food quality organic Texan corn, wheat, and barley, this bourbon is truly one-of-a-kind in the level of love and care that go into every aspect of its creation. Most every step of the process is done by hand — including making the sweet mash, fermentation, and the high volume bottling process that can only be completed with the help of thousands of volunteers each year. All of the bourbons made at the distillery are known as ‘wheated bourbons.’ After grinding 900 lbs of corn, 185 lbs of wheat, and 110 lbs of barley, the sweet mash is made in the Cookhouse. The process releases the starch and sugar conversion from the corn and barley. The employees often have the mash as their own breakfast, and one can see why after tasting the wonderful concoction. Unlike other distilleries who use a sour mash, Garrison Brothers always uses only fresh grain, which is what makes their mash a sweet one. After becoming a mash, the mixture is then moved to an open 4 day fermentation process. Once the yeast is pitched in, the mash technically becomes a beer, and generates natural heat up to 99 degrees.
The beer is then distilled with three Vendome copper alembic pot stills, the first of which is playfully nicknamed “The Copper Cowgirl.” Two boilers are used to heat everything to 177.9 degrees in order for the ethanol to boil. The vapor climbs chamber by chamber up the steampunk-esque copper column, with a variable speed pump at the top. The condenser then shocks the vapor back into liquid form, which is then sent to the receiving bay as un-aged raw whiskey otherwise known as ‘white dog.’ Copper is used as it helps to remove any sulfur, and acts as a great conductor of heat. Temperature control is highly important, as all bourbon must be 160 proof or under when it comes off the still. Anything higher than that and you’re now looking at vodka. Garrison Brothers shoots for between 130 and 140 proof each year. As the bourbon ‘proofs up’ as it ages, it cannot be higher than 125 proof when it enters the barrel where it will remain for the next 4 to 5 years. In order to reach that 125 proof, Texas rainwater is used to hit the all important ‘entry proof.’ The more minerals in the water, the more flavor it brings to the bottle.
It is important to note that, in the words of Scooter: “all whiskey is bourbon until something is added.” Once any flavorings or other additives are thrown in, it changes to what is known as a ‘blended whiskey,’ such as Fireball. At Garrison Brothers, there are absolutely no shenanigans when it comes to the ingredients of their bourbon. Nothing touches their bourbon except for grain, yeast, rainwater, and the charred American White Oak barrel. The barrels themselves are custom made for Garrison Brothers due to the extreme temperatures the Texas summers can bring. In the beginning, normal barrels with ¼ to ½ inch thickness would simply explode from the heat. The barrels now used at the distillery range from 1¼ to 1½ inch thickness, and hold anywhere between 15 to 30 gallons. While the thickness of the barrels helps reduce the evaporation rate, other measures must be taken as well to accomodate for the harsh weather. While most bourbons are aged for 8 to 12 years, this Texas bourbon is aged for 4 to 5 years — anything longer and you may be looking at an empty barrel when it comes time to open it, with an approximate evaporation loss of up to 13% in 4 years. The wood and the char of the barrel are what give bourbon its distinctive flavors. Garrison Brothers uses a 17 second char on the outside and a 53 second char on the inside of each barrel, using a method known as an ‘alligator char.’ The charring process caramelizes the sugars, lignin, and tannins in the barrel, releasing those vanilla and butterscotch tones. All bourbon must legally be made using charred new wood barrels, so once a barrel is used it is no longer viable for use. Bourbon can also only be made in the United States, and was made the national drink of America in 1969 by president Lyndon B. Johnson.
Once the bourbon has properly aged, it moves on to the bottling process. There are 6 workers at Garrison Brothers who work on the bottling; the rest of the labor comes from volunteers, with 20 to 25 people helping out at a time. Volunteer slots fill up quickly, with over 17,000 people currently on the list. If chosen via the lottery system, you may bring a guest with you for your 2 day experience on either a Wednesday/Thursday or Friday/Saturday timetable to work with the enigmatic Coach B. During your stay, you will be considered an honorary part time employee, and get to take advantage of a 50% discount on certain items in the gift shop. You will also receive a prize package at the end of the two days, including:
However, that’s not the best of it — as an employee, it is also your responsibility to help with quality control, which means a shot of bourbon every 30 minutes for the entirety of your working hours those 2 days. If you need a palate cleanser, you can also help yourself to a fridge full of cold beer, or a pitcher full of bourbon-infused Arnold Palmer. You’ll also receive breakfast and lunch each day to help balance out your BAC. If you are interested in volunteering, then head to their site Here, and add your name to their email list for volunteer opportunities.
After the bottles are rinsed out with rainwater and filled by Rosie, the 4 headed stainless steel bottler affectionately named after the robot from The Jetsons, they are corked and undergo their first light check to ensure there are no ‘floaters’ in the bottle. A whitetail deerskin lace is wrapped around the top to aid in opening the bottle, and then the top of the bottle is hand dipped into 300 degree wax, kept to temperature by 6 crock pots. The bottle is held in place for 2 minutes while the wax drips, and then a leather punch is used to bestow a Texas star on the top. It then undergoes its second light check to make sure nothing has been overlooked due to that shot every 30 minutes, and if it passes it is then signed by one of the employees of the distillery. Many of the bottles are signed by Dan Garrison himself.
Of course, no distillery tour would be complete without the all important tasting. As bourbon novices, we got a lesson in how to properly enjoy all the notes and flavors. Using a nosing glass, first swirl the bourbon to release the bouquet up the chimney of the glass. Then, hold the glass under your nose, but be sure to inhale with your mouth to get the full spectrum of notes the bourbon provides without burning out your sinuses. Repeat this process 3 times, then take a small sip and hold it on the center of your tongue, rolling in in place for 5 to 7 seconds. This ensures the bourbon will not burn your throat on the way down.
Dan Garrison wasn’t always a bourbon making man. He started off in the tech industry, with a high level job in internet platforms. However, when the company was bought out he was left wondering what to do with the rest of his life. With 2 kids and a wife to support, his midlife crisis led him to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for 2 weeks. During the second week, he found himself at Maker’s Mark, where he was struck by a sudden and striking realization that bourbon was his destiny. As Scooter regales, he knew his wife Nancy Garrison would be the hardest person to convince. He wrote up a business plan in his hotel room, and then called his wife with the news. It took some convincing, but once the business planning wheels began to turn she was all in. They started making an impression right away with their first investors, affectionately nicknamed the “Old 300 Club” after the first 300 settlers of Texas. At their first investors meeting, they took off with $2.9 million in checks from the first 9 investors. Garrison Brothers bourbon can now be found in 28 states and 7 countries, and on every U.S. military base that allows alcohol.
If you want a truly authentic Texas bourbon, Garrison Brothers Distillery has your back. Book your tour, buy a bottle, or sign up as a volunteer at their website Here.
Check out our Gallery from the tour Here.
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