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Spirits Made in Texas
Legally producing spirits in Texas hasn’t always been easy. Even after prohibition was lifted in 1933, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) didn’t issue the first distiller permit until 1995 to Tito’s Vodka. If you wanted absinthe, you had to wait until it became legal in 2007. Nevertheless, these Texan entrepreneurs were not deterred, giving us a fantastic list of spirits made in Texas. Note: Texas bourbons and Texan whiskeys are available on other pages.
This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Due to the large number of Texas products out there, I have not had the pleasure of sampling all the products on this page (yet!).
Vodka Made in Austin, Texas
Tito’s Handmade Vodka was founded in 1995 in Austin, Texas, as the first legal distillery in Texas with commercial production beginning in 1997. Thanks to a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2001, Tito’s has spread from a regional vodka to one known across the country, and arguably, across the globe. Wine Enthusiast even gave the vodka a high mark of 95 for its clean taste.
Tito’s is a corn-based vodka distilled six times with old-fashioned copper pot stills to achieve the coveted reputation of being one of the smoothest vodkas on the market.
Rum Made in Pflugerville, Texas
Opening in 2009, Spirit of Texas was the brainchild of Shaun Siems and two close friends. Located in Pflugerville, Texas, just 30 minutes outside of Austin, this distillery features a pair of custom hybrid stills designed by the trio as a way to overcome the steep startup costs associated with distilleries.
Pecan Street Rum gets its color and taste by being oak-aged with Texas pecans. The rum smells similar to a pecan pie, with flavors of caramel, maple, and pecan. The award-winning rum received a silver medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012 and in 2013 won a bronze medal in the American Distilling Competition.
Gin Made in Austin, Texas
Revolution Spirits was founded in 2013 in Austin, Texas, with a desire to mix up the world of distilleries, embodying the experimental spirit and the seasonal focus found in many craft breweries. Austin Reserve gin was the first product created by Revolution Spirits and continues to be the company’s signature product. In 2015, Austin Reserve received a silver medal from The Gin Is In.
The herb forward contemporary-style gin has a corn base and features six botanicals – Texas grapefruit, juniper, lavender, lemongrass, pink peppercorn, and rosemary. The gin has even been hailed by critics as “the United States’ distilled answer to…Spanish Gin Mare.”
Blueberry Vodka Made in Pilot Point, Texas
Established in 2011, Western Son Distillery originally started in a 3,000 sq ft space in Carrollton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Since its inception, the brand has grown exponentially and was named the #7 fastest growing premium vodka in the U.S. from 2015 to 2020. Now operations for Western Son are based out of a 30,000 sq ft building in Pilot Point, Texas.
The Blueberry vodka is distilled ten times, first in a copper pot still, and then in a 20-foot vodka column with 13 perforated copper plates. Because of its smooth quality and its delicious blueberry cobbler taste, the vodka received a gold medal at the 2017 International Consumer Tasting Sip Awards.
Premium Vodka Made in Liberty Hill, Texas
45 minutes outside of Austin, Texas, in the town of Liberty Hill is Fire Oak Distillery, which has been producing spirits since 2013. Solidifying its presence as a Texas brand, Fire Oak is the official Spirit of the Texas Stars.
Fire Oak’s Premium Vodka was first produced in 2016. It is distilled five times in a copper still for a crisp taste and won numerous awards, including American Distilling Insitute’s Gold Medal, Best of Category, and Best of Class Awards, Los Angeles International Spirits Competition’s gold medal, and San Francisco World Spirits Competition’s double gold medal.
Absinthe Made in Bastrop, Texas
Founded in 2015 by Matthew Manusco and Jessica Leigh Graves, just eight years after It became legal to make absinthe in the U.S., Violet Crown Spirits is located in Bastrop, Texas. Violet Crown Spirits creates the only absinthe made in Texas, but that doesn’t mean you sacrifice quality. Emerald Absinthe was awarded Best of Category at the 2018 Craft Spirits Awards from the American Distilling Institute.
The Emerald Absinthe recipe was created by combining parts of six different recipes from the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. The drink is created using a wine base and 13 herbs and spices, including anise, fennel, wormwood, licorice, mint, and green pepper, and provides a creamy french vanilla and pepper taste.