Garrison Brothers Distillery

My boyfriend has been wanting to come out here for YEARS, and we finally managed to get a tour done for his birthday over the weekend! Make sure you book your tickets in advance — they’re cheap, only $ 10 for a tour and tasting, but they fill up quickly.
I loved the environment of the place — we were running a little late, but the owner greeted us, let us get our dranks, and took a few photos of us before we headed up to the actual distillery. They had tea and lemonade, cold beer, and for $ 3.25 you could spike your tea/​lemonade concoction. My friend fell down some stairs and he ended up with a triple shot in his!
The tour (although we were running a little late, oops) was awesome, the people working there seem really passionate about their product. I loved the bottling process, totally done by hand… They even have volunteers come in to help with the bottling process, and you get to go home with one of their bourbon bottles!
I’d come back up here again, just to hang out at the ranch. And enjoy the bourbon, obviously. Beautiful Texas hill country ranch with those hill country views!

I don’t drink bourbon but this place was amazing super relaxing, awesome tour and just amazing Texas hill country at its finest. I will be buying a bottle for our bar cart!

This is a great attraction for any man/​husband who loves whiskey. They also give FREE TOURS for MILITARY, 30% of liquor and 15% on all other merchandise. Me and my husband enjoyed the view a lot. The Garrison Brothers is located on a secluded area with great landscaping. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for something different to try and experience.

Great place to relax and enjoy some Texas bourbon. Had four different shots and all were good. Lots of trees and tables. Pet friendly which I love. Will defiantly be back. All employees were friendly and very knowable.

I booked 21 people for the tour of Garrison Brothers way ahead of time. It was for a group of business associates from all over the country who were coming to Austin for a conference. Unfortunately, a couple of days before our tour date, a terrible weather system was forecasted for the event day. Flash flooding was expected and extreme bad weather was all in the forecast. Despite their «no refund policy», when I called to cancel because I feared for our group getting caught in a low crossing situation, Garrison agreed to give us a full refund. They could have declined. They had every legal right to do so since it was clearly stated in their contract, but instead — they did the right thing. The weather did turn out to be bad (a real frog choker kind of rain) and sending people unfamiliar with the area out on the road in their rental cars could have turned out badly.
We will make it to Garrison one day with a group, but I just wanted to publically attest to the high standards, character and integrity of the Garrison Brothers’ management. Thank you.

My husband is a bourbon drinker. He and his high school friends go to KY for the bourbon trail once a year. We were at a Christmas party and someone gave my husband a glass of Garrison Brothers. At that point we decided to make a trip to Hye to check them out. A good afternoon. The tour is $ 10 per person any day but Saturday and $ 20 on Saturdays. Tour last about a hour. You go through all the steps of how this product comes about. At the end you get a taste of the product while looking at the scenery. Every time I go on a distillery tour I learn something. My husband was extremely impressed. He said he can see how the entire place was built with the tours in mind vs. building the place and then think of the tours. The place is beautiful and all the buildings so nice. Worth a trip to Hye to check them out. Do note they can not sell you a bottle of bourbon on Sundays as Texas has some silly laws. You can find their products in Spec’s if you are in the Austin area. Gift shop had some cute and nice items as well.

Had a great time and I can’t put down the final product!
A fine bottle of the strongest bourbon I’ve ever had soooo amazing!

I had so much fun here learning and tasting. Don’t expect multiple tastes like you get at a winery or at a local brewery. This is a learning/​viewing experience more than a tasting experience.
You get to learn and taste each step of the process, and at the end you get a taste of the final product. This was my first distillery tour, and I had a lot of fun!

Awesome place to come and visit. I am a bourbon drinker. I never thought about why I was a bourbon drinker, I just know I like bourbon. This place was kind of like an epiphany for me.
Bourbon is a clean alcohol with no additives. Garrison Brothers uses only organic corn, wheat, and barley and tries to keep their entire Operation as local as possible. I love that. Even for how much they have grown over the years they are not trying to cut any corners. If anything, they continue to improve their product.
Upon arrival at the ranch I was very impressed by how cute and Texas modern everything was. From the awesome «outhouses» to the honor system bar, it’s all pretty cool. You jump in a big wagon with the rest of your group and get pulled by a jeep down a dirt road.
You process to learn all about the company and the bourbon making process. Different workers talk to you along the way and explain the steps they take leading to the final outcome. You even get to see the bottling process and learn about their volunteer program! You try the mash (like sweet oatmeal), the white dog (strong and fiery), and finally, you try a taste of the bourbon — the finalized product. I was a little bummed that it was literally «a taste», not even a sip. I thought they could have been a little more generous.
The tour was totally awesome and totally worth it. Be warned if you do the 4:00 Sunday tour, you will not be able to drink after as they stop serving at 4:30pm. You can purchase tickets in advance online or take your chances in person. Best go on a nice day! $ 20 Saturdays, $ 10 all other days. I recommend hitting up a state park before or after to maximize your beautiful hill country day

The hubby and I went on our first distillery tour and I think we might have been spoiled! The property is beautiful and the check in area is furnished with a honor-​system beer cooler, hot chocolate, etc. There is a fire pit to sit around and roast marshmallows as you wait for the tour to begin.
The tour begins by taking you on a hay ride to the back portion of the grounds. Our tour guide was very personable and informative. The staff was equally as hospitable. If you are military or a first responder, be sure to bring your badge to post on the wall of badasses.
I learned how to properly smell and taste a whiskey and appreciated getting to sample the product from start to finish.

The city of Hye has a distillery? Who knew? Well it’s certainly a trip worth taking the trip, as the 290 corridor now hosts multiple breweries, distilleries and wineries.
It’s $ 20 to take the tour at Garrison Bros, but I’ll warn you up front, if you’re looking to get faced on a tour, this ain’t the place. Garrison Bros is classy. Well, as classy as a Bourbon distillery located on a farm in the Texas Hill Country can be. You get a tiny taste of their product at the end of the tour, and that’s it.
The tour itself is pretty exceptional though. Even in the Summer heat, our tour guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, plus you get to take a hay ride up to the actual distillery itself! You’ll learn all about the Angel’s share, how different barrels make for different tasting bourbon, and some of the intricacies of what *legally* separates bourbon from a grain spirit. If you play your cards right, you just might be able to seal your own bottle of bourbon too!
They have a well stocked beer fridge at the entrance\exit point, where they only ask for donations. There are also games of cornhole and darts and bocce to be had, if that’s your thing. The property is stunning, and the tour is legitimately interesting. Grab your friends when the weather is nice and make your way out to Hye!

If you like a good success story this place is worth checking out. My wife does not like Bourbon but she had a wonderful time on the tour here. We went on a Sunday and it was pretty busy. Even so, our group was driven out to the place where the process starts. We learned about the owner and why he selected Hye to be the home of his first class distillery.
After the tour we enjoyed a picnic lunch we brought with us. Also, our Labradors were very welcome under the trees with us.
Good Bourbon, good story and very nice folks!

When I moved back to Texas from Kentucky, I was happy — except I was sad that I was leaving all the good American bourbon ‘stills in my rearview. I brought about 20 bottles with me.
It is reassuring to know there is a central Texas bourbon company that makes world class bourbon and keeps their culture very Hill Country Texas.
You can sign up for an amazing tour where you can help bottle some batches.
You can just sip some samples in a big patio chair, or a hammock.
A very very good day trip from Austin. Have a friend drive you back.

This is located in Hye Texas. Hye is between Johnson City and Fredricksburg. It takes me about 1 hour and 10 min to drive there without speeding. The turn is on your left and you can easily miss it if you’re not paying attention as Hye is pretty tiny.
Go to their website and sign up for a tour. They do a GREAT one. The people here are like family and treat you like you’re part of it. The grounds are amazing. The volunteer bottling is awesome. So cool to be a part of such a fine product. I love this place and the people. I try to bottle as often as I can.

Fantastic tour here at the Garrison Brothers Distillery. I went yesterday with a group of friends. The tour was $ 20 and they ask for donations for beer. While you wait for the tour to start, you can sit around and play Bocce or corn hole.
They offer a nice selection of local beers to sip on during the tour. I would recommend taking the earlier tour during the summer as it gets hot and there is only one a/c’d room.
The property is drop-​dead gorgeous. The tour guides were all very knowledgable and gave a great tour. Also, great whiskey!

It’s a cool experience to get a first hand look into the process of how something is made. I have to admit, I’m not much of a bourbon drinker but what they are making here is top notch. The employees are so passionate about what they do that I found it endearing to watch them explain the history of how the company came to be.
If you are looking for a more detailed review I highly suggest you read Amy D’s.
We came here because we were in Fredericksburg to celebrate our friends birthday and this was on the top of his list to check out. I am not a woodsy girl because of bugs, so fair warning because most of this tour is located outside and in non air conditioned rooms.
We sat in rocking chairs and sipped on complimentary wine and beer before our tour. They also have darts and a bean bag tossing game set up you can play. I have no idea what it’s actually called, I heard someone say CornHole and couldn’t stop giggling (I blame the wine), but I’m hoping that’s not its real name. Either way, it’s fun.
Once it’s time to go, you hop on a trailer and take a quick open ride to the distillery. The tour itself lasts about an hour and you get to taste at each stage along the way. It still blows my mind that the barley, wheat, and corn mixture I sampled in the beginning turns into such a smooth bourbon in the end.
You get the final sample once back near the gift shop and then can go browse their merchandise. They have flasks, small barrels, t-​shirts, stemware, and even bourbon filled chocolates for sale. Make sure you sign the guest book too.
It’s something outside of the box to do that is really unique and informative. The bathrooms here are something to be seen as well. When my friend and I walked into the ladies room we found two side by side toilets, no stall, one sink, and a giant window taking up the entire wall. Don’t be alarmed because even though you can see out of the window, I checked to make sure you can’t see in from the other side. Trippy to say the least.
When you go say hello to Athena for me! She’s their resident pup and is adorable.

The $ 10 bourbon tasting was a good value, as it’s a good way to sample some expensive bourbon (averaging $ 80 per bottle). The Hill Country grounds are lovely and there are several outdoor seating arrangements including one with rocking chairs surrounding a fire pit. They also have an outdoor darts board. It would be very easy to spend an afternoon here.

Definitely take the tour here. It’s pricey on Saturdays ($ 20) but definitely worth it. And I now know what distinguishes bourbon from other whiskeys.
I really enjoyed the tastings at each step of the bourbon-​making process and I developed a better appreciation for bourbon after tasting the final product. (But I’m still a beer man.)

VERY good bourbon here. It will cost you though at over $ 80 per bottle, but there’s nothing like some good local bourbon.
My favorite part about this place though is their outdoor hangout area. They have a few wood (well more like log) rocking chairs that I could spend ALL day on. They also have a serve yourself area where they offer free wine, beer, and water. There was some good wine there too (some of the more expensive bottles I was seeing at the wineries earlier that day), and everything I saw was local which I like. Do leave a donation though :)
Overall a must-​visit place when you are in Hill Country. Great Texas feel and scenery. They also have free distillery tours which I am sad I did not get a chance to partake in.

If you do one thing while on the Texas wine trail, do this!
Garrison Brothers produces a top-​shelf quality bourbon that stands with many of the Kentucky greats. The tour emphasizes their commitment to the craft of whisky making: organic Texas grains and naturally limestone filtered water from Edwards.
Riding around the tract on an open-​seat trailer, winding around the hills, is a perfect way to spend a clear blue sky day.