Garrison Brothers sits on a 68-acre ranch in the Texas Hill Country, about an hour west of Austin in the tiny town of Hye. Dan Garrison founded it in 2007 after a career in marketing, becoming the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas. The operation started in a converted metal barn but has expanded into a proper campus with multiple rickhouses, a visitor center, and tasting room. They make straight bourbon whiskey exclusively, using Texas-grown corn, wheat, and red winter wheat in their mash bill. What began as Dan’s midlife crisis project has turned into one of Texas’s most recognized craft distilleries, proving that bourbon doesn’t have to come from Kentucky to be exceptional. The distillery officially opened to the public in 2010, three years after Dan started laying down barrels. Master Distiller Donnis Todd, who came from a background in beer brewing, joined the team early on and helped develop their production methods. The campus feels more like a working ranch than a typical distillery, complete with longhorn cattle grazing nearby and plenty of Texas attitude. They’ve been cranking out small-batch bourbon that’s earned national recognition, including awards from major spirits competitions.