How the Texas Whiskey Festival Began

Get your tickets to this year's Texas Whiskey Festival.

9th Annual Texas Whiskey Festival

Apr 18, 2026 from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM

Star Hill Ranch
15000 Hamilton Pool Road
Bee Cave, TX 78738

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.

It started with a question.

What if we created an event featuring only Texas-made whiskey—nothing else—and gave it a stage of its own?

At the time, Texas whiskey was still a curiosity. Most people simply didn’t know it existed. I believed Texas wasn’t just participating in the whiskey world—it was building something distinct and worth paying attention to.

So the idea was simple: let’s create an event featuring only Texas-based whiskeys.

What has become the event for Texas whiskey—the annual family reunion where the majority of distilleries across the state gather to sample their dreams, share stories, and make new friends—began with that simple belief.

Fueled by state pride and a belief that Texas was already making great whiskey, I jumped in.

The first few months felt like a bullet train without brakes. Researching distilleries. Hunting down contacts. Navigating TABC. Securing a venue. Building a company while building an event. There was vision. There was urgency. And there was a growing sense that this needed to matter.

Very quickly, I realized this couldn’t just be a party. It had to be a platform. A place to announce, showcase, and elevate an entire category. It wasn’t just about the liquid in the glass—it was about the people behind the bottle and the people who raise the glass. It was about giving distillers the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder, not as competitors, but as peers. The belief was simple: rising tides raise all ships.

In 2018, the first Texas Whiskey Festival was held at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, bringing together 11 Texas distilleries and more than 500 attendees. It wasn’t just a tasting—it was an introduction. For many, it was their first exposure to the breadth and quality of what was being made in their own state.

Since then, the festival has grown—but the mission hasn’t changed. It is about building community in an industry that thrives on relationships. It is about state pride without apology. It is about creating a space where makers and drinkers meet face-to-face, where stories are shared, hands are shaken, and whiskey is experienced the way it was meant to be—together. The goal has always been simple: put whiskey to lips and let the experience speak for itself.

At the same time, Texas whiskey itself has evolved. With more visibility, more collaboration, and more opportunities to stand on a larger stage, Texas distilleries are now producing some of the best damn whiskey in the world—earning global awards and standing as equals with heritage regions that have been distilling for centuries. What was once overlooked is now respected. What was once questioned is now celebrated.

And yet, the heart of the festival remains the same.

It is still about gathering. Still about connection. Still about celebrating the boldness it takes to build something and share it with the world.

The Texas Whiskey Festival isn’t just an event. It’s a statement about who we are and what we’re building together.

If you’ve never attended, this is your invitation.

Come taste the whiskey. Meet the makers. Be part of the reunion.

Come see what Texas has built—and raise a glass with us.