Singer and songwriter David Allen Coe crooned, “I’ve got this weakness for women and whiskey, it’s something I just can’t control.” This was back in 1978, and Samantha (Sam) Olvera wasn’t yet born. Even though she is a fan of old country music and grew up stealing sips of her grandfather’s Wild Turkey, she never thought making whiskey would be her future.
Sam grew up in Corpus Christi in a family of healthcare professionals. Her mom has been a nurse for over 30 years and encouraged Sam to do the same. Life took a different turn after Sam graduated from school to become a respiratory therapist. She put her career on hold to help her sister’s family in San Antonio.
By 2012, Sam had grown to love the Hill Country and was managing a local bar in the tiny community of Hye. Bourbon distillers and employees of nearby Garrison Brothers Distillery would drop by during their time off. Their stories of the mash house, fermentation, and the unique aroma of the corn on boil intrigued her. But what truly captivated her was the sense of family among the team, a bond that stretched beyond blood relations. This camaraderie drew her to the company even before applying for a job there.
The family-owned Garrison Brothers was the first legal bourbon distillery in the nation outside of Kentucky. With a team of more than sixty percent women, there is a real family feel in every aspect of the business. “I told the owner, Dan Garrison, ‘I’m not going anywhere, I’m not leaving,’” Sam recounted from her beginning at the distillery. “And now it’s almost ten years later.”
Sam started as a mash cooker, perfecting the art of making the special recipe that takes a full year to create. From there, she spent a year shadowing each distiller, ultimately completing a six-month training program with Master Distiller Donnis Todd. She learned to identify each part of the distilling process by smelling, feeling, seeing, and tasting a sample. Today, Sam is a distiller and the Mash House Boss, even helping to train the newest members of the team. Since its beginnings in 2006, the operation has grown to keep up with demand. The distilling team is now a group of fourteen who distill 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As the first female bourbon distiller in Texas, Sam says, “I love every single part of it – still!” (No pun intended.) Of course, some parts of the job are challenging, whether female or male. Another reason Sam is proud to work for Garrison Brothers is how they bring customers into the brand by offering tours to show every step in the process. They also have a lottery system to choose folks to help bottle the final products. Whether visitors are bourbon lovers or just like to peek behind the scenes, they should plan a visit.
This whiskey woman’s best tips for anyone interested in distilling include, “Ask for help when you need it, figure it out, don’t give up, and don’t hurt yourself.”
Distiller or not, this is great life advice for all of us.