Change is Good

Treaty Oak adds organic ingredients, a new beer approach, and food offerings

By Lee M. Nichols

“Under New Management.”

Signs bearing those words can strike fear in faithful patrons of a business. They inevitably portend changes, as every business owner has their own ideas for success, even if they take over a company that already had a good blueprint in place.

So it would be understandable if fans of Treaty Oak Brewing and Distilling Company raised an eyebrow at the news that it had been purchased by High Basin Brands, an investment group founded only in 2023.

Not to worry, insists Brett Engstrom, Treaty Oak’s new general manager. Most of what you already loved about the distillery and brewery five miles north of Dripping Springs will still be there when you get back — the sprawling vistas, the opportunity to relax under gorgeous live oaks, and of course, the delicious spirits.

“One of the things we love is that when you come in the gate, it’s just a sprawling property of Hill Country beauty,” says Engstrom. When Treaty Oak, founded in 2006, first relocated from north Austin to the Fitzhugh Road in 2009, it took a working ranch and “repurposed a lot of this into a venue for people to just come and enjoy, especially in the evenings. There’s nothing like sitting down with a bourbon or an old-fashioned and watching the sun set.”

So the new management gets it. No need to reinvent the wheel — just perhaps make it roll a little better.

So what will change? The biggest difference is one that won’t be immediately noticeable to the drinker: a switch to organic ingredients. When natural beauty is a major selling point to draw the tourists, it makes sense to respect and protect nature.

“High Basin Brands is founded on a commitment to organic integrity, transparency, and a ‘grain-to-glass’ philosophy that prioritizes local sourcing and sustainability,” says the company’s website.

By the time you read this, Engstrom expects that the current lineup of whiskey products — Daydrinker Bourbon, Ghost Hill Bourbon and the premixed Bourbon Old Fashioned — will be joined on liquor store shelves by the all-organic Ghost Hill Vodka, which was only available at the ranch when we visited.

That new emphasis on organics, however, will reinforce an old relationship — Treaty Oak will continue to work with its next-door neighbor, Barton Springs Mill.

“James Brown, the owner of Barton Springs Mill, is an amazing person,” Engstrom says. “When we gear back up to start our bourbon production again, we’ll be sourcing all our grains from James. So we will be having a direct relationship with them as well as just being good neighbors.

“I was extremely happy when I realized my grain supplier was just right there,” Engstrom says, pointing to the immediately adjacent property. “A lot less trucks running up and down the highway.

“One of things we’re trying to understand is the circle of this production. The goal is to make it a complete circle. So we have these organic grains coming in; when we do our bourbon and we have our mash and we have all the waste that comes off the distillation process, we have local cattle and pig ranchers that will come and pick that up. It’s healthy enough for them to feed it to their animals. Then, coming back, we will source our meats from them for our catering and restaurant. It’s all local and working together as a community.”

Engstrom is proud of Treaty Oaks’ “natural” distilling process, where the bourbon is not aged in a climate-controlled warehouse.

“A lot of Kentucky distilleries obviously have a different climate than we have in Texas,” Engstrom says. “The Texas heat tends to speed up the aging process a bit, and there’s some kind of magic in that heat. The aging process is something magical. Each barrel has a unique characteristic to it. The mash bill is the same, but each barrel comes out a bit different.”

The food service will be a more noticeable change to ranch visitors. Engstrom says they’ve closed Alice’s Restaurant “to start fresh with new ideas.” The building that housed it is now being used only as an event space, but Treaty Oak hopes to reopen food service with a new concept by February.

The beer will change, too. At the time of our visit, Treaty Oak’s in-house beers were unavailable, but they’ll be back soon under the direction of brewer Max Mata, formerly of the now-defunct Second Pitch Beer Company in San Antonio.

Another change is more of a behind-the-scenes business arrangement. Yes, you can still get the delicious Waterloo Gin on the property — and yes, it’s still being produced there — but the brand is no longer owned by Treaty Oak. In September, Waterloo was purchased by John Paul DeJoria, the billionaire who earned his bucks from Patrón Tequila and Paul Mitchell hair care products.

None of this should change the basic pull to visit Treaty Oak — conversation with friends, maybe a live band, and a relaxing drink. It could even be part of a long, lazy day of exploring the many drinkeries on Fitzhugh Road that enjoy a good synergy with each other.

“We all work together,” Engstrom says. “We have pretty close relations with Bell Springs Winery and others. There are several breweries, distilleries and wineries near us and we can call on them if we need something. This place is all about community.”

Treaty Oak Distilling
16604 Fitzhugh Rd
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
512.387.5822
treatyoakdistilling.com

Hours
Wed & Thu noon-8pm
Fri & Sat noon-10pm
Sunday noon-7pm