Treaty Oak Distilling Co. Plans to Expand, Launches Aged Gin and Bourbon

Treaty Oak Distilling Co., makers of Treaty Oak Rum, Graham's Texas Tea, Waterloo Gin and Starlite Vodka, is breaking ground on a new distillery southwest of Austin set to open early next year. Eater Austin caught up with Proprietor Nate Powell, who also discussed the changes in recent booze laws and a few new limited release products slated for later this year.

This fall, Treaty Oak will debut its first aged product, Waterloo Antique, which is an aged version of its current Waterloo Gin. Later this fall, Treaty Oak will release Red Handed, a bourbon style whiskey. "Whiskey being our true passion, we traveled to our favorite distilleries in Kentucky and selected a few of our favorite barrels," said Powell. "We brought them back to Texas, blended them together and re-barreled them for another six months."

The Treaty Oak guys are also fermenting and distilling their own line of whiskeys in house, but they will not be fully matured until later next year. As a matter of fact, they have hundreds of barrels of various spirits back aging – and they haven't released an aged product yet. "We're not sure if we're being perfectionists, or if we're being over-protective parents at this point."

Nate's business partner and founder of Treaty Oak Distilling, Daniel Barnes, was elected President of the Texas Distilled Spirits Association. The organization played an instrumental role in crafting SB905, which passed last month and will go into effect Sept. 1st. The new law allows distilleries to sell product, bottles and cocktails directly from their distilleries. "These are very exciting times for Treaty Oak and all Texas distilleries," added Powell.
—Ashley Cheng
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[Photo: Ashley Cheng/EATX]