texas

Take an afternoon day trip to Treaty Oak Ranch in Dripping Springs for a hill country experience offering cocktails, food, and relaxing views.

I received a complimentary visit to Treaty Oak but all opinions and photographs are my own.

Last weekend, <3M and I were invited out to Treaty Oak Ranch to experience their new restaurant and cocktail lab while learning about future plans to expand the distillery’s offerings.  Here’s a look at our visit.

We started our trip by grabbing a few cocktails from Alice’s Restaurant then took a trip to the Rickhouse, Treaty Oak’s casual bar offering, where patrons can enjoy cocktails from the distillery’s bourbon and gin offerings. 

For those looking for something lighter, Treaty Oak also has a selection of beer brewed onsite. Our guide for the day, Ezra, mentioned that Treaty Oak actually makes all of their own beer and liquor onsite so all of the alcohol has roots from within the Treaty Oak Ranch.

Located next door to the Rickhouse is Treaty Oak’s casual BBQ food truck where you can grab a bite then kick back on the picnic tables while listening to one of the local bands playing on the weekends.

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With drinks in hand, we wandered up to the distillery with Ezra who shared the rich history of Treaty Oak, which began in 2006 and who’s name pays tribute to the historical Treaty Oak in Austin.  We also learned of the distillery’s future plans to incorporate a garden and host farmers’ markets in the Spring. 

In addition to the local farmers’ marker, Treaty Oak plans to host specialty dinners in the garden with prix fixe menus featuring produce grown onsite along with other local producers (something I’m personally excited about!)

The Distillery

After learning about Treaty Oak’s beginnings, we took a tour of the ‘under construction’ distillery.  Treat Oak recently expanded its distribution of bourbon & gin into nearby states and as a result, needed to amp up their production capabilities to meet demands.  We visited during the transition period but plan to come back when the distillery is back in full swing.

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The Barrel Room

We also visited the barrel room (by the way, can we please make a candle out of the barrel room scent?) and learned about how Treaty Oak ages their bourbon. I loved learning about Treaty Oak’s view on distilling.  As an organization, they love to experiment and owner, Daniel Barnes, actively encourages team members to run with ideas and innovate.

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Ezra mentioned that Treaty Oak has a few barrels of bourbon buried in the playground onsite and when they deem it ready, it will premiere as the graveyard bourbon. There’s also plans in work for different genres of musicians to come play to barrels of bourbon in hopes that the different sound waves will impart unique flavors on the bourbon while aging.  The creative culture at Treaty Oak makes it truly special and unique.

The Tasting

By this time, our welcome cocktails were long gone so we transitioned to a tasting of Treaty Oak’s gin & bourbon offerings.

My favorite of the gin was the Waterloo No. 9. Unlike traditional gin offerings, which have a heavy juniper taste (that’s the flavor that often gives gin its pine-sol rep), Treaty Oak’s Waterloo No. 9 has a lavender finish which is just plain lovely and not a bit overly flowery.  I really found new respect for gin with Treaty Oak’s Waterloo.

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Of the bourbon offerings, Ghost Hill, Treaty Oak’s flagship bourbon, was both mine and <3M’s favorite. It was smooth and was easily enjoyed straight.  Both the Waterloo No. 9 Gin and Ghost Hill Bourbon are on my and Mayank’s Christmas lists!

The Cocktail Lab

As we wound our way back towards Treaty Oak’s entrance, we stopped by the new Cocktail Lab.  The Cocktail Lab has a 90’s hiphop vibe in music, decor, and menu offerings.

The Cocktail Lab offers more refined cocktails compared to other draft offerings on the ranch while utilizing playful and unique cocktail techniques.  Here, the lab’s mixologist shook up the Don’t Want to Be Cool for <3M featuring a chai syrup and the Ghost Hill Bourbon. 

Alice’s Restaurant

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<3M and I concluded our afternoon at Treaty Oak Ranch with lunch outside on the patio of Alice’s Restaurant, named after Daniel Barnes’ mother whom is a prominent figure on the ranch.

I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Alice’s Restaurant as I was expecting something more casual from a distillery.  However, the food in presentation was refined and the taste and complexity of flavors in the dishes we tasted were delicious.

I loved the beet & arugula salad, served with beets three ways  and perfectly fried goat cheese.  It also paired well along side the elegant simplicity of the roasted cauliflower soup.  <3M was delighted with his tacos, one of the restaurant’s weekend specials.  The food was honestly delicious and <3M and I already have plans to head back again next month to explore the menu more.

Our trip to Treaty Oak Ranch was the highlight of our weekend.  It was relaxing, enjoyable, and everything from the cocktails, to the gin & whiskey, and the food was delicious.  Our guide, Ezra, also made for an extra special visit and we couldn’t be more thankful to him for taking the time to share Treaty Oak with us.

If you’re looking for a quick escape from the hustle of Austin, then head out to Treaty Oak Ranch for good food, good booze, and great company.