AUSTIN DISTILLERY PLANS AMBITIOUS NATIONWIDE EXPANSION WITH GIN, WHISKEY

Treaty Oak Distilling has always been at the forefront of Texas’ now-booming craft spirits movement, producing the state’s first rum, the longest aged gin on the market today and a series of small-batch, well-made whiskeys forged in part with influence from the hot Texas clime.Now, the 12-year-old distillery is hoping to make a splash outside of the state.Later this year, seven other states will get a taste of Treaty Oak’s gins in particular, which are relaunching with a new look just in time for the beginning of a nationwide rollout. Treaty Oak has partnered with booze brand incubator Mahalo Spirits Group to bring its bottles to California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia.In the next couple of years, the remaining U.S. states will also start to carry Treaty Oak products — including a trio of whiskeys, such as the well-known Red Handed Bourbon, that are set to be redesigned and relaunched, too.For Treaty Oak founder Daniel Barnes, who opened a sprawling distillery ranch in Dripping Springs three years ago, the expansion and redesign had been a long time coming, as well as a way to reevaluate what was important to the company.In that regard, the redesign process became “a borderline spiritual search that reflects what we want the distillery to be moving forward,” Barnes said. “We’re moving toward the things we like to drink, hence the removal of the vodka from our portfolio and the slowdown of our beer program,” which is now available only at the Dripping Springs property.Yes, you read that right. As Treaty Oak doubles down on gin and whiskey, two other spirits are getting cut from the portfolio: Starlite Vodka, which is no longer featured on the Treaty Oak website, and Treaty Oak Rum, which is getting phased out despite Barnes’ love of the product.Stopping production of “the rum was a difficult decision because we were the first rum (made) in Texas and one of the few American rums in Texas,” he said. “But it’s such a hard market to compete in because of the pricing on imported rums and the perceived higher quality of those rums. It was such an uphill battle to sell it.”

Written by: Arianna Auber

Original article from: Austin360.com