Treaty Oak Distilling’s concise three-bottle gin lineup under the “Waterloo” brand (the original name for the city of Austin) treats its vast Texas Hill Country headquarters like a new wide-open frontier for an old spirit we thought we had pegged. Yes, you’ll find those juniper, coriander, and anise staples in their flagship No. 9 Gin. Then the real fun begins with Western-style infusions of carefully sourced local pecans, lavender, and grapefruit zest all gathered even closer to home. Rounding out Treaty Oak’s gin lineup is Waterloo Antique (aged in medium-char white-oak barrels) and Old Yaupon — a botanically rich Old Tom-style homage laced with Yaupon holly, Makrut lime, orris root, and wildflower honey. The overarching theme, according to the distillers: gins that “strike the perfect balance between heritage and innovation” and are “redolent of a thoughtful way to consider a place.” $24
