Rio Brazos Distillery — Attraction in Area C (Long Beach)

Family owned and operated distillery. Took the tour and sampled their whiskeys. Worth the ten dollars.

The owner was knowledgeable, kind and friendly. Everything is made with American produced ingredients and supplies, and if possible sourced locally.

There is a lot of passion and hard work that goes into making every bottle. And it shows with each of their hand crafted selections of whisky and bourbon. Superior quality and depth of flavor, these bottles belong on the top shelf.

Bottom line: Check out distillery. And if you can’t make it, ask your local liquor shop to carry it. You’ll not only be thanking yourself with every drink you make, so will your fellow Americans who are making the labels, bottles, bottle tops and producing the grain and everything else that goes into making these whiskeys.

Suggestions: (1) I would love to see some limited editions with only 100 or so numbered bottles produced, with your hand written signature on them and that can only be purchased at the distillery. I think people like the personal touch and would pay the higher price point.

(2) I would love to see your story and your philosophy of whisky making on your website. It really elevates you above the major players.

(3) I know the economy is rough and money is tight for almost everyone, but I was wondering if you ever considered “employing” an intern for marketing. Maybe like a masters student. You could pay them strictly on commission, a percentage of the extra sales that are brought in. This way you are not paying them, unless they are expanding your business. And the intern will gain experience and have something to put on their resume.

(4) Have a monthly newsletter. Tells us when you are making a batch so people can go visit during that time or better yet, sell behind the scenes tickets when you making a batch. This would also be a great way to market your products directly to the consumer.

(5) Have recommend cocktail recipe(s) for your whiskeys. I would have never thought to use your Whistlestop as a replacement of other liquors in traditional drinks.

I really hope to see your business grow and continue to make positive impacts for you and your family, your community and all of...

Rio Brazos Distillery is a hidden gem. The tasting room is inside of a working barrel room in an unassuming metal building in College Station, next door to Perrine Winery. You get past the barrels, and you will see the mood-lit bar, frequently manned by Nathan himself, the owner and very hands-on master distiller. Try a flight, if you’re unsure of what you’d like. Rio Brazos has been around long enough that Nathan has been able to nicely age his bourbon, giving it the lingering complex notes that you’d expect from a good bourbon, without being overly sweet or harsh. If straight bourbon is not your thing, Rio Brazos also offers mixed drinks. My go-to is an Old Fashioned, but I also enjoy the Rob Roy and the Whiskey Buck, the latter of which is nice and refreshing on a Texas summer evening. (If you’re interested in a history lesson, ask how the Whiskey Buck got its name. Nathan is full of trivia and historical tidbits.) Although I still have four bottles of various bourbon and whiskey from Rio Brazos at home, I find myself going back for the mixed drinks and the company. It’s a nice place to have a drink in College Station away from the crowds of students and bachelorette parties. I highly recommend Rio Brazos Distillery to anyone looking for a good...

If you are not carefull and looking for this place you might miss it and then end up at the winery next door. This is the literal definition of a small business. Their business sign can be literally missed! I am glad that we did not miss it. The hostes (owner/distillers wife) was a great person. We (wife and I) talked about their business while we had a tasting and she told us about their products. Their "White lightning" aka whistlestop was as good as any unaged whiskey we have had. My comment was "on the nose it was not as welcome as on the pallate". The next tasting was their College Station whiskey aged one month in used barrels. This was an "OK" whiskey. Next was their Boxcar blended whiskey. This was by far and in my opinion their best offering. Good on the nose and the pallate. We actually bought a bottle of this whiskey. The last tasting was of their bourbon "Texas Bourbon Whiskey". Both my wife and I thought that their blend was much better. I commended with a profuse "excuse my opinion", but this one has an hint of acetone flavor and smell. My personal opinion is that there is too much head cuts but that is my personal opinion. This is still a great place to go visit...