You don't have to look far to find evidence of Austinites' thirst for a buzz. In most reports, Austin ranks well above state and national averages for alcohol consumption. We're not quite as boozy as, say, Wisconsin. But we're easily the hardest drinking city in the Lone Star state.
So, where there is demand, there are entrepreneurs.
The Austin metro area has 40-plus breweries (CraftBeerAustin.com has a map of them here), and it's adding more every few months. But it wasn't until fairly recently that distilleries started multiplying. Now, there are about 15 distilleries in the region, making anything from award-winning craft bourbon to top shelf vodkas and fruit-infused liqueurs.
And many of them have taken advantage of relatively new state laws that allow distilleries to not only have tasting rooms and conduct tours but to sell up to two bottles to visiting customers.
Nationally, the number of craft distilleries has grown from about 50 to nearly 800 over the past decade, according to the American Craft Spirits Association. In Austin, there are now 15-plus distilleries, depending on where you draw the boundaries. And, it's big business. Local favorite Deep Eddy Vodka, for example, was recently valued at as much as $300 million and sold for an undisclosed amount to Heaven Hill Brands, which counts Evan Williams and Elijah Craig amongst its bottles.
With all these distilleries popping up and making a name for themselves, we opted to put together a map so that you (and your designated driver) can plot out your next booze tour.
Here's a map of all the distilleries in the Austin area. Click on a pin to see additional details, such as whether the distillery offers tours and tastings -- and click on the name of the company to visit its website for more information. Scroll to the bottom to see a list of the distilleries.
View Austin Area Distilleries 2016 (Austin Inno) in a full screen map