At Treaty Oak Distilling, a historic name and spirits with Texas soul
In 2005, Treaty Oak Distilling founder Daniel Barnes was already a successful entrepreneur heading medical companies Maven Exams and Landmark Exams. While he made a comfortable living, he wanted to pursue something that was closer to the chest.
Barnes has fond memories of working in his family’s restaurant, The Navaho Inn, as a kid growing up in Menard, a town about an hour outside of San Angelo. The time he spent washing dishes, greeting customers and bussing tables is how he learned about hard work, and the small eatery also is where an 11-year-old Barnes first discovered his passion for food and beverage.
After moving to Austin in 1995 to attend the University of Texas, Barnes picked up a job at the Four Seasons and began training to be a wine sommelier. His interest in alcoholic beverages blossomed when he started brewing beer in his apartment. The experience making his own booze eventually led him to establish Treaty Oak Distilling, a whiskey and gin distillery.
"There weren’t many places to learn about distilling back in 2005. I ended up (on) a lot of Yahoo! Chat groups based out of New Zealand, where home distilling is legal," Barnes said. "After that, honestly, (it was) just a lot of trial and error — heavy on the error part."
Inspired by his parents' work ethic and the trails blazed by spirit entrepreneurs Bert "Tito" Beveridge of Tito's Handmade Vodka and Paula Angerstein of Paula's Texas Orange, Barnes continued to brew at home until he saved enough money to open the distillery. He got his distilling license and opened Treaty Oak in 2006, also creating a destination now known for delicious cocktails, mouthwatering barbecue, live entertainment and a bit of history.
“We really wanted to create an escape for people, while still being able to provide them with education and entertainment,” Barnes said.
Originally, Treaty Oak operated a facility (about 900 square feet) off McKalla Road in North Austin. Barnes and his team worked 12-hour days to keep things running. As the brand grew, the founder began scouring the area for a larger property, eventually landing in 2016 on the 28-acre Ghost Hill Ranch in Dripping Springs.
Barnes fell in love with the former cattle ranch, located at 16604 Fitzhugh Road, and saw it as the perfect place to expand Treaty Oak’s whiskey production. They also produce gin under the Waterloo Gin banner.
“We're able to tell a story and offer an experience that shows (patrons) why locally made spirits aren't just different, but are extremely relevant and able to stand up to international brands,” said Barnes, who named the distillery after the famous Austin live oak tree under which — as Texas legend goes despite a lack of evidence — Stephen F. Austin stood to negotiate a border treaty with Native Americans.
In the years since its move to Dripping Springs, the distillery has broadened its offerings and production system. Its products can now be found in more than 1,500 liquor stores throughout four states.
“We're really proud that we're a Texas brand, and there’s a lot of pride that comes from that and we want to share that with our patrons so they can also experience it and know how that works,” said Treaty Oak social media and brand manager Carolyn Calhoun.
The scene at Treaty Oak in Dripping Springs
Treaty Oak Distilling's home serves many purposes, including a distillery with a micro-brewery and a winery housed on the large property. The space boasts a Texas barbecue restaurant, a craft beer and cocktail bar, and an outdoor stage made from a 1950s Pearl Brewing truck.
The distillery's campus looks like a Western township, with guests far and wide traveling for a day's worth of entertainment. Each building is surrounded by live oak trees, reminding visitors of the land’s historic name and spotlighting the area’s rustic, Hill Country aesthetic.
Guests can get a peek behind the curtains during an onsite tour, where they'll experience Treaty Oak’s gin botanicals, distilling facility and rickhouse.
Alice's Restaurant menu highlights
At Alice’s Restaurant, guests can enjoy a menu of tacos, salads, tortas and entrees like brisket nachos, smoked turkey and a half-pound ribeye roast, all complemented by sides like mac and cheese, coleslaw, Brussels sprouts and other classic barbecue offerings.
Along with the restaurant, Treaty Oak’s Mercantile and Rickhouse Bar are filled with craft beer and cocktails curated by the distillery’s staff. Among the most popular drink options are the Hill Country Dreaming (Ghost Hill Texas Bourbon, lemon, black tea and mint syrup) and the Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned (Treaty Oak Ghost Hill Texas Bourbon, Angostura bitters, simple syrup aged in a single malt whiskey barrel, bourbon-soaked cherry and orange zest). As far as beer and wine selections, the blonde ale and a glass of Treaty Oak cabernet sauvignon are popular.
Upcoming events at Treaty Oak Distilling
On Sept. 3, Treaty Oak is putting on a Labor Day Backyard BBQ from noon to 9 p.m. The event will feature a live performance from Led Zeppelin tribute band Tex-Zep from 6 to 8 p.m.While guests will need to purchase food items, the event is free and RSVP is not required.
Artists Barbara Nesbitt and Nevada Newman will join forces as musical duo The Ferals for a live performance on the Treaty Oak stage from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 9. The event is free and no RSVP is required.
For a mix of country, folk, blues and everything in between, Texas artist Graham Wilkinson will take the stage at Treaty Oak from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 16. The event is free and no RSVP is required.
For more events, visit treatyoakdistilling.com/events-calendar.
Treaty Oak Distilling hours
Treaty Oak’s Mercantile is open from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Alice’s Restaurant is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, noon to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The distillery’s Rickhouse is open from noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.