There’s nothing like going to a tasting room to try firsthand some local, handcrafted liquor. If you want to try some great liquor around Conroe, Texas (or The Woodlands, TX), you should visit these five distilleries:
Bartlett Distillery
Their motto is ‘real whiskey, real rum, real texas’, and they certainly don’t disappoint. Bartletts Distillery in Conroe, Texas is one of the newer distilleries in the area and opened just in 2018. They’re known for their small-batch, handcrafted rum. They have many different varieties of rum, and a few varieties of whisky to try. They make their rum from “panela”, or whole unprocessed evaporated cane juice, giving their rum a unique taste.
Van, the owner, has only recently started distilling liquor, and he has surely picked it up quickly. Be sure to have a designated driver when visiting this place; you’ll want more than one drink!
Big Thicket Distilling
Big Thicket Distilling in Conroe, Texas, is a small family distillery. They even take the time and attention to hand label every bottle! When you’re in Conroe, Texas, don’t pass up the opportunity to come to their tasting. Plus, they have a large, unique event space for parties, weddings, and other functions. But take note – their tasting room is only open on Saturdays!
Gulf Coast Distillers
This distillery is right outside of Conroe in Houston. The Gulf Coast Distillers is known for their wide variety of spirits, all handcrafted in Texas from start to finish. If you’re a fan of learning what goes on behind the scenes, this is the spot for you. They give tours Thursday-Saturday of their liquor aging in barrels, which is sure to entertain any appreciators of alcohol! This spot used to be an old rice factory, which lends the tasting room and distillery an aged, industrial feel. Their tasting room event space is large enough hold 250 people and overlooks the distilling barrels. Be sure to consider this space for your next big event!
Yellow Rose Distilling
Like the one above, Yellow Rose Distilling is located in Houston (a short drive from Conroe and The Woodlands, TX). They specialize in making premium whiskey. In fact, they are Houston’s first legal whiskey distillery! They also offer tours on Fridays and Saturdays for $10. In addition, they have a tasting room where you can try all sorts of liquor. They are deeply committed to the city of Houston, and have even named their distillery after local folklore. Yellow Rose was supposedly a woman who helped Sam Houston win the independence of Texas from Mexico.
They even have an online mixology recipe generator for cocktails. You select from three categories: mood, event, and flavor. Then, the website spits out some recipes to fit those three, such as the West Alabama Slammer, Buffalo Bayou, and Outlaw Milk Punch! It is the perfect companion to Zipps’ Drink Calculator, which calculates how much alcohol you’ll need for any occasion.
Whitmeyers Distillery
Another one in the Houston area, and another one that you’ll thoroughly enjoy. The Whitmeyers Distillery is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 3 – 9 pm, and then on Saturdays from 12-6pm. You can just walk on in during those times without a reservation. They have a handcrafted selection of whiskey, gin, and bourbon. Specifically, they have the Whitmeyer’s Texas Peach Whiskey that’s delicious. It’s a local, family-owned and veteran-operated distillery. The two brothers who founded it had originally fallen in love with the distillation process while serving in the U.S. Army in Germany, and upon honorable discharge created the first legal whiskey distillery in Harris County.
