This Memorial Day Weekend, Austin bars started to open up. They’re being capped at 25% occupancy for now, with tables at least six-feet apart, but honestly? I still feel #saferathome. I’m choosing not to venture out quite yet, but I still want to have a good time with good drinks!
Thanks, Devils River Whiskey, for sponsoring our latest Austin Food Blogger Alliance happy hour. I did receive complimentary samples, but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
While I hope to be back out and about one of these days, I have to say… I love a good virtual happy hour. I get to stay in my sweatpants, save some cash by drinking from my own bar cart, and when it’s over, I just put myself right to bed! No traffic, no parking, no hassle at all. Call me crazy, but I’m a fan.
A few of us foodies got together and sipped on Devils River Whiskey. They get their name from the “Devils River” waterway. The naturally-filtered limestone spring water is considered the purest in Texas and oh man, is it ideal for crafting the perfect whiskey. They work a lot with the Devils River Conservancy to keep the land and river clean. I really appreciated hearing that.
I pretty much always mix my whiskey with something – whiskey coke, whiskey sour, old fashioned, I could go on – but with much less frequent trips to the grocery store, I didn’t really have any mixers on hand. I had to drink my Devils River Whiskey on the rocks and you know what? I get why they call it “sinfully smooth.” I was totally able to sip and enjoy it on the rocks.
I sampled their Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey, the Barrel Strength Bourbon, and the Rye Whiskey. I enjoyed all three, but what I’m really looking forward to is their Devils River Coffee Bourbon Whiskey. OMG – yes! They use a Vienna Roast blend of free-trade coffee beans from a local San Antonio coffee roaster. Then, steep their bourbon with the coffee beans for at least 24 hours at a low temperature. Finally, they mix the bourbon-infused coffee whiskey with 100% organic blue weber agave nectar. I cannot wait to try this! Fingers crossed for a June 2020 release date!
Devils River Whiskey has a distillery opening up in the heart of downtown San Antonio. They have a large space in the Burns Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s being renovated now, but hopefully it’s open to the public soon. I’m definitely keeping my eye on this one! I can’t wait to check out their tasting room and “sin responsibly.”
BIG thank you to Mike Cameron, self-taught distiller and owner of Devils River Whiskey for the samples!
Read the original article on Discovering Austin.
