WHISKEY WHERE THE WEST BEGINS

At Still Austin, we’re proud to make whiskey on the spot where the West begins.

Now, to be fair, there’s long been a debate about where exactly the West’s eastern edge is located. Some have put the line at the Rocky Mountains. But anyone who’s been to West Texas knows that the Wild West certainly extends eastward of those magnificent mountains. Meanwhile, some durned fools have placed the line at the Mississippi River. But anyone who’s been to East Texas knows that Beaumont and Nacogdoches are about as Southern as it gets.

No, the line rests somewhere in Texas, between the Rockies and the Mississippi. In fact, the line where the West begins stretches from Waco to Del Rio, in a long ridge of cracked rock that lays the groundwork for the Hill Country and builds up toward the High Plains. This ridge of rock is known as the “Balcones Escarpment,” and it’s what gives Austin’s landscape such a unique character.

But why, exactly, does this Escarpment mark the border of the West? Because the Balcones represents a strict line of demarcation between ranching and farming. Land to the east of the Escarpment is traditional Southern farming land. And to the west? Craggy, rough ranching land that grows increasingly arid as the elevation rises. Cowboy country, that is.

Here at Still, we cater to Westerners, Southerners, and Texans–and we like ranchers and farmers in equal measure. As long as you enjoy good quality whiskey, you’re welcome at our distillery here on the eastern rim of the West.

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