Whiskey Ranch Opens in North Texas: Sprawling Drinker’s Playground to Become a Tourist Destination
BY Natalie Gempel // 11.10.17Whiskey Ranch is the largest whiskey distillery west of the Mississippi.
The largest whiskey distillery west of the Mississippi opens in Fort Worth today. Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. created Whiskey Ranch to fulfill the high demand for its beloved Texas Whiskey and Texas Bourbon – but the 112-acre site will do much more than just that. The company’s sprawling second location is likely to become a destination for whiskey enthusiasts from far and wide.
Situated on a historic golf course where legends like Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson learned the game, Whiskey Ranch offers an immersive, tourist-friendly experience. Visitors enter the property through a dramatic stone gate to find views of downtown Fort Worth. A winding pathway leads to the Ranch House, or visitor center, and the Ranch Store, a 2,000-square-foot retail space offering the distillery’s products and locally-made artisan goods.
At a cap-making station, you can try your hand at crafting one of Texas Whiskey’s signature handmade bottle caps.
From there, a “barrel breezeway” goes to two large gathering spaces. The Tavern, a large bar and lounge area decked out with historic golf memorabilia, is available for tastings. The Oak Room, with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and oversized chandeliers, is available for private events for up to 175 people.
The private room opens onto the Back Porch, a wrap-around outdoor living area with two fireplaces, which overlooks the lake and the redesigned 18th hole. Nearby, a lush, open courtyard holds another fire pit.
The size of Whiskey Ranch isn’t the only thing that makes it remarkable. It’s the only whiskey distillery in the world located on a functioning 18-hole golf course (the former Glen Garden Country Club), the first to have a 50-foot copper column still in full view, and has the first “doubler” designed with site windows for public tours.
As of today, November 10, visitors can get a preview of Whiskey Ranch on Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. Daily tours of the distillery will begin in January.
The company, which was founded in 2010, will keep its original location in a pre-prohibition warehouse south of Fort Worth open for tours and production.