Credit Where Credit Is Due

It’s time to thank the inspiration for this blog.

If you are familiar with Austin, you know that Jack Allen’s Kitchen is a leader in sourcing local ingredients. And you may know David Toby is at the helm of the beverage program at Oak Hill and a maven of Texas alcohol. It is to Toby that we owe our thanks.

I originally met with him to discuss wine, but was quickly carried into his enthusiasm for Texas spirits. His original plan was to have a top shelf stocked with only Texas liquors, but there are now too many bottles for just one row. During our interview it was clear he knew the story behind every bottle he selected for their restaurant, where each producer gets their mash or base spirit, how each liquor is aged, about Texas creating a new category of whiskey (Spirit Whiskey), and about the newest products hitting the market. I took a peek at his mixed drink list and saw Texas names all over it, with a section dedicated solely to Texas based drinks. He is proud to offer Waterloo Gin as his house pour and proud to have pairing dinners with Balcones Distillery. As we were talking, a new distillery arrived to taste him on a tequila and he was downright giddy to test their product.

Part of the fun studying spirits is the chance to interact with artists, both those who distill the liquor and those who mix it. After meeting such a mixologist, so passionate about homegrown product, we couldn’t help but be inspired. Thank you, David Toby, for taking the time to learn Texas spirits and for your creativity.

List of most Texas liquors at Jack Allen’s Kitchen (I am sure there are more by now), some with little notes by Toby:

- Titos Vodka

- Savvy Vodka

- Deep Eddy Vodka

- Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka

- Cinco Vodka (made with 100% American wheat, in the same fashion as Ketel One)

- 1876 Vodka (by Dripping Springs)

- Enchanted Rock Vodka

- Waterloo Gin

- Treaty Oak Rum

- White Hat Rum (aged in oak)

- Cypress Creek Reserve Rum (traditional rum, like Bacardi)