We have been trying to come here for a couple years now. We finally made it! We only had about 45 minutes to hang out before they closed but it was a great time. This is a unique venue in that it's a bit off the beaten path near driftwood, up in a hilly area. GPS guided us there just fine. The distillery is attached to a church and wedding venue, and the wizard academy (which our friend attended for his whiskey sommelier certification). I think the distillery is their own separate business and entity but the property all seems like one thing. The bartender said crowded barrel isn't run or connected to the wizard academy but they are friendly given the shared love of whiskey. At the whiskey academy, so somewhere on the property, is the wizard's whiskey vault. Now that's a room I'd like to get into. But, I'm not trying to be a whiskey Somme, so I'll likely never see it in person. We had a few cocktails and couple of straight pours. If we had come earlier in the day, I would have done a flight in addition, to get more tastes. Come with at least an hour to spend here. I enjoyed the Anejo agave (tequila) spirit and we bought a bottle of the Snake Wood Whiskey. This is a fun and uniquely flavored whiskey. It's a bourbon finished with Brazilian Amburana Oak which lends an interesting cinnamon like taste. But it's not cinnamon, it's like reminiscent of baking spices. Very tasty. The staff were friendly and happy to chat about whiskey. We enjoyed our time there, wish we had been able to spend just a little bit longer but such is life :) read more

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Great people, great spirits, great times! Worth the visit, spend a whole day! If just for a chill day, or a major event like a wedding! read more

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What a great hidden gem! Love the new reno and move to the front building as it has more room to sit with awesome cocktails! Awesome folks making the drinks. Great ambiance to grab a drink even if you're not there for an event. read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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It was a very interesting experience that seemed very "Austin" on my visit to the city. The concept is innovative surely. It was eclecticly decorated, whiskeys were interesting, and the whole distillery is based on a social media driven, crowd-sourced platform. No food options I recall when we visited and not the busiest though it was a weekend. Service is professional. Worth a visit! read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - Variety of whiskeys - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Anyone who has been here knows how amazing this place is, by far fav spot in hill country area. my fav is the wyrmfire elixir!! read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - The wyrmfire elixir IS BOMB - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

The drinks were phenomenal, the whiskey was nice, and the service was excellent! The bar also has a really nice ambiance and the surrounding scenery gives a very romantic but laid-back vibe. Gabe gave us some great recommendations for drinks & overall we had a great time :) read more

I can't believe it took me so long to discover this incredibly unique destination. But once I did I rarely go elsewhere. The staff is friendly, & super helpful. The whiskey is amazing & cocktails are creative & delicious. In addition to the bar area there are options for seating all around the deck & beyond. with There is also a wonderful food truck nearby so this place has it all. read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - Deliciousness! - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great place. Loked their old building but the new one has a really nice look to it. Variety of drinks, plenty of room, and great grounds to walk around. There is also usually a Mexican food truck that has solid food if you are hungry. read more

Cute and small, with a great vibe. The drink options are delicious and fresh - I am not a big drinker, and I enjoyed 3 different cocktails. The inside is a little small, but there is a lot of outdoor seating. While the distillery itself does not offer food, there are food trucks nearby that will bring the food to your table when it's ready. Cute place for a date or small get together. Definitely recommend! read more

Very fun outdoor space and venue. There is a food truck on site as well as a chapel, wizard school (marketing and business classes), emporium, wine bar, event spaces and I'm sure even more stuff that we did not discover! We did a whisky tasting and had cocktails. The cocktails and bartender were definitely our favorite of the whole day there. Amazing cocktails and the bartender couldn't have been friendlier or more knowledgeable. She earned 5 stars for sure!! read more

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Crowded Barrel is as much an experience as a distillery. They're off in Driftwood in the boonies and difficult to find. Honor your Apply CarPlay and be flexible once you get out of the car. The ambience is Central Texas winery/distillery funky. Lots of deck seating with enough in shade to make it pleasant on a warm early summer day. It's tucked away in a crusty (new but by design) building with some interesting architectural choices. The overall effect is, well, soothing and oddly appropriate. The staff is well trained and articulate in whiskey-speak (their first language). Read up before you go so you won't feel out of it. Their origin story is worth understanding. We (daughter and I) took the course of least resistance option and got a five whiskey tasting flight constructed by the bartender of the moment. They have an intimidating array of small batch whiskeys (again, do your homework before you go). What he gave us was a smattering sampling. One was an Uber peaty rendering ( think single malt Scotch like Lafroig) that we couldn't finish because it was intensely medicinal. The other four were across the whiskey spectrum and flavor profile. If we had to do it again, we'd do even more homework and come in knowing of 4 or so batches we wanted to try and leave the fifth choice to the guy. My daughter was pleased enough with one that she bought a bottle to take home (which, due to her bag being over the airline weight limit, now rests in my liquor cabinet). We took our time, enjoyed the thick cedar woods and the shade, watched the other whiskey lunatics. After the tasting, we bought a couple of cocktails from the back room and continued the mellow reverie. The drinks were nicely crafted and rounded out the experience. If you're a whiskey fan, you shouldn't miss this place. It'll stick in your memory long after. Go planning to suspend disbelief and time and to just chill. read more

Great whiskey and mixed drinks. Staff are all phenomenal and passionate about their craft. The coffee, chai and tacos in the morning are also great, and the views can't be beat any time of day! read more

This place is amazing!! I had no idea what to expect. After a little confusion at the front entrance, I was transported to an incredible property with an eclectic treehouse style whiskey bar. The bartenders are extremely talented and super friendly. My pup and I had a blast visiting and can't wait to go back!! read more

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Off the beaten track a bit but great staff and tasting room. Unfortunately they only distill a small amount of whiskey on property and it sells out quickly. They do finish a lot for other distilleries. Beautiful grounds and fun atmosphere. read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place is a hidden gem, tucked away in the hill country. This spot is funded and supported by crowdsourcing. Very cool concept. You'll more than likely have new products to sample every time you visit. There are flights and a great variety of coctails. Today, there were 5 whiskeys to pick from. Only outdoor seating. The scenic views are amazing. I recommend walking around and checking out the grounds. Friendly service, great drinks and chill environment. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Very friendly staff. My partner enjoyed the whiskey flight and I enjoyed the tequila cocktails. Lovely outdoor patio and dog friendly! read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - Enjoying a jalapeño tequila drink on the patio. Dog friendly! - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

If you look up the definition of 'hidden gem', you will see a picture of Crowded Barrell Whiskey and their Fang & Feather tasting room. Period. What's the big deal you ask? Let me offer a few reasons to stop in: - whiskey tasting flights of 4 for only $11 - also offering other gin or vodka mixed drinks - great tasting room with some cool, historical architectural elements - wonderful deck under the shady oaks to enjoy the quiet Hill Country ambiance - for beer or wine lovers, they also offer those (and snacks) in an adjacent building So this is simply a great stop off the beaten path if you are headed out to the Hill Country or just want something different that is just down 1826. read more

This place was an extremely pleasant surprise in a generally "just ok" Texas whiskey scene. Their whiskies were really good and there were actually two good enough to want to buy a bottle. Unfortunately one was only sold as a pretty expensive set with a so-so bourbon. But it's a great place for whiskey & bourbon lovers to try some fun, unusual blends & experiments. Also they have one table built inside a barrel that feels like you're drinking in a pirate ship. Worth a visit! read more

This place is tucked away in what seemed like a residential area up in the hills off the regular path of other wineries, distilleries, breweries. It's located on land with other businesses it's connected with The Wizard (business) school , a food truck, a hall (event center) and chapel. The area is covered with trees and interesting art sculptures. The tasting room, Fang and Feather is interesting. It's a building built in recent years (last 4 or 5 years) that is made to look aged, like a mission or something. It is not old but the windows, doors and some detailing have mostly been bought at auction and are actually older. Plenty of comfortable seating throughout the outside limited seated indoor. The inside is covered in eclectic décor, there is a small section to buy merch, a catalog of drinks to pick from, a 12 days of whiskey gift box, and of course whiskey tasting. We were not provided a ton of info on the whiskey or the business. There is a fun seating area inside like sitting inside a barrel or on Jack Sparrow's ship. Either way, made the tasting more fun. Had a taste of Texas whiskey flight and it was interesting, there were 3 in my group and we couldn't agree on one favorite, we each had our own. it consisted of straight rye whiskey, straight bourbon whiskey, malt whiskey, malt mash. One was light and others had notes of caramel, vanilla and/or chocolate. We each enjoyed a cocktail as well, a new old fashion that was good, just not my style, the cinnamon or other spice used was not my fav but it wasn't bad, just not my style. The coffee drink was missing something in it, it really tasted like iced coffee with cream. read more

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This is really for Fang & Feather since the Distillery was closed when I went. The Eleanors do NOT disappoint! Nor did the Black Walnut Cocktail mixed by the affable and amiable Richard. I figured to spend about an hour or so but instead closed the joint down! The bourbon is delicious and as a Magnificent Bastard it was a real trip to find my name on the Wall of Magnificence. The grounds are lovely and well worth wandering. If you get the chance to stop in and sample the whiskey you will NOT be disappointed! If you are a Magnificent Bastard, it is so much fun to see where our favorite videos are shot. Alas, I couldn't finagle my way into the Vault! ;) read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - The Wall of Magnificence! - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cool game room to chill with the fam and grab a drink or two! Super attentive bar tender as well.

A little piece of heaven off the beaten path. Definitely stop in for an Eleanor New Fashioned! It's the best twist off a classic you'll ever have. These people are awesome! read more

Crowded Barrel Whiskey - Eleanor new fashioned! - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

We had a stop here on our dripping springs tour. If you like whiskey, this is the place for you. The whiskey tour itself wasn't that impressive, but you do get to taste whiskey right out of the barrel which is really cool. read more

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Really cool spot with great whiskey! Their specialty cocktails were really good as well. I bought a bottle and coasters before I left because of how much I liked the place. Will be coming back! read more

This is, quite simply, and awesome little place, nestled in an awesome little spot, surrounded by beautiful country, and serving awesome whiskey. I had seen the videos on YouTube, and I had some time before my flight out of Austin, so I drove up on a Friday, had a cigar while I waited for the place to open (they have seating for cigar smoking on the porches!), and then sampled some of their wares. It's excellent, and I really can't say more than that. Try the whiskey neat, or in a drink - everything we tried was wonderful. read more

Delightful flight. Beautiful layout in a perfect setting. The people were so friendly too!

I'm gluten free so could not do a whisky sample. My husband did and enjoyed enough to buy a bottle. If you're not into whisky, there's a trailer on the property that serves beer, wine and some mixed drinks, plus snacks! Great outdoorbtables, lights, etc. Pretty read more

Absolutely fantastic. Had a private tasting with Daniel and Emma. Got to meet Rex, Fancy Dan, John and Brianna. One of the best days I've had. The whiskey is a bit young, but pretty good. read more

Visited this establishment yesterday, (Sat the 25th), as part of my traveling the Texas Whiskey Trail. I was not disappointed. The Single M.O.M. was a nice drink, good aroma, and easy on the palate. I also sampled the Magnificent Beast. Nice blended whiskey. What really made my experience enjoyable was your bartender Isaac. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and took the time to tell me about each drinks distilling process. This is what makes my travels the best. Thank you Isaac. This company has a fine customer service representative in this young man. read more

Everything about these guys is first rate! The tasting experience, the education, the environment and most importantly, the Whiskey! I hear they make good cocktails too if that's your thing. read more

We spent an incredibly pleasant evening with co-owner Daniel, his wonderful wife Katie, bartender Emma and the wider team at Crowded Barrel this week. Delicious whiskies and cocktails, outstanding property which was both beautiful and comfortable. If you're able to make the trip you'll have a terrific time, and if you're a magnificent bastard you'll have the time of your life! read more

We had a fantastic afternoon at crowded barrel. The bourbon is delicious and the cocktails are really good too. The property and the deck are beautiful with lots of seating. My favorite thing was the people though. So welcoming and friendly. Definitely check it out if you're a whiskey fan! read more

The Eleanors is impressive, the Black Walnut Cocktail mixed by the friendly man/employee Richard. I figured to spend about about two hours in the distillery before they had closed it down! The bourbon is excellent and it was quite delicious i find the Wall of Magnificence fantastic too. The building and "backyard" was quite lovely and well the time to explore. If you get the chance to stop by and try the whiskey you shouldnt shy away. If you are a taste tester, it is so much fun to see where the employees would lead you on the menu for delectable drinks. Unfortunately, I couldn't bribe my way into the Vault! The Modern Rogue made me jealous so I had to try!!! Hahaha read more

Amazing pilgrimage to drink magnificently! I was in town for a work trip and had to visit the physical location where two of my favorite YouTube channels are recorded. The whiskey was delicious, the tasting room/patio didn't disappoint, and Daniel even spent some time chatting. Still blown away by the experience. read more

Went there for a wedding was a very beautiful location, staff was great! We are from California and will definitely come back next time we are here in Austin! read more

Great place off the beaten path located at the Wizard Academy. Wonderful tree covered wood deck and gear drinks.

Being a MB, it's not hard to imagine that I love this place and the people who make it happen. If anyone is curious about what joining the tribe looks like, check out the Whisky Vault & Whisky Tribe...it's a great group of people who love learning about and enjoying whiskey. Join us! Crowded Barrel is nestled in the beautiful Hill Country of TX and we enjoy sitting on the deck and tasting what's up for the day. If you are curious and want to learn more about whiskey, you will enjoy this adventure. read more

Found this jewel in the hill country Sunday and the place and patio are awesome! The views are amazing and the bourbon was smooth.

First! Big fan of the whiskey vault. If I make down to the Austin area, I'll drop in for sure.

Outstanding bar, with a good selection of whiskeys they make and the Alliance series as well. Really should have gotten the recipe for the New Fashion written down. read more