I visited Desert Door on my bachelor party as part of an Nola tour company tour and really loved it. The cocktails were outstanding, the environment sitting outside was great, and the service was terrific. No one from my party had tried sotol before and our server Stacey was so helpful and friendly walking us through it and making great recommendations. We all had a really terrific time, I loved the drinks and would definitely go back. read more

Such a fun vibe here for a nice afternoon. The flight of cocktails is so unique to be able to try some different options. Live music on the patio was a nice touch. We will be back for sure! read more

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Tucked away in a sleepy corner of the Texas Hill Country, Desert Door feels more like a southwestern resort than a distillery. Adorned with carefully curated cacti, earthen textures, and playful string lights, the dog-friendly patio implores visitors to come on in and stay a while. The spirited hum of live music drifts in and out of animated conversations between friends, all while beverages slowly dwindle. Naturally, I couldn't leave without trying a cocktail (or two). While the tasting flight gave me a deep appreciation for the spirit on its own, I found that sotol truly sings in cocktails, where its earthy elegance can mingle and unfold alongside bright, bold flavors. The on-site bar offered a handful of inventive, locally-rooted options, but one drink in particular bloomed on the palate like a cactus flower after rare desert rain: a Prickly Pear Margarita. Vibrant, jewel-toned, and ever so slightly wild, it balanced sotol's herbal backbone with a sweet-tart burst of prickly pear and just enough lime to make the whole thing sparkle. It's grounding and uplifting all at once, much like the distillery itself read more

We were around the area and decided to stop by this gem we are thinking on having our wedding rehearsal here. Valet is only on Saturday's, more parking in the back. Love the desert vibe, live music on Friday. Service was great and drinks are worth every penny. I regret not purchasing a bottle, but we will be back! read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

Never had I even heard of Sotol before coming here. This was such a cute place, great outdoor area and great service. The drinks were delicious and the spicy drinks actually spicy. I love spicy so that was perfect! Usually when you get a spicy drink they aren't too spicy and be dry mild but this had some kick! I got a flight and really enjoyed every one. They are dog friendly as well which was great! read more

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This was a great stop for our bachelorette party! We had tacos and drinks out front before going on the tour and doing the tasting. It was very interesting to learn about the process and we all really enjoyed the sotol. The bachelorette went home with a bottle that she cracked open on her wedding day! read more

Super cool Sotol distillery out in Driftwood. The taproom is stylish and they offer both straight pours for tasting, as well as cocktails for hanging out. There's even a little museum in the back to learn more about their history and the story of Sotol. Worth a visit if you're looking for a break from the wineries of the region. read more

Immediately loved the ambiance here--it was welcoming from the moment you drive up! We each got a cocktail before the tour and I tasted each. Holy smokes, I was impressed that each one was refreshing and unique. We did the tour as well and had so much fun seeing the unique process for sotol and having a small tasting of each type. We bought several things from the small, but tasteful gift shop! read more

Desert Door - Drinks from left to right--homemade lemonade, Paloma, Chip Shot, Old Fashioned, and Spicy Matador - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

Made a detour to visit the place, only to find them closed. Once visiting yelp, it says permanently closed. It would be nice if they updated their website to reflect that so people don't go out of the way to visit it! read more

We loved our entire experience at Desert Door Distillery! We were welcomed immediately by friendly staff, chose a seat on their outside patio and a server immediately can over right away! We started with the flight to try three sotols. I fully enjoyed the sotol even though tequila is not my liquor of choice. Sotol is much better! Our server Katie was so friendly and gave us great recommendations on their mixed drinks as well explained what sotol is all about. Fun bonus, there was an oyster food truck. So delicious! There was also a taco food truck but didn't try that. Per Katie's recommendation, we tried their rotating desert door frozen. It was coconut pineapple flavored and so perfect on this hot day. I wish I lived in Texas so I could come back more! But if we come back to Austin this will not be missed! read more

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My travel to Desert Door on a Sunday was the best. The people here are so nice and the place is so welcoming. There is free parking in the front and more parking in the back. They have indoor and outdoor sitting. They have complimentary water available which is great in the hot Texas summer. I ordered a flight of drinks which contained the delicious Sotal that they make. Sotal is not tequila, it is not mezcal, it is Sotal which is clean, delicious and tequila's smoother more sustainable cousin. Go to Desert Door learn and drink about Sotal it's delicious. read more

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Always a favorite for when friends come to visit! The staff are so accommodating and the cocktails are well balanced and so tasty! It feels like a trip to big bend at the tasting room. read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

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I went to Desert Door for my first time last Thursday for a joint Bachelor/Bachelorette party and it was an awesome experience through and through. To start, our server went through what sotol is because being from Chicago, I had no idea what sotol was. After giving us a run through and answering our questions, I ordered the Spicy Matador as I typically like spicy margaritas so I figured it would be similar. It was very tasty along with refreshing as well and will say, it did taste pretty similar to a spicy margarita. The rest of the party ordered various other drinks and flights and raved about them as well. We did sit outside which was so nice given the weather was beautiful and they have many outside tables available. I did take a look inside as well and it was such a cute, cozy space. I do want to also call out that they had a food truck with various sandwiches and snacks which was so nice especially while enjoying my beverage. I ordered a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich which hit the spot. I cannot say enough good things about Desert Door and cannot wait for my next visit! Definitely check it out if you are looking for a drink with a friend, a bachelorette stop, or anything else! read more

I had wanted to visit Desert Door for years, and on our visit to Texas a few weeks ago, our drive from Fredericksburg to Austin was the perfect opportunity! Desert Door is the only commercial distiller of sotol in the United States. How cool is that?! I first had sotol in Tulum in 2017 and have been happy to find it making its way onto more menus in the U.S. since then. When I learned of Desert Door, I followed them on Instagram and saved it in my brain to remember to visit when I was next visiting the area. What is sotol? If you haven't had it before, it is a spirit made from the sotol plant (whereas mezcal and tequila are made from the agave plant), which is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern US (including West Texas). What is Desert Door? It's a distillery and a tasting room! It was started by three veterans who met as MBA students at UT who wanted to start a distillery and ended up becoming the first US commercial producers of sotol! (There's a really interesting New Yorker article about them and Desert Door!) What is Desert Door like? The tasting room has an inside area as well as lots of outdoor seating (covered with fans or heaters depending on the season). The outside seating is gorgeous and that's where we sat earlier this month (you know, one of those 60-degree January days in Texas!). The space is gorgeous. It also had a food truck (so you can stay and drink for hours)! And the service was excellent. We started with a couple of flights, since it was our first visit! One flight was of their sotols (the original, the oak-aged, and a special series sotol), and the other was a flight of their cocktails. I definitely recommend you try their sotols straight if you haven't had sotol before, but the cocktails are great - creative, fun, and delicious. I love when a place lives up to expectations you've had and built up for years. Desert Door did that. It's just awesome. A unique place, making a unique product, with great drinks, vibes, and customer service. I highly recommend checking it out. read more

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Sotol? What the heck is Sotol? Here is what I learned on our visit. Sotol differs from mezcal and tequila which are produced using the agave plant, sotol is produced using the sotol plant. The sotol plant is also called the desert spoon. According to our server, their sotol is produced using wild plants that are natural to Tejas. If tequila and mezcal cocktails are your jam you will thoroughly enjoy sotol. Sotol is perfect for sipping or in a cocktail. My Favs were their paloma (with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice). Second was their Oak-Aged Texas Sotol finished in Garrison Brothers casks. You can order as an old-fashioned or straight-up. This is as close as possible to a smooth bourbon and would be perfect in an old-fashioned. There is also a food truck that serves up more than your typical brew pub - distillery fare. Think a wild-game-inspired menu. Be sure to visit their (really cool) website, https://www.desertdoor.com, before visiting. Pro tip: Their tasting room is cozy but there is also a large patio with heaters. If you plan to visit on a cold day you can reserve an inside table. read more

Desert Door - Sotol flight - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

We drove by and we both yelled "Stop! We have to check this cool place out!" We pulled in and were pleasantly surprised how great the vibe is. Ordered an Essential Flight of their top 4 cocktails and it was soooo good! Plus queso and chips that were delicious. First time learning about Sotol. Check this cool place out especially the awesome front patio with live music. read more

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Love this spot. The drinks are delicious; I highly recommend the cocktail flight. It also has the coolest desert vibe. Limited indoor seating but lots of picnic tables outside. Live music often playing outside too, but can be a bit loud. There is a food truck but have yet to try it! read more

Stacey was the best! She was very accommodating! The best experience ever. A must for sure. read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

What a nice experience. Never had sotol and was pleasantly surprised. Both Hayley & Stacey were so nice..a Texas welcome for this New Yorker read more

Great experience for a girls day! We loved our cocktails and the weather was perfect for a day outside. Service was great and everyone was friendly. read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

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Easy drive to get to this picturesque spot and into the one and only Sotol distillery in the US Our group really enjoyed our tour by the warm, knowledgeable and energetic Kate :) and we all loved the taste of sotol This tour was recommended to me, and I am now recommending it to everyone for a group, a date, or an out of town visitor. read more

We had a great time at Desert Door today. One of our parties couples flight was delayed so we spent some time here! Hayley was our server and was awesome. She helped explain the origin of Sotol and the various drinks...we'll be back! Thanks Hayley! read more

Hey yall! On our way to Wimberly and saw a distillery sign, turn! We passed and did a turnaround! Good gracious I did! This place was super cool! Waitress, Haeley and bar tender Stacy took great care of us with service and drinks. We spent more than expected BUT worth it! We took home a couple of bottle packages. Gotta go to the shop! Don't miss out! read more

A stunning distillery in Driftwood! I tried the espresso martini and the ube sour--both were fantastic. There's also a Mexican food truck on-site where you can grab a bite, and the food was pretty good. The service was just alright though, as our waiter didn't seem too enthusiastic. read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

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This was a wonderful experience!! A fun place to hang out with girl friends, family or a date. Comfortable ambiance with all different types of seating. There was a live duo that played upbeat music. The service was attentive and offered great suggestions. In the end I decided on their flight and that was a great way to get started in tasting their popular beverages. The place was clean and best of all, they love dogs!! Definitely a must repeat for me! Note: They have the distillery on location and provide tours! You have to try Texas sotol!! read more

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Friends local to the area took us here and we could see why right away. Such Austin vibes with such great drinks and personable service. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Three friends and I reserved and attended a Sunday afternoon tour. Four other persons joined us for the event. $120 plus fees from our group alone. Things immediately went downhill. The tour guide, Kate, was repeatedly off base and a bad representative for the otherwise excellent brand. She started by walking over to us, asking us if we wanted a beverage while we waited to start, and then instructing us that she could not deliver said beverage. Okay. We proceeded to tour with her. She was quirky and wacky. More awkward really. It was like she didn't know how to belong. A ton of time was spent listening to her explaining growing up in Boston. And her high fives. Sometimes she had great information, but it was crowded by her own nonsense. She repeatedly told us we were each being taken off the tour. Individually. Although she was kidding, she's the one that should not be on this tour. It's like that customer removal was her quirky theme. It is a shame, because there are so many better options for a tour theme. Such as the uniqueness of the product. Or it being from the region. Or this is the only company now producing it. But no, Kate wasn't in that line of thinking. "What is happening?" we kept asking each other. Thankfully the product and facility are great. She was not. She closed the tour with photo bombing our group photo without our knowing it. Huh? Didn't appreciate that. It's time for Kate to focus on another role please. read more

Excellent service with a great atmosphere. We got the 2 flights and they were fun to try and delicious! Thank you Stacey and Haley for treating us so well! You girls are great!! read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

The staff was friendly, and the Sotol was great! We weren't able to make the tour, but one of the guys explained how Sotol was made. From harvesting the Sotol plant to the distilling. They also recommend some cocktails made with Sotol. read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

This place is a hidden gem. Took the tour with Kate. She was very knowledgeable and funny. Desert Door had a great story as well. Must visit!!! read more

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Excellent staff. Friendly and attentive. Drinks/flights are reasonably priced. We took the paid distillery tour with Chandra (I think that was her name). She was knowledgeable and energetic about the sotol and the company. We learned a lot and even sampled some of the sotol. Would recommend. On top of that, the food truck had delicious bites and quick service. We will be back whenever we're in the area. Definitely worth the trip from the ATX OR SATX area. read more

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Officially my new favorite drinking hole in Texas! So Desert Door has been on my IG "LET's GO" list for an entire year! Don't make the same mistake I did and wait too long for this amazing experience! A friend from South Austin was kind enough to "make the trek" out to the Hill Country so I could finally get to enjoy the Sotol! It was an easy, scenic drive and we were both happy to see complimentary parking. The parking attendant was extremely friendly and it was nice to have the option to tip via Venmo. The wait was a few minutes to be seated and those in line were starting to get a little overheated in the sun. But once we were seated the covered patio was not too hot and they do have a water station to help stay hydrated. We happily relaxed outside for our first round of drinks and then stayed to listen to Deer Fellow, an Austin Indie Folk Band. I had enjoyed their music at a beer garden last year (maybe Beerburg). But the sound was muffled and they were only playing covers so it was disappointing. I hope to check out their music lineup again soon but I hope they consider moving the stage away from road noise, crowded entrance, and improve the sound quality. We went inside for the next round and we were both blown away by the authentic Southwestern aesthetics - the fireplace is the focal point but the live edge tables and artwork are just as beautiful! The drinks were all very good and strong so be careful! Unfortunately the blackberry margarita was too sweet for me to make it a regular rotation. Lo Salvaje food truck was onsite so we enjoyed some sweet potato fries and Queso. I would prefer smaller individual portion options but sharing is caring. Next time I would like to make reservations for a tour of the distillery so I can learn more about the processing and history. I highly recommend making Desert Door your next destination when exploring the hill country with friends or looking for a unique date night spot! read more

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This place specializes in sotol, which is like tequila except it's not made from agave. What's really cool about the sotol here is that it's made via gathering wild plants across Texas ranches--they don't cultivate a single plant unless you include the one in front of the distillery. It's way smoother than tequila too, very interesting in that way. We got the drink flight, which is a great value for money because it felt like we ordered four cocktails for the price of a little more than one. We argued over what the best cocktail was because they were all so good. I need to emphasize this: this place is out in the country but they could survive downtown Austin and triple their prices there with how good these cocktails are. The queso at the attached food truck was pretty great too! read more

Desert Door - Drink flight - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

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My husband and I live in New Braunfels and have been to the Desert Door numerous times. We enjoy every kind of cocktail made! Absolutely delicious! We are empty nesters (older than younger) and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere that tends to have older people like ourselves. It is always nice and cold inside when the weather is scorching outside. We have only experienced servers who are welcoming and friendly every time! This is one of our favorite places to go! read more

Great place for unique drinks and chance to get some fresh air. The countryside is beautiful and this place is a great way to enjoy it with picnic tables out side and great food truck as well. I didn't know what sotol was before coming here. The best I can describe is like a tequila whiskey mashup. Makes for great cocktails and they also offer tasting flights of three of their sotols for the connoisseurs. The cocktail menu rotates so there's always something new on the menu. The inside is beautiful and cozy as well but fills up fast. read more

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Popped in for a quick drink on our way from Dallas to The Salt Lick - great vibes and drinks and they were super cool about letting us sit inside with our dog. The food truck they partner with serves delicious food but $10 for 1 duck taco - that was steep! #dogfriendly #goodvibes #coolinteriors read more

Desert Door - Drink Menu 7/3/2022 - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

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Love love love this place!! Highly recommend! Been here a ton of times and I've tried many drinks on the menu. They are all really nice. The disclaimer for the 6 sisters punch made me want to try it and boy was it goood! Lol. They've usually got a food truck outside. The inside decor has a nice vibe and they also have live music. They have indoor and outdoor seating and also a shop inside. Delicious drinks! We take everyone who visits Austin here and they love it! read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

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If you like tequila you will be a fan of sotol, their signature liquor. This is the only sotol distillery in the US and I can say that sotol tastes like a sweeter, milder version of tequila. We did not have any cocktails but they had some pretty inventive looking ones on the menu. In addition the tasting room was gorgeous - great southwest vibe, even in the bathrooms. And the waitstaff was super friendly. read more

Desert Door - Distilleries Near Me - Driftwood, Texas

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My fiancé and I had the best date night at desert door!! We watched the sunset while sipping amazing cocktails. Extremely casual setting as you can sit anywhere (indoor or patio) and a server will take your order. They also have a food truck with unique offerings if you are hungry. The staff were all extremely kind and helpful. Highly recommend the flight to try several options. I can't wait to come back as there are many drinks I still want to try! read more

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This place is not bad, great atmosphere and all. However I realized I didn't really like Sotol. Incase you are not aware, that's all the alcohol they serve there. It does have nice scenery indoors and out. I just wish they had different options to drink others than Sotol. Just don't tell the servers that Sotol taste like smoky tequila. They are not a fan of tequila, they will correct you and tell you that Sotol is not part of the tequila family. If you are into mascot then you will like this place, as for me I enjoy tequila but I don't like a very smoky taste in every drink read more

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