87: Still Austin With Jason Harry

The_Whiskey Shaman

Man oh man i'm so excited to bring this episode to y'all. Today we have Jason with Still Austin Whiskey. We had a great conversation about the brand and the spirit. Lets get into it. Have you checked out our sponsors yet.

Badmotivatorbarrels.com/shop/aff=3

https://www.instagram.com/zsmithwhiskeyandmixology?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Patreon.com/the_whiskeyshaman

Stillaustinwhiskey.com

It all started in 2012. Cleveland Seals was looking for a post-retirement project to occupy his time and had the wild idea to start a whiskey distillery. Cleveland shared his dream with his son, Chris, and asked for his help.

Chris —a longtime economist and risk manager— knew all too well how difficult it would be to bring his Dad's dream to life. Looking at the risks, Chris thought that the chances of success were pretty low, but he liked the idea of spending time with his dad, so he suggested to Cleveland that they do a “feasibility study.” The supposed “study” would ostensibly determine the chances of success in starting an Austin-based whiskey distillery, but secretly, Chris’s real plan was just to spend time with his dad, get him settled into retirement, and after having a lot of fun, decide not to actually do it.

Over the course of the next year, that is exactly what Cleveland and Chris did. The two traveled together, visited whiskey distilleries, and had a lot of fun drinking whiskey together. Prior to this “study” the father-son duo rarely talked with one another, but they soon found themselves talking every day. And not just talking about business. After a few whiskeys they were talking about everything -- even their feelings! As Chris says, “it was the best thing that ever happened to me and my dad.”

Then, as fate should have it, in 2013 state laws in Texas changed. The changes made it easier to open a craft Bourbon distillery in Texas, and also made it likely that a Texas Whiskey category would emerge. Having devoted a year to studying the market, the two realized they just might be at the right place at the right time. They assembled a team of local farmers, whiskey experts, local artists, and crazy co-conspirators — and together with the support of their whole community, Still Austin Whiskey Co was born.

The distillery broke ground in 2014 and began distilling in 2017 (yes, it took three years to build this special distillery). In 2020, Still Austin's first straight bourbon whiskey was released. Over the past decade, Cleveland and Chris discovered the power of believing in a special future - especially for someone you love. Cleveland's dream came to life as an authentic Texas whiskey, made from grain to glass in Austin, Texas. Together we make whiskey for everyone: the musicians, the visionaries, the lovers, the scientists, the oddballs, the artists, and the everyday dreamers.

Everybody knows that really great whiskey HAS to come from Kentucky, right?

And everybody knows bourbon HAS to come from Bourbon County, right? Right?

Everybody is wrong.

The truth is great whiskey can come from anywhere, and great bourbon can come from anywhere in the United States (as long as you follow the rules).

Dozens of fantastic whiskeys have popped up over the last few years from all over the world, even from places as far away from the U.S. as Australia. As whiskey making has grown more popular, people from all over the world have learned how to make great

whiskey, and Texas is leading the way.