Still Austin Unveils New Music-Themed Brand Home, Maps Plan for Production Increase

Music has always had a role to play at Still Austin. The flagship bourbon is named The Musician in a nod to the distillery’s hometown of Austin, Texas, the self-proclaimed “live music capital of the world.” Still Austin regularly holds concerts on an outdoor stage just outside its tasting room, which often features up-and-coming local musicians. Last year, the live music program was expanded thanks to a partnership with legendary blues joint Antone’s Nightclub on a collaborative concert series that spotlights local and national acts each month. Now the distillery is set to open a brand new, music-themed visitor center of its own.

Making Music

Named The Still Austin Quarter, the 15,000-square-foot center will serve as the distillery’s visitor experience, alongside its existing whiskey garden patio and tasting room/retail shop. The building is divided into four spaces—the Music Room, the Vinyl Lounge, the Atrium, and a private event space—each with a unique concept. At full capacity, it will accommodate around 500 guests, including some 125 seats outside.

The Music Room is the crown jewel, purpose-built to host intimate concerts and other events. It’s home to The Musician’s Stage, which was inspired by the stage at Steamboat 1874, a legendary Austin nightclub that was a favorite haunt of rock legend Stevie Ray Vaughan that closed in 1999. The room is lined with a collection of original posters donated by Danny and Leslie Crooks, who previously owned Steamboat 1874. Still Austin enlisted the help of Steven Durr—a music industry veteran who has designed studios for stars like Garth Brooks, Mark Ronson, and Willie Nelson—to handle the acoustics. Concerts are expected to be held nightly from Thursday through Sunday, featuring both local and national artists.

As for the center’s other components, the Vinyl Lounge will be home to the distillery’s vinyl record collection, which spans more than 5,000 albums across multiple genres. The distillery plans to continue growing the collection over time, with the goal of adding as many Austin musicians as possible. Visitors will have a chance to listen to some of those albums (plans call for having a DJ host every night). While The Atrium is geared toward daytime get-togethers, with happy hours during the week and lunches/brunches on weekends.

Each of these spaces will have its own bar, and Still Austin plans to make cocktails a main focus. The beverage program will include drinks made from the distillery’s flagship expressions, though there will also be a rotating list of archival pours and limited expressions. The menu also includes an agave spirit sourced by the distillery and aged in its own barrels, as well as aperitifs, amaros, and herbal liqueurs, all distilled in-house. There will also be a food program, with details to be announced.

Distilling Expansion

The new visitor facility isn’t the only area where Still Austin has been in expansion mode, as the company has been navigating the current whisky slump with strong gains. Last year it broke a volume milestone by selling over 50,000 cases (just north of 600k bottles), up 43% over 2024, according to Whisky Advocate’s research arm Impact Databank.

This year is also showing positive trends. In February, the distillery signed a partnership with construction logistics company Fero to fuel its growth. The deal, which covers $20 million in working capital (with Still Austin retaining total ownership), will see the distillery scale up its production. On that front, plans have been discussed for building a larger distillery that would increase Still Austin’s capacity nearly sevenfold. The place currently produces 8,500 barrels annually, and the new facility would boost that number to 58,500 barrels, with capacity for further expansion over time.

The new Still Austin Quarter’s operating hours will be Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit Still Austin’s website.