Enjoyed: Sunday, March 29, 2026.

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Fresh Squeezed”. There were several Old Fashioneds on the menu, but this one sounded the most “San Antonio” appropriate.

Ingredients: Devils River Agave bourbon whiskey, Ango bitters, Lemon bitters, lemon and orange. And a gorgeous stamped ice cube!

The occasion: We had passed this distillery a few times before, as we walked down Houston Street in search of Mexican breakfast pastries (so good!). After spending the morning exploring the parts of the Briscoe Museum of Western Art that we missed the previous afternoon, we decided to pop in to the distillery for a late lunch and some drinks. Husband chose the premium flight, while I had a rough time deciding which cocktail to pick.

My rating: **** out of 5. I had never had Agave bourbon, not to mention bourbon made with iron-free, limestone filtered spring water from the Devils River in southwestern Texas. Blue Agave nectar–the key ingredient in tequila and mezcal– from Jalisco, Mexico, is added to the bourbon to sweeten it, the website told me. The cocktail was sweeter than a typical Old Fashioned, and the agave flavor was present but not overpowering. The drink was definitely an Old Fashioned and not a Margarita. This paired well with the cheesy nachos I ordered.

Final thoughts: 1. We couldn’t get too tipsy, since we still had to attend a much-awaited concert: the Alamo City Symphony played with the Viva Mariachi band and the Ballet Folklorico danced. What a great celebration of the local culture! We ended the day with a memorable supper at Isidore, one of the three Michelin-starred restaurants in San Antonio. 2. The bar manager at the distillery asked us if we were familiar with Virginia Foothills Distillery in Barboursville, Virginia. Why yes, I even follow this business on Facebook, since it is one of the closest distilleries to our home. It turns out that the owner/distiller was just at Devils River to pick up additional tips and training. It’s a small world!

.