Garrison Brothers: Texas Waterways Dinner Series
Event Offerings: Dinner, whiskey, and education on the critical role of Texas waterways
At Brenner’s on the Bayou, in Houston, TX
Liked
The food and drink pairings
Lacked
Location-specific logistics for the worriers like me!
Loved
Hearing from passionate Texans looking to preserve our coast and waterways, while enjoying a dram along the way
A Story greater than the sum of its parts
Back in July, we got an email from Garrison Brothers about an upcoming dinner experience that sounded too good to miss. Master Distiller Donnis Todd and “Whiskey Peddler” Charlie Garrison would be sharing their spirits at a limited dinner series in partnership with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, Gulf Trust, and Landry’s. I did the right thing and asked my wife out to a fancy dinner instead of asking if she wanted to go to a whiskey event, and with the promise of a night out (and a preview of the proposed menu from Brenner’s on the Bayou), she was on board. I purchased our tickets, penciled in a babysitter (thanks, Mom!), and began digging into what this event was really about.
According to the official email and website, the Texas Waterways Dinner Series offers “…unforgettable evenings of multi-course dinners, legendary bourbon, and a cause worth raising a glass to,” where “[e]very plate and pour supports the cleanup of the rivers that feed our coast”. Tickets for our local event in Houston were $200 each, with an impressive $50 of each ticket going to fund Gulf Coast projects that clean up both the gulf and the Texas waterways that flow into it. That meant that we were getting a four-course meal at Brenner’s with a cocktail and two neat pours of whiskey, tax and tip included, for $150. If you have been to Brenner’s before then you know how great of a deal that is.
That’s what got me thinking - why was this event such a great deal? What would bring these groups together for a multi-city dinner series in the first place? What we learned over the course of the evening is that the relationships between individuals across each organization weaves a rich story that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Settle in for our recap of an unforgettable experience!
Garrison Brothers
There were four six-top tables in Brenner’s upstairs room for our event, which afforded a more intimate experience than the original 50-75 estimated tickets per event would have allowed. We chose a seat at the front table in part because we had been idling nearby enjoying a welcome glass of sparkling wine, and through a bit of luck, that meant we were seated next to Charlie Garrison for the evening.
If you’ve never heard Charlie speak about that fateful email he got from his brother Dan some 25 years ago that led to the creation of Texas’ first legal bourbon distillery, then you are missing out. Charlie is a charismatic story-teller who can weave in humor and education in equal measure, whether through years of practice helping elevate Garrison Brothers to be a national brand or through his natural talent that might have led him into a long and successful career in sales in the first place. His introduction for the evening deftly shifted from the origins of the brand to the critical role that water plays in its ongoing success.
“Everything that makes bourbon unique has to do with the water that’s in it,” Charlie shared, “…limestone gives bourbon minerality, and our aquifer in the Hill Country is nothing like the aquifer in Kentucky, and that’s why Garrison Brothers worked. Because Garrison Brothers bourbon is nothing like the bourbon you’re going to get in Kentucky. It’s not better, it’s not worse, but it’s totally different based on our water. So we started studying water.”
That focus on Texas water is no secret. Several of Garrison Brother’s premier releases are named after Texas waterways and bodies of water, including Balmorhea (named for the state park in West Texas) and Laguna Madre (named for the largest estuarine system in Texas). With the devasting 100-year flood of the Guadalupe river in July 2025, Garrison Brothers turned their annual release of Guadalupe bourbon into a fundraiser for Kerr County. That event raised over $100,000, and it is but one of many charitable events that the distillery organizes each year. They don’t all benefit Texas waterways and conservation efforts, but they are all anchored in the brand’s belief that “Good Bourbon Can Change The World” - a motto that spans the massive rickhouse at the distillery in Hye, Texas.
Sitting with Charlie gave us an opportunity to hear more stories (some of them off the record) about creating a bourbon outside of Kentucky, the 3-tiered distribution system, and the ways that the Garrison Brothers brand partners with organizations like the ones we would be getting to know that evening. I honestly would have considered the event worth it just to have sat with Charlie and listened to his stories, but there was even more for us to appreciate as the evening continued.
A view of the Garrison Brothers rickhouse and their “Good Bourbon Can Change The World” motto from our bottling visit back in March 2024.
Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation
After enjoying our first course and cocktail pairing (jump to the Landry’s section below if you’re craving more about the food), Charlie was back up to explain the relationship with the next speaker.
“Whenever we’re doing events, we’re trying to tie it into things that we care about. And one of those things is Texas Parks & Wildlife, ” Charlie explained.
A deep appreciation for Texas and the people that call the Hill Country home has had a profound and lasting impact on Charlie, Dan, and the entire Garrison Brothers crew. Charlie called that impact “magic”, and it’s what led the brand to form a relationship with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation and Phil Lamb - the Director of Philanthropy & Engagement.
“Dan and Nancy and the whole [Garrison Brothers] team - they set the model for corporate philanthropy,” Phil began as a segue from Charlie’s introduction. From there, Phil explained the difference between the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD, the state agency that oversees state parks and waterways, among other things) and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation (TDWF, the nonprofit partner of TPWD). Founded in 1991, TPWF is based in Dallas and has around 20 employees, making them relatively small in size for what they do. Before hearing Phil speak, it wasn’t actually clear to me that TPWD and TPWF were distinct. But after hearing that official funding channels aren’t enough to sustain the levels of effort required to keep Texas as wild and beautiful as possible, I felt a sense of urgency in supporting TPWF and helping make a difference.
“…we try to be meaningful and impactful with the work that we do,” Phil continued. TPWF projects span the state, from ongoing oyster restoration work in the coast to raising millions of dollars for the soon-to-be open Palo Pinto Mountains State Park as the first new state park in North Texas in a quarter of a century. The scale of TPWF projects varies, but over their 30+ year history they have accomplished their impactful goals thanks in part to donations from patrons like us at the Texas Waterways Dinner.
“Over 30 years our total fundraising has exceeded $275 million …we look at every dollar we’ve received as an investment in Texas and then we try and deploy it back out to benefit the wild things, the wild places, and the people in this room that care about them.”
Given the variance in needs and sheer size of Texas, Phil went on to explain how TPWF collaborates with other organizations that have more specific goals that focus on a subset of their broader conversation efforts. That’s where Gulf Trust comes into the picture.
Gulf Trust
Placemat materials for the event and a peek of the menu.
I mentioned that we had the privilege of sitting with Charlie at dinner, but we were doubly honored to unknowingly be sitting next to the Jay Kleberg - the Executive Director of Gulf Trust - as well.
When we first sat down for dinner, Ace Jones-Taylor - the Marketing Communications Manager at Garrison Brothers who was already at the table - assured us that we were clear to sit with them at the front. Ace introduced us to Jay after a few minutes of getting settled in, and despite me not knowing who Jay was at the time, he gave off a confident and friendly vibe that complemented his rugged handshake. Once Charlie joined us after completing his welcome remarks, he wasted no time making introductions around the table and asking Jay some insightful questions.
Jay Kleberg is a sixth-generation Texan. If you don’t already know of Jay as a conservationist, filmmaker, adventurer, and Texas wildlife advocate, then you may know of his storied family. After all, the Kleberg’s have a county named after them and are the owners of King Ranch, the historic, 825,000 acre ranch in South Texas that is larger than the state of Rhode Island. Jay has used his time, energy, and voice - and taken advantage of opportunities that come with his family name - to be an on-the-ground advocate for Texas through decades of work both independently and as a former member of the TPWF where he worked for over eight years.
To say that Jay is passionate about Texas waters is a bit of an understatement. Back in 2023, Jay and his wife Chrissy walked the 370-mile Texas coastline in 21 days for their “Chasing the Tide” documentary. In that same year, Gulf Trust was founded “to be the leader in providing Texas-based, science-backed solutions that support a vibrant and resilient Texas coast and Gulf.” As the founding Executive Director of Gulf Trust, Jay is well positioned to share the threats facing Texas waterways and the gulf that they ultimately flow into.
“One of the things that we’re really focused on is the fact that every watershed, every waterway, every river in the state of Texas flows to the gulf. And we do accumulate - because of tides and wind and where we’re situated - trash or marine debris or litter ten times faster than any other gulf state,” Jay shared with the room after we watched a short video that Gulf Trust and Garrison Brothers had created to support the dinner series. That’s an astonishing and sobering statistic.
Rob Cordes - “Head Marketing Dude” at Garrison Brothers - organized the partnership between Gulf Trust, TPWF, and Garrison Brothers as a way to expand the goodness of the Hill Country “magic” all the way to the gulf through a new, annual cleanup campaign of Texas waterways. While Garrison Brothers raises awareness, funds, and supports cleanups in local waterways like the Guadalupe, Gulf Trust is expanding to 45 or more cleanups across the state. But that work is just a small part of what Gulf Trust is doing.
“As I sort of thought about the Waterways Series and what we’re doing here,” Jay continued, “everything that we do and that we touch at the Gulf Trust is dependent on water.” Charlie had started the evening with the importance of clean water in Garrison Brothers bourbon, and Jay ended the evening extoling the benefits for a wide range of wildlife and industries. That callback elevated something that brought most of the guests in for the evening - a love of bourbon - and tied it to a broader call to action to protect Texas waterways at every opportunity.
“It’s one thing for an organization to say ‘we want to help’ and write you a check. It’s another thing for them to put on these kinds of dinners with us. They connect us with people… it’s people that make these things happen. And it’s very clear that [Garrison Brothers] have built a business and a brand around people and caring about people, and about Texas and the environment,” Jay concluded.
We couldn’t agree more.
Landry’s, Inc.
The story of Texas Waterways wouldn’t be complete without weaving in Landry’s - the restaurant group that served as the partner for all six dinners in the series. We should have known that choosing Landry’s restaurants wasn’t a random choice, but we couldn’t have guessed the connections between them and Garrison Brothers.
Many years ago, Garrison Brothers had a handful of single barrels that Charlie was tasked with selling. Through unverifiable and humorous means, Charlie ended up forming a lasting partnership with Landry’s when he went to sell them said barrels of bourbon. Headquartered out of Houston, Landry’s has hundreds of locations across the country that have almost acted as trial gateways for the expansion of Garrison Brothers into other states over the years. Charlie tells the story well, and we encourage you to get it directly from him at the earliest opportunity. We won’t spoil all of the details, but needless to say it was a no-brainer for Garrison Brothers to work with their long-time partner for the six-night series across Texas.
Two key Brenner’s on the Bayou team members also had some surprising connections to others at the event. Josh Gilbreath - General Manager - is a fan of Garrison Brothers, even proposing while at the distillery and ranch in Hye (his girlfriend said yes). He keeps one of the more premium Garrison Brothers offerings on his top shelf, and jokingly shared that if he really likes you that he’ll even pop the cork and let you smell it. Josh bookended the event and also supported introductions of the different drinks we were having.
Ryan Braden - Executive Chef - is from the Beaumont area where my wife’s family is from. In addition to introducing his menu and inspiration for the evening, Ryan spent some time at our table chatting about his upbringing and experiences. Ace was able to identify some of the edible flowers that Ryan garnished the main courses with, and Ryan was excited to hear both about the flowers they noticed and our collective opinion of his menu.
Y’all, the food was fantastic. This was as good or better than other memorable meals we’ve had at Brenner’s over the years, but it was extra special to have the connection with Ryan and know it was more of an expression of him as a creator than what you might get to experience on a normal night out.
Speaking of Chef Ryan, let’s take a look at the food that he prepared for the evening. Don’t let my hastily taken (and often blurry) photos of the meal detract from how delicious everything was!
Amuse Bouche
On the left: Crispy Goat Cheese & Watermelon. Watermelon-bacon relish, house roasted bacon, onion, maple balsamic vinaigrette
On the right: Chipotle BBQ Shrimp & Grits Shooter. Chipotle marinated shrimp, bacon and cheddar stone ground grit
First Course
BBQ Game Hen. Buttermilk whipped potato “salad”, southern style collard greens, cornbread
Paired with the Honey Dew List (not pictured because I drank it too fast). Garrison Brothers HoneyDew Bourbon, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, luxardo cherry
Second Course
Smoked Bison Short Ribs. Blue cheese potato rosti, tempura broccolini, carrots, sweet corn puree
Paired with Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Bourbon
Third Course
S’mores Affogato. Toasted marshmallow ice cream, graham cracker crumble, espresso chocolate foam
Paired with Garrison Brothers Balmorhea Bourbon
If you regret having missed the food then you may still be in luck - Brenner’s is hosting a different whiskey pairing event on September 18th that will be reusing the same menu. You can get the details and tickets on their website. Chef Ryan may bring the menu back for other events in the future depending on the continued feedback from guests.
Parting Thoughts
The Texas Waterways dinner series is a unique experience that once again brings together good bourbon for a good cause, as Garrison Brothers loves to do. The food and drinks were delicious, the people we interacted with were passionate about their combined causes, and the evening was both educational and memorable.
Distillery Reviews has team members in Austin, Houston, and the Beaumont area, and with our newfound knowledge of Gulf Trust we are looking forward to volunteering our time and sharing the good word as we support clean Texas waters that are used to create our favorite Texas spirits and that enable us to enjoy the beauty of our great state.
