Koopers Whiskey
Liked
The opportunity to meet and interact with a variety of folks - staff, locals, and fellow travelers.
Lacked
Food. That’s tough with so many great drink options.
Loved
Having a welcome escape from the world outside and its frenetic pace.
Blended with Intention
Rumor has it that people used to hear about Koopers Whiskey in the same way that we did - a billboard on Highway 290 points you to a small town between Houston and Austin. In April 2023, I was making the drive to meet up with Don and attend Texas Whiskey Fest, but that billboard 35 miles outside of Ledbetter did its job and I told Don that I had to make a quick pitstop. That “quick” stop turned into a cocktail, some samples, two bottles (at the time that was the limit in Texas), a late arrival in Austin, and an itch to share the goodness of Koopers with the rest of the Distillery Reviews team.
Koopers Whiskey (formerly the Kooper Family Whiskey Company) was founded by the husband and wife duo of Troy and Michelle Kooper back in 2012. The couple channeled their creativity, grit, and hands-on approach into the art-meets-science endeavor of aging, blending, and finishing whiskeys, with an early emphasis on ryes as their preferred grain. Originally based out of Dripping Springs, the Koopers chose to move their business to Ledbetter in 2018. The tasting room they established there, in a sturdy wood and metal building built in 1923, saw iterative improvements year-over-year to align with the evolving branding of their product and to create a welcoming environment for the local Texan or road-weary traveler alike.
Since inception, the Koopers have expanded their core lineup, established and scaled a retail footprint, and patiently waited to share more of their passion via unique special releases that highlight the impacts of Texas weather and thoughtful blending and finishing. And at some point they cleverly invested in some billboards that would draw in new, unaware patrons like me.
First Impressions
The Koopers Whiskey tasting room is conveniently located on the West side of the Highway 290 feeder road, and is visible when traveling in either direction. You just have to ensure you don’t miss the turn; there’s no redlight or major exit to take, just a quick sign pointing you towards your destination. Parking is easy to grab in front of or alongside the building, and in the event of a busy day you can just drive further down the feeder road and grab a spot on the shoulder. The 100+ year-old building boasts simple signage, no windows, and one main entrance facing 290. The proximity to the highway means road noise is constant, and the Texas heat in the warmer months means you’ll want to move inside quickly.
Walking up the wooden porch and opening the door transports you to a world disconnected from the one outside in the best of ways. The open floorplan is a mix of scattered seating, a singular bar, shelving for bottles, and dozens of aging barrels. The lighting is low and moody, and the complete lack of windows means that your eyes will need time to adjust as you take in the space and glorious air conditioning. After getting a brief introduction to the brand by the solo bartender I ordered an Old Fashioned, tried those samples I mentioned, and walked out with a bottle of the Barrel Reserve Rye and a tasting room exclusive that I can’t remember (shame on me). Before I knew it an hour had passed, and because the tasting room does not have any substantial food options, it was time for me to be a responsible consumer and get safely back on the road.
I knew after that first visit that our team would love Koopers, but “let’s drive two hours to this tasting room I found” is a bit of a hard sell. Luckily in September 2023, Ryan and I were once again heading to the Austin area for some events and I convinced him to stop at Koopers with me. Okay, maybe it didn’t take much “convincing”… but we stopped in nonetheless and Ryan reconfirmed that Koopers Whiskey was something special.
Ryan is actually sitting next to me as I write this article, so I’m plying him for his thoughts. His first impression was how welcoming the atmosphere is - the bar is immediately in front of you when you enter and someone is there to greet you with a warm smile and a great pour. The bartenders know their drinks, and ask questions to determine what you might enjoy most. Ryan almost always ends up with a smoked Old Fashioned with whatever whiskey he is most interested in at the time, and he appreciates that he has gotten to try a sample of every bottle he’s ever purchased. That’s a great selling point for our team when bottle space and budgets are limited. I agree with all of that, Ryan!
Another thing that we agree on is that the Koopers tasting room is an opportunity to slow down. We can leave our worries in the car (and our cell service) to enjoy good company and good whiskey. It was true back then and it’s just as true today.
From Pitstop to Destination
Troy Kooper was kind enough to answer a few of our questions around how Koopers Whiskey is evolving, and what we may see in 2026 and beyond. You will see some of his answers in bold below.
Fast forward to 2026 and Koopers Whiskey is making a calculated push to expand brand awareness across Texas.
“I think our first 10 years were about learning the trade and honing the skills we needed to get here. Now we feel strong, competent, and ready to offer our own distinct point of view. The time has come for us to begin expressing ourselves rather than seeking legitimacy and acceptance. We were so focused on learning that we didn’t have the bandwidth for brand awareness beyond being open to the public. Now we want to start making noise and ringing the bell, giving people a reason to come out to Ledbetter and a reason to look for our bottles online and in stores,” Troy told us.
That effort is evident. We saw Koopers in January at SETX Whiskey Fest, where Troy and his son, Phoenix, were running the booth and driving hype for their 8-year Sherry-finished Bourbon. Phoenix is one of those earnest salesmen that remembers your name and taste preferences months later, which was proven when we saw him running the booth at the Texas Whiskey Festival in April with a small team of his own. On the drive in from Houston for said event, I obviously stopped at the tasting room for the final two bottles of their annual Cognac-finished Rye which is another must-have bottle. If you’d like to know more about it as we collectively look forward to the 2027 release then check out a great review from our friend Caleb, the Texas Whiskey Geek.
In 2026, Koopers Whiskey has also partnered with Big Thirst Marketing, an Austin-based marketing and e-commerce powerhouse that works with high quality brands in Texas and beyond. “I think after so many years of doing it on our own, independently, we realized we needed help. Michelle and I hardly have time to get through our daily to-do lists, and marketing and brand awareness just slipped through the cracks. With Big Thirst, we now have a delivery platform for our ideas and expressions. We were quietly speaking to customers like y’all, but only when you happened to drop in. But now we have a bullhorn thanks to Big Thirst,” Troy shared.
Coinciding what the Big Thirst partnership is a move to almost monthly limited releases (mostly tasting-room exclusives), and a noticeable rebranding in several releases that helps bring a level of sophistication and intrigue to the labels that matches that of the product inside. We asked Troy what other moves fans should expect, and the answer is exciting. “More limited releases as well as older stock. We are completely refreshing the packaging this month and plan to release a brand new core Bourbon in July. Other than that, we’ll see where the wind takes us, but the plan is to express ourselves loudly and offer a fresh approach to Texas Whiskey.”
While the timeline is still unknown, fans can also look forward to seeing how the Koopers put their spin on Texas distillate. “We are planning a Certified Texas-only release, distilled, aged, and finished in Texas, but we need more time to work on it," Troy cautioned. As we know, whiskey doesn’t work on any external timeline; between now and a future Certified Texas product we will gladly pick up other releases and savor each expression, regardless of the distillate’s origin.
These changes are having a positive impact on visitor behavior, or at the very least they are changing our team’s behavior. In May 2026 we made the drive to Ledbetter just to go to Koopers for the release of their 10-year straight rye whiskey finished in a Buffalo Trace Barrel. There was a line before they opened, and the limited outrun of 231 bottles sold out in just a few hours. We talked to folks that drove in from all over Texas for the release, and while that may be common for brands in bigger cities and with the marketing budgets to match, this is an emerging trend for Koopers that they should feel proud of; they’ve worked hard for it for over 14 years now, and are starting to involve the next generation of their family enterprise.
Lasting Memories
Since our initial introduction, Ryan and I (either alone or together) consistently stop when making the drive to Austin. Don expects us to bring him a bottle anytime we’re coming into town (and we rarely disappoint him) but we’re really stopping to have that consistent Koopers Whiskey experience. You know what you’re going to get each time, even as the furniture shifts around the room, or new bottles grace the shelves. Koopers meets the expectations of whiskey enthusiasts and casual visitors as a destination whiskey house - a sentiment that is echoed on their own website as of 2026. And as we eagerly await more limited releases like the upcoming Father’s Office Cigar Blend Bourbon that drops on Saturday, June 13th, we know we’ll be making the two hour drive just because the destination in Ledbetter is worth it.
Despite their name change to Koopers Whiskey, the operation remains wholeheartedly a family business. Through some research we found that Phoenix is a highly talented artist, and we were curious to understand what impact he was having as he took on a larger role. “Phoenix’s journey in art has taught us so much… his ability to express himself through painting and art has become the guiding principle for our vision. An Artist has only one choice when it comes to making real art: to choose authenticity and create from the soul for the edification of the soul. You can not authentically express your true self by trying to fit in and appease anyone but yourself.”
The reality is that the Kooper family aren’t just slapping their label on a sourced whiskey, nor are they stretching the truth to create a differentiated origin story. The family is authentically, refreshingly, pouring their love into a consistently high-quality product and sharing it each time you walk in the door and disconnect from the world outside.
Summary
Koopers Whiskey proves that great Texas spirits come from passionate people, regardless of where the distillation happens. While their standard offerings are consistently good and readily available, we strongly recommend visiting the tasting room in Ledbetter to experience a thoughtfully crafted environment, a great cocktail, and a special whiskey release (or two) for yourself.
Our Stats
First Visit: April 2023
Visit Count: 7
Tours Taken: None Offered
Spirits Sampled: 9
Favorite Spirit: Barrel Select Bourbon
