The History and Boom of Dripping Spring’s Alcohol Industry
By: Trevor Heinz
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — Driving just west of Austin lands you in the hill country — in the small town of Dripping Spring. Dripping has done its best to make its own mark in the 21-and-older world. In recent years the town has developed into a growing hub for hard liquors. With this growth, many young breweries and distilleries look to compete with Dripping’s older established drinking spots — each hoping to take their own shot or two at success.
“Dripping is a hot spot because the proximity to Austin helps… Being sandwiched between Austin’s craft beer boom and the wineries out towards Fredericksburg, Austin’s a good market and meets a lot of good demographics and so does Dripping,” said John McIntosh, owner and operator of The Barbershop and Acopon Brewing.
The Barbershop is one of the oldest buildings in the heart of town — starting out as a wooden and tin garage in 1924. Over the last 95 years, The Barbershop has gone through changes. This tin garage became a gas station in 1938 and pumped gas till 1960. However, for the next 25 years The Barbershop wasn’t used commercially, until it was remodeled and turned into a Barbershop, hence the name. The establishment was taken over in 2009 and became Dripping’s first beer and wine bar.
However, with the arrival of different styles of beer and many new establishments in recent years, there are many options to choose from, giving locals and new faces options.
“The Barbershop is not just for locals, but it has a definite strong regular clientele,” McIntosh said.
While The Barbershop flourishes from its rustic and old-fashioned style of beer, McIntosh has taken advantage of the booming industry and has opened another bar next to The Barbershop — Acopon Brewing. Acopon is a fairly new, modern-style brewery that specializes in English ales, which are commonly made in the U.S. and are low in alcohol.
“The Acopon, the brewery, we have regulars and a lot of locals but we definitely pull a bigger slice of the tourism trade,” said McIntosh.
Yet, these two businesses aren’t the only places on Mercer Street to sell alcohol. Down the same road is another notable bar — Hudson’s.
Hudson’s is different from The Barbershop and Acopon because it incorporates its bar with another big industry in Dripping, live music. Many locals come to enjoy a drink while listening to live bands play on the weekends. Hudson’s was once just a place for music lessons, but owners Chad and Natasha Hudson shaped this venue in the vision of a place where they could perform, hangout and have a drink.
Dripping has many attractions that lure tourists and locals in. With over 14 different distilling venues, Dripping Springs is one of the hottest spots to grab a drink. With many bars and breweries many people are coming in and out of town.
“Friday (March 29th) the first six groups that came in to the brewery were in town for weddings and that’s most of Saturdays as well,” McIntosh said.
Over the past decade Dripping Spring’s population has grown substantially. Some well know distilleries have moved in as well. Such as Treaty Oak Distilling, Deep Eddy’s Vodka Tasting Room, Twisted X Tasting Room and plenty more.
One of those distilleries, that isn’t as well know as the few listed above, is Frog Pond Distillery. According to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, The Frog Pond has been active since 2016.
“We’re a family owned distillery… We make small batches, basically trying to get sort of a very, kind of personable, friendly, get-to-know-you hands-on sort of vibe here,” Stephen Lloyd, a part-owner for Frog Pond Distillery, said.
Dripping has and also welcomes unique places that can give people a new experience with what is brewed.
This town has managed to provide all the luxuries of a big city, without losing the rural comfort and rich history that ties the tight community of Dripping Springs together. A place that was once unknown by most has become a destination for so many. The Gateway to the Hill Country otherwise known as Dripping Springs will be there to welcome you with a fresh breeze and a cold drink.
