by Hunter Lanier

Every year, Blanco raises the bar on, well, bars! This Hill Country gem has quietly become one of Texas's most interesting destinations for craft spirits, turning whiskey, gin, and bourbon into reasons to plan entire weekends around tasting rooms and distillery tours.

All the distilleries are open and pouring, ready to prove that small-town Texas can hold its own against Kentucky bourbon country or Scottish whisky regions. If your idea of a perfect fall getaway involves sipping finely crafted spirits while exploring a historic downtown, Blanco is sure to go down smooth.

Spirits of Blanco: When the Whole Town Becomes a Tasting Room

Come Halloween, the spirits rise in Blanco. Don’t call the Ghostbusters yet—these are the friendly spirits that’ll have you running toward them!

The Spirits of Blanco festival transforms the city’s historic courthouse square into a top-shelf communal celebration. You’re invited to sample the best from local distilleries, wineries, and breweries, all in one walkable, picturesque location decorated with gorgeous display of the town’s famous marigolds.

Think of it as a farmer's market turned up to 11—except instead of just buying a week’s worth of sourdough bread, you're discovering the difference between bourbon finished in wine casks versus traditional aging. Beyond tastings, the festival offers hands-on workshops where you learn crafting techniques you didn’t know you didn’t know. Elsewhere, you can check out local art, artisan foods, and live music that makes everything taste slightly better.

After all those wine tastings, side effects include in insatiable desire to dance. Blanco thought ahead and set up the Annual Marigold Barn Dance, where you can get footloose and fancy-free to live music at the Arnosky Family Farm! There will also be a band at the Historic Twin Sisters Dancehall, as well as both a dance and rodeo at Yett Memorial Park. Don’t get the two mixed up or you’ll be doing the tango with a horse—and you don’t want one of those hooves to step on your toes. All of these events will be on Saturday night!

Milam & Greene: Where Texas Whiskey Gets Serious

If you can’t make it to Blanco on a particular weekend, the city’s many distilleries are waiting for you all year long.

As a matter of fact, if Texas whiskey had its very own Mount Rushmore, Blanco’s Milam & Greene would already have a nice corner spot carved out. Founded by whisky legends, Marsha Milam, Heather Greene, Marlene Holmes, and Jordan Osborne, this distillery has earned national recognition with award-winning straight bourbon and single barrel releases.

What sets them apart is the perfect balance of innovation and tradition. They source fine barrels from across the country, then age, blend, and finish them with the same philosophy that’s made Texas BBQ a worldwide delicacy: low and slow. The result is whiskey that tastes like someone handcrafted every single drop.

A visit here feels less like a standard distillery tour and more like getting an education you didn't know you needed. Tours and tastings reveal the surprisingly complex journey from grain to glass, making even the most casual drinkers suddenly appreciative of barrel char levels and mash bills. Whether you're a connoisseur who orders "neat" or someone who just likes whiskey that doesn't make you flinch with every sip, Milam & Greene elevates any afternoon into something worth remembering.

Real Spirits: When Your Brewery Becomes a Distillery

Whiskey may dominate Texas spirits conversations, but Blanco has range—and Real Spirits Distilling Co. proves it. Born from Real Ale Brewing Company, this operation takes well-loved beers and transforms them into spirits that make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about craft beverages. Yes, beer-turned-whiskey is a thing, and yes, it'll make your head spin.

Experimentation runs wild here in the best possible way. Gin infused with local botanicals that taste like Texas, whiskey with unexpected depth that comes from brewing heritage, and spirits that make you realize the gap between beer and whiskey isn't as wide as you thought. Every sip feels like Blanco daring you to think differently about what belongs in your glass.

Andalusia Whiskey: Old-World Methods Meet Texas Attitude

Andalusia Whiskey Co. brings a smoky, soulful edge to Blanco's distillery lineup that really bolsters the town's spirits portfolio. Specializing in single malt whiskeys, Andalusia commits fully to old-world methods: copper pot stills, traditional techniques, and a dedication to craft that borders on mad scientist (in the best possible way).

Their "Stryker" smoked single malt draws flavors from mesquite, oak, and apple wood, creating a Texas interpretation of Scottish tradition that honors both without betraying either. It's the kind of bold, complex pour that makes whiskey enthusiasts get quiet and contemplative, which is impressive, given how much whiskey people love to talk about whiskey.

The distillery sits on land that makes sipping their spirits feel almost meditative. This is where you remember that whiskey isn't just about alcohol content or colorful cocktails; it's about slowing down, appreciating craftsmanship, and recognizing that some things genuinely are worth the wait.

Your Blanco Spirits Adventure Awaits

When Shakespeare wrote, “though she be but little she is fierce,” he may as well have been thinking about Blanco as much as Hermia. You see this fierceness no better than in the town’s craft spirits scene, which rivals destinations with ten times the population.

Sure, you could spend your fall weekends at the same crowded wineries and breweries everyone else visits. Or you could discover what happens when a small Hill Country town decides to fully commit to slow-and-steady brewing excellence.

Ready to experience Blanco's distillery scene? You're going to need a comfortable place to rest that drinking arm of yours. Check out these accommodation options and start planning your Hill Country spirits adventure!

About the Author: Hunter Lanier is the head writer and content specialist for Tour Texas. When he isn’t writing about the many great places in the state of Texas, he's reviewing upcoming films on his YouTube channel, Feature Underground.