Summer of sippin series
Hill Country distillery pours into San Antonio with live-fire bourbon pairing dinner
Update: Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled due to extreme heat in the forecast, but we are leaving this article available in the hopes that a similar event will be rescheduled in the near future.
Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails is back at it again with a one-night only, themed, live-fire dinner, complete with a special guest and plenty of good bourbon.
Charlie Garrison himself, of Garrison Brothers fame, will be hosting the aforementioned dinner. The Hye-based Garrison Brothers Distillery has the historic distinction of being Texas's very first legal whiskey distillery. In other words, you'll be hard-pressed to find another bottle of authentic Texas-made bourbon whiskey save for Garrison Brothers (most bourbon is produced in Kentucky, for context.)
While you can take a day trip out to Hye to tour the Garrison Distillery (and you really must if you love anything whiskey or bourbon related), if you need to stay closer to home this Saturday, book a ticket (or two) to the Garrison Brothers + Live Fire Cowboy Cookout dinner.
Every guest at the dinner will be entered in a giveaway for two tickets to tour the distillery, a one-night stay at the Hotel Contessa, $50 in food credit to Ambler, and two swag bags.
Oh - and there's also a three-course, family style meal cooked up right in front of you on the Ambler patio by the restaurant's executive chef, Michael Collins. Each guest gets a starter (like Rustic Shiner Bock Bread, for example), a sampling of mains (our pick? The Mesquite Smoked & Grilled Texas Akaushi Cowboy Bone-In Ribeye Steak), and a sampling of sides like Ambler's famous cast iron griddled potatoes.
As for dessert, chef Collins' donuts with cinnamon and Cajeta ice cream alone are worth a visit to the Hotel Contessa's in-house restaurant. Dinner includes one welcome cocktail during the reception from 7:30-8 pm, with three tastings of Garrison Brothers bourbon whiskey throughout the span of the meal.
There will be limited seating inside, with fans outside to cool guests off throughout the meal. The dinner will feature communal-style seating. Country acoustic guitarist Matt Parker will be onsite, performing live music throughout the meal.
Each ticket is $125 and includes valet parking.