San Antonio Whiskey Month supports local bars and restaurants

‘Cocktails to go’ include the Mint To Tea. Photo: Rob Cordes, used with permission.

Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, announced this week the inaugural San Antonio Whiskey Month, a month-long promotion to support local businesses while celebrating the joy of good bourbon throughout the city. The award-winning Hill Country bourbon maker has teamed up with some of San Antonio’s best cocktail bars and mixologists to feature a limited-time San Antonio Whiskey Month cocktail. A portion of proceeds from every cocktail sold, from both dine-in and to-go cocktails, will benefit Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, a 501(c)3 public charity founded by the Garrison Family and their staff in 2018. Funds of Good Bourbon for a Good Cause are distributed to charitable organizations primarily, but not exclusively, in Blanco and Gillespie counties of Texas and also to charitable organizations that serve current and former American military personnel. (Garrison Brothers Distillery, 2020)

Participating businesses include local favorites like Bamboo, Botika, Broadway 50/50, Cover-3, Dorrego’s, Francis Bogside, Lucy Cooper’s Icehouse, On the Bend Oyster Bar, Ostra at Mokara Hotel & Spa, Paramour at the Phipps, Rebelle, The Good Kind, Tucker’s Kozy Korner and The Well. More business will be confirmed on a daily basis and will be added to the running list.

San Antonio Whiskey Month customers are encouraged to share their experience on social media with #sawhiskeymonth for a chance to win a Garrison Bros. prize pack (ages 21+ only).

Garrison Brothers Distillery is a small farm and ranch located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country that authentically produces straight bourbon whiskey and only straight bourbon whiskey. In 2010, Garrison Brothers introduced the first bourbon whiskey legally made in Texas and has since developed a rabid fan base. They currently have a waitlist of more than 17,000 people hoping to land a spot on bottling days, and their Cowboy Bourbon™ normally sells out within hours of its release. Garrison Brothers is the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas history and is one of the first distilleries in America outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handmade bourbon whiskey. The business was founded in 2006, though rumor has it they may have started production a little earlier. Garrison Brothers is a proud and active member of the communities of Blanco, Fredericksburg, Hye, Johnson City and Stonewall. The distillery and its barrel barns are open to the public for tours in Hye, Texas.

At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2020, the Garrison Brothers team was awarded a double gold medal for its Balmorhea Double-Barreled Bourbon, a silver medal for its Single Barrel Bourbon and a bronze medal for its Small Batch Bourbon. Garrison Brothers was voted Best Craft Whiskey Distillery in America by readers of USA Today in 2017.

“The mission of Good Bourbon for a Good Cause is to change the world through the power of good bourbon. The inaugural San Antonio Whiskey Month gives us another tool to raise money for those impacted by the pandemic, and I’m inspired by the coalescence of our community during these uncertain times.” – Dan Garrison, founder and proprietor of Garrison Brothers Distillery. 

Whataburger and San Antonio Food Bank team up for fundraiser

Whataburger and San Antonio Food Bank team up for fundraiser for student hunger relief. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

This month, as part of the Whataburger Feeding Student Success program, Whataburger is partnering with the San Antonio Food Bank to help fight hunger and provide meals for San Antonio’s most vulnerable, as there are 50,000 more children in need since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

From Monday, October 5 at 3p.m. through Friday, October 30 at 12a.m., customers who donate $1 or more to the San Antonio Food Bank at any Whataburger location across San Antonio or Schertz will receive a thank-you coupon for a free Whataburger with purchase of a medium fry and 32-ounce drink. The $1 donation provides seven meals from the San Antonio Food Bank and helps reach their goal of providing 350,000 meals to local children.

The San Antonio Food Bank is a 501c3 non‐profit organization providing millions of pounds of food to over 530 charitable organizations in Southwest Texas serving those in need. In addition to food distribution, the San Antonio Food Bank provides numerous programs that not only solve the immediate problems of hunger, but help individuals and families gain long‐term food security.

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 840 locations in 10 states and sales of more than $2.5 billion annually. Whataburger has 46,000 Family Members (employees) and more than 14 million customers who like to customize their Whataburgers just the way they like it.

“A few weeks ago we pulled the trigger on preparing thousands of meals a day for kids who were struggling with food. We needed a miracle to cover our unexpected expenses. Whataburger provides the opportunity for the magic, but the customer will be the real miracle maker. I have full hope that our great community will come through and make it happen.”-  Eric Cooper, President & CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank

“Too many families in our community struggle to put food on the table for their children, and since the pandemic began, we know more children than ever are facing food insecurity. We started the Whataburger Feeding Student Success program to remove obstacles for our students, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with the San Antonio Food Bank to support families at a critical time, and get kids the nutrition they need to be healthy and successful.” – Rob Rodriguez, SVP and Chief Restaurant Operating Officer of Whataburger

Culinaria hosts Hospitality Tour Music Festival

William Clark Green will headline the Hospitality Tour Music Festival which will benefit the Culinaria Hospitality Fund. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

On Saturday September 12, Culinaria will host an outdoor music festival at the Historic Freiheit Country Store to benefit the Culinaria Hospitality Fund in support of the New Braunfels community. The Culinaria Hospitality Fund provides aid to restaurateurs and furloughed workers. (Culinaria, 2020)

William Clark Green and Statesboro Revue, known for music that redefines rock and roll, headlines the Festival with a performance at 7p.m. Tony Taylor with his country, folk and Americana tunes, opens the day of music with Blue Water Highway, known for Americana roots-rock, at 11a.m., followed by a rock performance at 3p.m. with Austin Gilliam and Mario Flores, Latin Jazz.  Tickets are $10 for the 11a.m. and 3p.m. performances and $25 for the finale.  A small number of VIP tables are available for the entire day, $300 for a party of four, and $450 for a group of six. Tickets are available online.

Freiheit Country Store is in New Braunfels at 2157 FM 1101. The venue is limiting access to less than half of its capacity and social distancing is required as well as masks when inside or purchasing beverages outside. Between each show, staff will disinfect and sanitize the venue for the next audience.

Cash donations to the Culinaria Hospitality Fund are welcome and can be made through PayPal, Venmo, or by check payable to Culinaria, 999 East Basse Road, Suite 180-448, San Antonio, TX 78209.  Donations are tax-exempt through Culinaria. 

Culinaria is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to promoting San Antonio as a premier wine and food destination while fostering community growth and enrichment. Culinaria is a registered 501 c (3) tax-exempt organization. A volunteer board of directors who represent the community and guide the organization in its mission to champion the wine and food industries governs Culinaria.

Garrison Brothers Distillery donates $200K for COVID-19 relief

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Team Rubicon COVID-19 relief. Photo: Trang Lee, used with permission. 

On April 2, Garrison Brothers Distillery launched Operation Crush COVID-19, a fundraising campaign to help American communities recover and rebuild from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One way Garrison Brothers was able to raise these funds was by pivoting the forthcoming release of an eight-year-old, top-shelf bourbon called Laguna Madre and gifting it to donors who contributed $1,000 or more to the cause. Since then, the initiative has raised over $200,000 and has an ultimate goal of $2 million. Veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon received $100,000 from the philanthropic effort and Garrison Brothers recently announced three more groups as beneficiaries, including 53 individual bartenders, Southern Smoke Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund and The Texas Restaurant Education Association’s TX Restaurant Relief Fund. (Garrison Brothers Distillery, 2020)

Two Texas hospitality nonprofit organizations each received $23,500 from Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, Garrison Brothers Distillery’s 501(c)3 public charity. Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation allocated the donation to their  Emergency Relief Fund, providing assistance to individuals in need in the food and beverage industry.

Austin-based Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation (TRAEF) allocated the donation to its TX Restaurant Relief Fund, an initiative providing immediate financial support to Texas’s independent restaurateurs and their employees.

Nonprofit organizations were not the sole beneficiaries of funds raised via Operation Crush COVID-19. Bartenders who participated in The Bourbon Take Over of Texas each received $1,000 as well. The Bourbon Takeover of Texas is Garrison Brothers Distillery’s annual mixology event, which pre-qualifies bartenders to compete in a statewide bartender competition, The Garrison Brothers Bourbon Brawl. The competition was originally supposed to take place from March 26 through May 7 but has been tentatively rescheduled to October.

Garrison Brothers Distillery plans to continue their fundraising efforts until their goal of $2 million is met. Anyone interested in making a contribution to the fundraising efforts can do so online.  Contributors of $1,000 or more will receive a bottle of Laguna Madre, an eight-year-old, top-shelf Garrison Brothers.

“This crisis has once again shown how our industry and our customers band together to support each other. Restaurants are the core of our communities, and the generosity of individuals and organizations like Garrison Brothers who rally them are helping to ensure that they survive this challenging time. On behalf of those independent restaurateurs and their employees who will benefit from these funds via the TX Restaurant Relief Fund, thank you!” – Dr. Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association.

 

Local donor gives one ton of produce to benefit individuals with Down Syndrome and Autism

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Mary Flores and her son Tommy. Courtesy photo, used with permission. 

As a mother of an individual with Down Syndrome, Mary Flores understands the challenges that similar families, and the non-profit organization they rely on, are facing during the COVID-pandemic. Many group homes and non-profits have seen a reduction in donations and find it challenging to shop for groceries with restrictions on quantity. (Cook With Michael, 2020)

As a result, Mary Flores is donating 2,000 pounds (one ton) of produce that will benefit the clients, staff and group homes of the following recipients:

Autism Treatment Center
Down Syndrome Association of South Texas
Morgan’s Wonderland
Reaching Maximum Independence (RMI)

This will feed approximately 4,000 individuals. Monetary and in-kind donations of personal care and household items are especially appreciated. Please donate directly to the organization of choice.

“Individuals with Down Syndrome and Autism don’t understand the concept of ‘shelter in place’ or adapt well to quarantine, as their daily program and therapy is based on consistency and routine. Also, a large majority rely on day programs and group homes for therapy and meals.” – Mary Flores

Circuit of the Americas food drive

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This Sunday May 10, take a drive around the Circuit of the Americas race track for a good cause. Photo: google

On Sunday, May 10 from 12p.m. to 5p.m. Circuit of the Americas (COTA) will be collecting donations for Central Texas Food Bank and allowing guests a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to take a drive on the world-famous 3.4 mile track. This will be a parade of unity, hope and fun for the Central Texas community.  Join friends and neighbors safely from inside your vehicle as you ascend the iconic “Turn 1” hill, weave through the challenging “esses” at Turn 3 and 4 and cruise down the same back stretch as the greatest Formula 1 have done. Donations are recommended, but not required to participate. This is an experience as unique as Austin. (Circuit of the Americas, 2020)

Germania Insurance will match up to $10,000 of donations and COTA and Austin Bold FC will match Germania’s donation to $10,000. Donations can also be done online. Please keep in mind that $1.00 can produce up to four meals. If you choose to donate cash or non-perishable items, “touchless” locations will be available for self-drop-off in the COTA garages.

Circuit of The Americas
9201 Circuit of The Americas Blvd
Austin, TX 78617

Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, is the only purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States designed for all classes of racing. The 3.4-mile racetrack hosts the world’s most prestigious sporting events, including Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, INDYCAR Classic, as well as world-renowned concerts, music festivals, and opportunities for track rentals. The 1,500-acre campus is also home to the award-winning Austin360 Amphitheater, driving experiences including COTA Karting, open-wheel Formula America and the Audi Driving Experience, expansive meeting and hospitality spaces and an iconic 25-story observation tower that offers 360-degree views of the circuit, amphitheater and downtown Austin.

Luck Productions presents 4/20 live stream

comeandtokeit
Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Luck Productions presents “Come And Toke It”—a new variety show and fourth installment of Luck’s ongoing live programming, following Til’ Further Notice, Hello Walls and Prime Cuts. What better way to honor Willie’s favorite holiday, than to celebrate with him on April 20th at 4:20 p.m. in the comfort of your own home. Hosted by the unofficial patron saint of weed himself, Willie Nelson, who will be joined by artists, chefs, comedians and cannabis experts during the 4 hour and 20-minute live-streamed program. (Luck Productions, 2020)

The variety show will include performances by various musical guests, cooking and cocktail demos and weed-centric moments. Stay plugged-in to Luck Reunion social media channels, as the talent will be revealed on a rolling basis. All programming will stream on Luck reunion  and Twitch TV.

Luck and Willie’s Reserve are joining forces to launch the #comeandtokeit #passleft challenge, which is perhaps the world’s only chance to knock smoking with Willie Nelson off their bucket list. Whether you partake or not, this is your chance to live the dream. Luck will be asking fans to post a video of themselves passing whatever toking material of their choice to the left with the hashtags #ComeandTokeIt #PassLeft. One lucky participant will be randomly selected to talk to Willie himself, live on air, to pass left and wish him an early birthday “in person” during the broadcast. More details available on You Tube.

To help kick your at-home party off, viewers in Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City areas will be able to order from classic cocktail delivery service Sourced Craft Cocktails.  Come And Toke It will also highlight its partnerships with Willie’s Reserve, Last Prisoner Project, El Silencio, and Grav.

Luck Productions is a rogue cultural collective headquartered in Willie Nelson’s Luck, TX. Anchored by its flagship event, the annual Luck Reunion—also dubbed as the “Anti-Coachella” by Fast Company—Luck Productions creates experiences that embrace our past while cultivating new traditions in American roots culture. In addition to the Reunion, Luck Productions has hosted pop-up events including “Luck Mansion” residencies during Nashville’s AmericanaFest; a featured stage activation during Highwater Festival; the “Luck Hotel” content and concert series in Dallas; and the new “Luck Social” supper and song series held in Luck, TX. After the postponement of Luck Reunion 2020, Luck Productions kicked it into high gear with a virtual festival Til’ Further Notice – a live streaming concept that raised upwards $200,000 for participating artists and partnering nonprofits who are heavily impacted by the current disaster.

Don’t forget to tune in for Luck Presents Prime Cuts: a live, cook-along event featuring award-winning chefs and musical guests Fridays at 6p.m. and for Hello Walls: a music-discovery focused mini-series Sunday nights at 8p.m. Past guests on Prime Cuts include award-winning host chef Michael Fojtasek and musical guest Shakey Graves. The first episode of Hello Walls was hosted and curated by Deer Tick’s John McCauley and Langhorne Slim hosted episode two.

“Come and toke it with me on 4/20 at 4:20. There will be music and good times. And, it’s for a good cause.” – Willie Nelson

 

Culinaria helps hospitality industry

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Culinaria is helping out the hospitality industry with several programs. Photo: Culinaria, used with permission.

The hospitality industry is one of the major industries in San Antonio and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is an industry struggling more with each passing day. With many furloughed and inevitable restaurant closures, the situation will most likely get worse before it gets better. Culinaria, with its mission to promote San Antonio as a culinary destination for food and wine, is stepping in to help. The other component of its mission is to offer support to the industry it serves in times of financial hardship. In the past, fundraising was structured through events to benefit a specific individual or family, but now, at this time an event is not an option, and the need to assist others is of growing importance. (Culinaria, 2020)

Culinaria has initiated three tiers of assistance to address short and long-term needs for individuals and restaurants/bars in the San Antonio area.

HospitALLity House focuses on short-term needs by ensuring those in the hospitality industry receive a hot meal. Service is provided Monday through Saturday at Alamo BBQ from 4p.m. to 7p.m. and several other restaurants have stepped in to help with meals at their locations.  Food donations and monetary contributions from generous businesses and individuals have helped keep this program going. It has already fed more than 12,000 in its first two weeks of operation.

Culinaria Family Meal Kits are networked through chefs for distribution to furloughed workers. Hospitality businesses who have employees in need can email Culinaria to be included in the kit distribution.

For long-term needs, an Emergency Relief Fund has been established and will issue funds to hospitality workers in need of financial assistance. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to donate to the Emergency Relief Fund through PayPal or Venmo online. An application process is available online and the current need is greater than the resources available, so Culinaria will continue its outreach  to raise enough funds to assist more individuals and to later provide relief for restaurants and bars to reopen.

Culinaria’s social media channels will be posting the locations and times where hospitality industry workers can get the hot meals.

In addition, Culinaria is offering the Restaurant Weeks To-Go, to promote restaurants that have remained opened for to-go, curbside and delivery services. A complete listing of those restaurants,  menus (when available) as well as restaurant websites and phone numbers is available online.

 Some of the key support includes contributions from Chef Jason Dady, Silver Eagle, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Sysco, Alamo BBQ, Bakery Lorraine, Chef John Brand and Hotel Emma, Gaucho Gourmet, Cheesecake Factory, Panifico Bake Shop, Hush San Antonio, San Pellegrino and Texana Brands

“This is definitely an unprecedented time for us all and our hope is to support furloughed industry workers that have helped put this city on the map as a culinary destination.”- Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, President/CEO of Culinaria.

Garrison Brothers Distillery launches fundraiser

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Garrison Brothers Distillery launched Operation Crush COVID-19. Photo: Garrison Brothers Distillery, used with permission.

Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, has launched Operation Crush COVID-19, a fundraising campaign to help American communities recover and rebuild. The campaign, launched in partnership with Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, the distillery’s 501(c)3 public charity, aims to raise more than $2 million dollars for veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon, which is currently serving in communities across the country, leading efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Good Bourbon for a Good Cause will also be naming a secondary beneficiary that is helping with the immediate needs of hospitality industry professionals and their families. (Garrison Brothers Distillery, 2020)

Until recently, Garrison Brothers had planned to release Laguna Madre, a special project over 10 years in the making, later this summer through traditional liquor retail channels. Laguna Madre is the oldest bourbon Garrison Brothers has made to date; an eight-year-old, top-shelf release named after the beautiful blue waters along Texas’ Gulf Coast. The ultra-premium bourbon was aged in new white American oak barrels for four years and aged secondarily for four more years in Limousin oak from France, which is prized for its vanilla content. Limousin oak wood imparts spirits with distinct flavors of vanilla, sweet candy, cacao and thick, white chocolate that an experienced bourbon drinker will never forget.

The original plan was to release just over 2,000 bottles to the distillery’s original supporters, then to close friends, then to bars and restaurants who have always championed the brand. But in light of COVID-19, Laguna Madre will now be available only to donors who contribute $1,000 or more to Good Bourbon for a Good Cause in partnership with Team Rubicon, a global disaster response organization composed primarily of military veterans and first responders who are deploying teams to areas heavily affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

The first 2,004 people to contribute $1,000 or more will receive a bottle of Laguna Madre. Everyone is invited and encouraged to donate whatever they can. “If you donate $100, you will forever have our respect and you can choose to take home any clothing item from our gift shop for free,” adds Rob Cordes, marketing director at Garrison Brothers Distillery.  “If you donate $500, we’ll reserve one bottle of Boot Flask (375ml) and one bottle of Honey Dew (750ml) for you.”

There will be 4,008 bottles of Boot Flask, 4,008 bottles of Honey Dew and 2,004 bottles of Laguna Madre available.

“At Team Rubicon, we know we’re only as strong as our volunteers, partners and donors, as we fight this invisible war on COVID-19, we must all work together. During this unprecedented time, we are entirely grateful to have Garrison Brothers Distillery and its customers by our side, supporting our efforts in response to this deadly virus. This generous donation will help us continue to prepare, respond and aid community recovery efforts across the country.” – Jake Wood, co-founder and CEO of Team Rubicon.

 

San Antonio Food Bank’s ‘Neighbor Helping Neighbor’

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The San Antonio Food Bank launched its ‘Neighbor Helping Neighbor’ to reach out to individuals and families in need. Photo: Google

After a two-week effort to front-load low-income households with groceries and household supplies, the San Antonio Food Bank is launching a new phase in its coronavirus response: the Neighbor Helping Neighbor relief effort. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

The core components of this effort are two-fold: 1) ensuring every kitchen table in Southwest Texas has the core food items needed to get through this crisis; and, 2) ensuring that all our neighbors who might be elderly and living alone get a visit. The Food Bank will be adding mobile, grab-and-go meals and food distributions daily throughout Southwest Texas. Their website has up-to-date information on how and where individuals can get help.

With the economy suffering and San Antonio already struggling with the highest poverty rate in the country, the Food Bank is prepared to grow with the expanded need. The Food Bank’s website is the best place for information on how to give help. Volunteers are still in need, and one does not need to leave their house to be a good neighbor: every $1 provides 10 pounds of food/supplies to “Neighbor helping Neighbor.” The Food Bank is emphasizing that money donations are preferred over food donations; this allows the Food Bank to target specific items in specific quantity.

“This great city of ours has always been a city of compassion, and our state is known for its hospitality. The crisis in our midst is an opportunity for us to shine and lend support during a neighbor’s season of need. We may have a neighbor near us without food or without a family member to visit and check on them. “Neighbor helping Neighbor” is about stocking the shelf and filling the heart.” – Eric Cooper, President & CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank

As for visits to the elderly and making sure that social isolation is minimized for our older neighbors, Cooper admits it is been something they started to do in the last year, thanks to funding from Humana, and that they learned a lot: “We have been setting the tables for seniors for years, but making home visits to thousands of seniors in the last year or so has reminded us that a table full of food can be empty of love if someone doesn’t have a friend or neighbor. We want our relief effort to be a kitchen table filled with both food and love.”