Booze News

Deep Eddy Vodka plots new distillery and tasting room in Hill Country drink mecca

Deep Eddy Vodka is on a path to nationwide popularity, and the Austin-based company has landed $13 million in financing to continue its growth. The funding will be used in part to finish a new distillery and tasting room located in the Hill Country near Dripping Springs.

The new facility, which is set to start production at the end of this month, will have the capacity to crank out more than 2 million cases of vodka each year. Deep Eddy plans to continue its North Austin operations as well.

A tasting room grand opening is planned for October. The space, which will reflect the Deep Eddy vibe, will feature indoor and outdoor areas to sip vodka cocktails and listen to live music. With this new space, Deep Eddy enters a neighborhood that is quickly becoming a beverage mecca. Jester King Brewery, Argus Cidery, Revolution Spirits distillery and the new Treaty Oak Distillery are all located nearby.

In addition, the investment will let Deep Eddy grow its staff. "We have 58 employees nationwide working at the distillery, in our corporate office in Austin, and in marketing and sales," says CEO Eric Dopkins. "We need personnel in every state to expand our marketing and awareness of the brand. We plan to add four additional positions, but may add more."

Deep Eddy is no stranger to growth. Since it was founded in 2010, the company has been growing at a phenomenal pace. "We have had sales north of 250 percent year to date, and we expect August to be record-breaking," Dopkins says.

"Every item we make — including the Deep Eddy Sweet Tea, our straight vodka and Ruby Red — is doing well. Our cranberry-infused vodka, which we introduced earlier this year, is already the No. 1 selling cranberry-flavored vodka, and our Ruby Red is the No. 1 selling grapefruit-flavored vodka. Our growth is fueled by consumers trying our vodka and telling their friends about it."

Deep Eddy Vodka has a few more tricks up its sleeve. The company will introduce a new flavored vodka by the first of the year and plans to let customers try the new flavor at the distillery's tasting room before it's available in stores.

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Culinary Star

Canyon Ranch appoints Michelin chef for swanky new Hill Country resort

Val Cantú/Facebook

Well, shucks. Chef Val Cantú is all about masa.

A Central Texas-born chef with Michelin cred will return to his birthplace to head up the forthcoming Canyon Ranch Austin resort: Val Cantú, the chef behind two Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Californios, will lead the kitchen at the resort's restaurant, Estella.

Canyon Ranch is a premier wellness destination resort and spa headquartered in Fort Worth, where there's a spa location at the Crescent Hotel. Canyon Ranch Austin is set to open in September 2026 in Spicewood, a Hill Country town just outside Austin.

The original Canyon Ranch, which opened in Tucson, Arizona in 1979, is highly regarded as one of the top health resorts in the world, earning three keys from Michelin — the highest ranking a hotel can get — and the chain lauds the wellness benefits of both modern science and "ancient wisdom."

The Austin restaurant will follow that same ethos, a release says.

“Estella will be light, bright, fresh, and clean,” says Cantú in the release. “It’s a distilled version of what I do that will be focused on seasonality, sourcing, and the kind of delicious food that makes you feel good after you eat it.”

Canyon Ranch operates some of the country's most acclaimed spas. Facebook Canyon Ranch

Cantú is developing the menu with experience from fine dining and his personal Texas heritage; he was raised in Brownwood, about 150 miles northwest of Austin, where his father owned a Mexican restaurant. Tortillas are an important part of what's to come at Estella.

“When I’m making tortillas, I feel connected at a root level,” says Cantú. “It reminds me of making tortillas with my grandmother and my dad.”

Canyon Ranch CEO Mark Rivers emphasized Cantú's well-balanced approach: “Chef Val brings a rare combination of technical mastery, cultural authenticity, and emotional intelligence to his cooking," he says. "His approach aligns perfectly with how we think about wellness as intentional, thoughtful, and rooted in real life.”

Californios dishes If Estella is anything like Californios, presentation will be a huge factor.Photo courtesy of Californios

Although the release does not share how much Estella will have in common with Californios, it's easy to imagine that the artistic plating and education about the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica will carry over.

“This is a homecoming for me," Cantú says. "Cooking in the Hill Country allows me to return to the flavors, ingredients, and traditions that first shaped who I am."

spas resorts wellness openings mexican cuisine chefs