TL;DR
Get coffee and tea gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
VinePair named Still Austin Whiskey Co. its 2026 Next Wave Awards Rising Drinks Brand of the Year. The Austin distillery, founded by Cleveland and Chris Seals and partners, has built a Texas grain-to-glass whiskey business alongside a community and arts-focused brand identity.
Still Austin Whiskey Co., an Austin-based distillery, has been named Rising Drinks Brand of the Year in VinePair’s 2026 Next Wave Awards. The recognition highlights a company that has spent more than a decade developing Texas-made whiskey while building its identity around local artists, employees and customers.
VinePair’s report traces the company’s beginnings to 2012, when Cleveland Seals began exploring a distillery as a retirement project and asked his son, Chris, to join him. Chris Seals, now the company’s CEO, was then working as an economist and risk manager. He recalled believing the venture would be difficult and time-consuming, but also valued the chance to work with his father.
The Seals family and business partners Andrew and Lisa Braunberg and Sal and Joanna Salinas broke ground on the distillery in Austin’s St. Elmo neighborhood in 2014. Head distiller John Schrepel produced its first spirit in 2017. The report also credits whiskey maturation and blending adviser Nancy Fraley with helping shape the distillery’s grain-to-glass approach.
Still Austin says its whiskey is made with Texas-grown grains and aged in the state’s climate. Its core offerings include The Musician, a straight bourbon made with white corn, and The Artist, a straight rye made with 100 percent Brasetto rye. VinePair reports that the distillery drew about 100,000 visitors last year; the source does not specify the exact calendar dates covered by “last year.”
Recognition for a Texas Distillery
The award gives Still Austin added visibility in a crowded American whiskey market and recognizes a business model that connects its product to a specific place and community. Its focus on Texas-grown ingredients, local creative work and visitor experiences offers a point of distinction beyond the whiskey itself.
That recognition matters to readers interested in how newer drinks brands grow: Still Austin’s story is not one of a rapid launch, but of a long build involving changes in state law, facility development, production and customer engagement. The award is VinePair’s editorial selection; it is not, by itself, evidence of sales growth, market share or independent product rankings.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From 2012 Plans to Production
When Cleveland Seals began researching a distillery in 2012, Texas rules made direct sales and on-site tastings difficult for in-state producers. A 2013 state law allowed distillers to sell spirits directly to consumers and offer tastings at their premises, according to VinePair. The partners broke ground the following year, and the first distillation followed in 2017.
The company’s production approach is presented as part of its identity. VinePair describes its spirits as made from Texas grains, distilled in Texas and matured in the Texas Hill Country climate. Its bottle labels feature full-color paintings by Texas artist Marc Burckhardt, which the report says are intended to represent people and creative life in the region.
Still Austin has also released limited whiskey editions, including Blue and Red Corn Bourbons, and special single barrels. VinePair notes that some enthusiasts seek barrels labeled “Nancy’s Pick,” referring to Fraley’s involvement. These examples indicate a range beyond the distillery’s named core expressions, but the report does not provide production totals or sales figures.
““It takes time. It does take time. But it’s not just waiting around. Like, this is probably the most dynamic time in our lives, 15 years in.””
— Chris Seals, Still Austin CEO, speaking to VinePair
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Award Scope and Business Figures
VinePair’s report names Still Austin the 2026 Rising Drinks Brand of the Year, but the source material does not describe the award’s selection process, judging criteria or other nominees. It also does not provide audited figures for revenue, production, distribution or year-over-year growth, so the award should not be read as a quantitative measure of the company’s performance.
The report’s visitor figure is approximately 100,000 for “last year,” without a precise reporting period or a breakdown of how visits were counted. It is also unclear whether the company has announced any specific expansion, new products or distribution plans tied to the recognition.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Distillery’s Next Milestones
No new product, expansion or distribution announcement is included in VinePair’s award report. The next developments to watch are the company’s future releases, visitor activity at its Austin distillery and any updates it provides on production or availability. For now, the confirmed development is the award itself and the profile of a business whose growth has unfolded over more than a decade.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What award did Still Austin Whiskey Co. receive?
VinePair named the Austin distillery its 2026 Next Wave Awards Rising Drinks Brand of the Year.
When was Still Austin founded?
The Seals family began exploring the distillery project in 2012. The partners broke ground in Austin’s St. Elmo neighborhood in 2014, and the first distillation took place in 2017.
What makes Still Austin’s whiskey Texas-made?
VinePair reports that the distillery uses Texas-grown grains, distills in Texas and ages its whiskey in the state’s climate. The report does not provide a full production specification for every release.
What are Still Austin’s core whiskey expressions?
The report identifies The Musician, a straight bourbon, and The Artist, a straight rye whiskey, as core offerings.
Does the award confirm Still Austin’s sales growth?
No. The award recognizes the brand, but VinePair’s report does not include sales, revenue or market-share data, and it does not describe the award’s judging criteria.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
