Back in December of 2021, my 4-year-old son started watching this video on youtube. Whatever you do, do not click on that link. No seriously, there is a line in the video that says Jefferson City, Missouri is “really cool.” Clearly it is a dishonest video and no child should watch it! But for some reason, that video convinced him that he needed to go to Texas.
I’m not one to say no to an excuse to travel so I did what any dad with a desire to escape New England winter, eat Tex-Mex & BBQ, and sample a new gin would do. I bought three tickets to Dallas. We arrived on February 22, 2022 and brought the weather with us. It was cold and even a little bit snowy, but that didn’t slow us down. We went straight from the airport to Heim Barbecue and from there down the street to Lockwood Distilling Co. which was mostly empty because Texans do not like the cold.
Lockwood Distilling has two locations and stills at both. The original location is in Richardson, but I visited the “little sister” in the Magnolia neighborhood of Fort Worth. It’s a funky little place with pop-style paintings of Jim Carrey, Dolly Parton, and Notorious B.I.G. on the walls. There’s the typical bar and tables, but also a small lounge area where we played some card games with my son while sipping on a gin and tonic.
The gin itself is well balanced with clear notes of juniper and rosemary, rounded out by orange peel, grapefruit, and vanilla. The botanicals, which also include coriander are sourced locally, making it a true Texas gin. At 80 proof it isn’t a particularly boozy gin, but it isn’t one that is made for sipping. Save this gin for a gin and tonic or other cocktail that needs a punch.
Of course, I couldn’t leave without a bottle, and at $22.99 this gin is a bargain. So on 2/2/22 at 2:29 for $22.99 I added Lockwood Distilling Co. Texas Style Gin to the collection as gin no. 071. (I should just rename it gin no. 222 or no. 229, maybe someday when the collection is larger) Before I left I tried one more cocktail an old fashioned with their Bourbon which was good too, that’s just not what this Society is about. So my trip to Texas was a success, food was good and I got a new gin. Two out of three ain’t bad.
Concord Culinary Lyceum 