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Never had I even heard of Sotol before coming here. This was such a cute place, great outdoor area and great service. The drinks were delicious and the spicy drinks actually spicy. I love spicy so that was perfect! Usually when you get a spicy drink they aren't too spicy and be dry mild but this had some kick! I got a flight and really enjoyed every one. They are dog friendly as well which was great!
Immediately loved the ambiance here--it was welcoming from the moment you drive up! We each got a cocktail before the tour and I tasted each. Holy smokes, I was impressed that each one was refreshing and unique. We did the tour as well and had so much fun seeing the unique process for sotol and having a small tasting of each type. We bought several things from the small, but tasteful gift shop!
We loved our entire experience at Desert Door Distillery! We were welcomed immediately by friendly staff, chose a seat on their outside patio and a server immediately can over right away! We started with the flight to try three sotols. I fully enjoyed the sotol even though tequila is not my liquor of choice. Sotol is much better! Our server Katie was so friendly and gave us great recommendations on their mixed drinks as well explained what sotol is all about. Fun bonus, there was an oyster food truck. So delicious! There was also a taco food truck but didn't try that. Per Katie's recommendation, we tried their rotating desert door frozen. It was coconut pineapple flavored and so perfect on this hot day. I wish I lived in Texas so I could come back more! But if we come back to Austin this will not be missed!
Always a favorite for when friends come to visit! The staff are so accommodating and the cocktails are well balanced and so tasty! It feels like a trip to big bend at the tasting room.
My travel to Desert Door on a Sunday was the best. The people here are so nice and the place is so welcoming. There is free parking in the front and more parking in the back. They have indoor and outdoor sitting. They have complimentary water available which is great in the hot Texas summer. I ordered a flight of drinks which contained the delicious Sotal that they make. Sotal is not tequila, it is not mezcal, it is Sotal which is clean, delicious and tequila's smoother more sustainable cousin. Go to Desert Door learn and drink about Sotal it's delicious.
I had wanted to visit Desert Door for years, and on our visit to Texas a few weeks ago, our drive from Fredericksburg to Austin was the perfect opportunity! Desert Door is the only commercial distiller of sotol in the United States. How cool is that?! I first had sotol in Tulum in 2017 and have been happy to find it making its way onto more menus in the U.S. since then. When I learned of Desert Door, I followed them on Instagram and saved it in my brain to remember to visit when I was next visiting the area. What is sotol? If you haven't had it before, it is a spirit made from the sotol plant (whereas mezcal and tequila are made from the agave plant), which is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern US (including West Texas). What is Desert Door? It's a distillery and a tasting room! It was started by three veterans who met as MBA students at UT who wanted to start a distillery and ended up becoming the first US commercial producers of sotol! (There's a really interesting New Yorker article about them and Desert Door!) What is Desert Door like? The tasting room has an inside area as well as lots of outdoor seating (covered with fans or heaters depending on the season). The outside seating is gorgeous and that's where we sat earlier this month (you know, one of those 60-degree January days in Texas!). The space is gorgeous. It also had a food truck (so you can stay and drink for hours)! And the service was excellent. We started with a couple of flights, since it was our first visit! One flight was of their sotols (the original, the oak-aged, and a special series sotol), and the other was a flight of their cocktails. I definitely recommend you try their sotols straight if you haven't had sotol before, but the cocktails are great - creative, fun, and delicious. I love when a place lives up to expectations you've had and built up for years. Desert Door did that. It's just awesome. A unique place, making a unique product, with great drinks, vibes, and customer service. I highly recommend checking it out.
Sotol? What the heck is Sotol? Here is what I learned on our visit. Sotol differs from mezcal and tequila which are produced using the agave plant, sotol is produced using the sotol plant. The sotol plant is also called the desert spoon. According to our server, their sotol is produced using wild plants that are natural to Tejas. If tequila and mezcal cocktails are your jam you will thoroughly enjoy sotol. Sotol is perfect for sipping or in a cocktail. My Favs were their paloma (with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice). Second was their Oak-Aged Texas Sotol finished in Garrison Brothers casks. You can order as an old-fashioned or straight-up. This is as close as possible to a smooth bourbon and would be perfect in an old-fashioned. There is also a food truck that serves up more than your typical brew pub - distillery fare. Think a wild-game-inspired menu. Be sure to visit their (really cool) website, https://www.desertdoor.com, before visiting. Pro tip: Their tasting room is cozy but there is also a large patio with heaters. If you plan to visit on a cold day you can reserve an inside table.
We drove by and we both yelled "Stop! We have to check this cool place out!" We pulled in and were pleasantly surprised how great the vibe is. Ordered an Essential Flight of their top 4 cocktails and it was soooo good! Plus queso and chips that were delicious. First time learning about Sotol. Check this cool place out especially the awesome front patio with live music.
3 years ago
2 years ago
Business owner information
David V.
Thanks for visiting James!
3 years ago
Service was great. Nicole was awesome with the drinks. Was a chill place to hang with friends read more
5 years ago
Ended up at Desert Door after a lunch at Saltlick. Doot, the host, got us seated right away at a cozy soft seating area outside. Great patio vibes: chill, mist fans going , and live music about to start. Inside is nice too, super clean and cute/trendy. The sotol is great and their cocktails are delicious, as well as unique. Had a difficult time deciding which one to get but our attentive and extremely friendly waitress, Nicole strayed me the right way with the Comanchero. Hubs got the ranch water (served in a Topo Chico, gotta love that)! Nicole our waitress and Erin the bartender are solid assets at this establishment! Thank y'all for a great Saturday afternoon! read more
4 years ago
I love desert door. First came here a few years ago (pre COVID) and it's been really awesome to see the community that's been built since. The cocktails are amazing and the food truck is so, so good. Love the vibes and thoughtful design, in addition to the world class cocktails! Nicole our waitress was super nice and always on top of refills. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Second time at Desert Door this weekend and just an amazing place to visit. Drinks are delicious with very skilled bartenders. Our group collectively had 7 different drinks off the menu and each was amazing. Erin and Hayley took care of us and made us feel extremely welcome! Absolutely a must visit. Can't wait to return. read more
Business owner information
David V.
Thank you so much Sarah, see you soon
Try the flights, its a bargain! great drinks, I had the comanchero and my wife had the copperhead. both were delicious! we were sad we went on a Sunday as they were unable to sell us a bottle due to tx law. bought some t-shirts and they let me take some free stickers for my laptop, tool chest and gun safe, SCORE!!! read more
5 years ago
OMG! Where do I start. Stumbled across this gem riding to the Salt Lick in Driftwood. Staff was great with explaining Sotols and provided amazing recommendations. The Sotol Flight is great. My fav was the Gin forward Sotol as I have gravitated towards Gin in the last few months Love band outside play with amazing indoor and outdoor seating. read more
4 years ago
Excellent service with friendly staff. Different but good drinks. Interesting tasting flights made with sotol. The spicy matador was our favorite beverage. Food truck on site. Heaters on patio with lots of seating. Dog friendly. Chill vibes and a great place to enjoy the day. Patio is covered. read more
5 years ago
We love this place. Taylor has been our waitress twice and has been amazing. She actually remembered us today...and we had only been here once before. I had the flight again and it was amazing. We bought bottles to take home to keep on enjoying. We love coming here. read more
4 years ago
They're very generous with their hard liquor in the mixed cocktails. I had only one and almost got trashed. Sotol tastes like tequila but a bit harsher. The ambiance is nice and the service here is great! A good place to take your friends for a get-together and great value on the drink. They even had live music when we got there which added to the overall experience. read more
3 years ago
Business owner information
David V.
Thanks for the review John, hope to see you around again soon
3 years ago
Great distillery tour from our new fav, Mr. Doot! He was an engaging and knowledgeable guide, and the tour came with a cool shot glass (pictured here). read more
This place was the perfect place to go to for a chill day of hanging out. I had heard good things about Desert Door, and it is about 45 minutes away from Austin and 1 hour 30 away from San Antonio. We got there around 12 to make sure to secure outdoor seating, but we were pleasantly surprised by how much outdoor seating they had and their little outdoor fire. The drinks were incredible- I tried the desert Paloma and the copperhead. The sotol flavor is very smooth, and the drinks were relatively strong. My friends who I came here with also loved their drinks. We did not try the food truck, but it looked like it had good options. The staff were also so nice! Overall, really enjoyed my time here and will definitely be back! read more
6 years ago
Was super excited to try a new spirit and sotol didn't disappoint. Our server was very knowledgable and explained the tastings and a bit on the history of the distillery. We sat outside under an umbrella. It was very nice. The inside of the establishment was extremely clean and inviting, decorated in wood tones. Wanted to buy a bottle of the oak barrel sotol, but no packaged alcohol sales on Sunday. Boo Texas. Our server informed us of the liquor stores that sells their brand, so will definitely pick a bottle up on Monday. Cool merch too! read more
2 years ago
Sotol is a unique beverage experience with friendly staff, great drinks, and a pleasant ambiance. If you enjoy trying new drinks, hurry to Sotol. If you're a fan of tequila, bourbon, and scotch, you'll love Sotol. read more
Business owner information
David V.
E D. thanks for this great review, so glad you enjoyed your…
3 years ago
4 years ago
I have never heard of Sotol before. To me, it is very close to tequila in taste. But slightly smoky. Desert Door is a really cool place, with some great people working there. The staff made some great recommendations and explained sotol to us. The service was truly top notch. I shared the sotol flight with my friend so that we could try it. It is so strong, so sharing was the way to go for us! This place is great for some cocktails and to chill out with your friends. The drinks we had were tasty and strong. There was live music outside when we were here, and that really added to the atmosphere in a great way. The only downside is how far out this place is located (for tourist and/or ride-share user), but I cant dock any stars for that because the location is part of the experience. read more
Perfect day trip from Austin! Before our tour, we got a few drinks, and they were absolutely delicious! While all of them were great, our favorites were the Spicy Matadoor and the Evergreen. They were very refreshing, and you could tell they used fresh fruit. They had live music playing and a food truck as well. (Dog-friendly too!) I didn't really know much about sotol beforehand, so the tour was very interesting and informative. Our tour guide, KB, was extremely friendly and did such a great job. We got to do a few tastings during the tour and keep the copitas! Definitely recommend! read more
Had an *AWESOME* tour today courtesy of Kabie. I was the only one in my tour group but she said "it's cool, now you get to ask all the questions." At one point, I thought "wow she must be an owner because she really knows her stuff!" Holly, who was in the tasting room, said Kabie had only been giving tours for two weeks! The tasting was great and you get to take home a little terra cotta cup as a souvenir. I also had an awesome cocktail in the lounge before the tour. Highly recommend! read more
Business owner information
David V.
Thank you, Shane, !
3 years ago
Business owner information
David V.
Thanks David! we appreciate you
4 years ago
Desert Door - your place is incredibly unique and just absolutely charming Excellent job incorporating a slice of West TX into the Hill Country!!! This most recent visit I had, there was some amazing live music, the friendliest and most knowledgeable service from Katie and Erin, and one of the most refreshing drinks I've had during the entirety of this Summer heat - a watermelon frozen sotol-rita I can't wait to come back and show this place off to all my friends + fam! Thanks for the experience read more
Business owner information
David V.
Glad you loved your cocktail, thanks for visiting
3 years ago
Business owner information
David V.
Thanks Stephen! come see us again
4 years ago
Business owner information
David V.
Thank you so much Teresa! We appreciate your support and business!…
Ol' Rooster reporting in on Hays County doings. In case the entire world hasn't noticed, my neighborhood has turned into the wedding, winery, brewing, and distillery capitol of Texas. Huge difference since you couldn't even buy beer in Drippin' until 2003! Because of my location I've been in the back of the pack for trying anything in Austin first. Folks be talking about Rainey Street in ATX for years; finally made it there last Friday. Probably been thousands of reviews about the establishments prior to my visit. While I'm last to arrive in the big city; I can hit every opening in Hays County with ease. Desert Door in fact made this one quite easy opening up on my street. Now the shining star tenant in a once unwanted business park. Beginnings in Driftwood utilizing a plant that grows wild in the Big Bend Region of Texas. I instantly feel a connection with this brand thanks to my many visits to Terlingua, Lajitas, Alpine, and Balmorhea. Hunting mule deer and mountain lions in the Davis Mountains. Walking thru the desert in search of indian artifacts; found a nice arrowhead and a 1931 penny within a couple of feet of each other. Entering the tasting room in Driftwood you instantly feel you've driven seven hours west. Beautiful wood bar and the smell of leather. There's a guitar near one of the couches if your so inclined. Proprietors are inviting and eager to share the vision of their unique spirit. Try it neat or in a refreshing cocktail. The beverage itself is extremely versatile and can be paired with almost any mixer. I ended up at the opening and returned to close the joint on the first day. Highly recommended! read more
If I could give 6 starts I would!!! Absolutely loved this place! What really made it enjoyable was the service, knowledge and hospitality we received from NICOLE!!!! She was so helpful in explaining what Sotol was, and guiding us in the right drink selections. Everything we tried was delicious! Our personal favorites were the River Rita's, and the Route 90!!! Such a cute environment with the most amazing decor and a cute little cargo shop to buy some goodies in! I'm from Cali and I WISH we had a Desert Door out there!! Thanks Nicole for the great experience! Can't wait to come back!!!! read more
4 years ago
Amazing distillery in a beautiful location with literally the most friendly and welcoming staff. I had such a great time trying and learning about sotol and sampling the wonderful, thoughtfully crafted cocktails. The Sabine was a personal favorite that I will be coming back to drink again. Also, the food truck, Lo Salvaje is a really wonderful concept highlighting local game. I do not exaggerate when I say that the antelope burger here is one of the best burgers in the Austin area. And the beets are excellent. Absolutely make the trip here, you will have a great time and the Erins will make it memorable. read more
Business owner information
David V.
Great staff, crafted cocktails and the best burger doesn't get any…
6 years ago
First time here... only one of two distilleries that creates Sotol. After all the hype, it was an OK experience. Wait staff inside was dismissive and unclear of the seating system in place. Not many patrons, two waitstaff outdoors, knowledgable about product, but could have used a host or hostess to assist with a welcome and guidance. Music duo until 4pm, food truck on site.. eclectic menu, as pricy as the drink menu. Ok for a visit, to experience the product. read more
4 years ago
Highly highly recommend to the MOST HIGH for checking this place out. The food and drink slaps but the service is phenomenal shoutout toKelsey, Erin, and Nicole for making my first time experience here easy and enjoyable. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Beautiful area outside of Austin with great service and thoughtful cocktails featuring sotol. Nicole was very helpful in talking to us about each variety of sotol and serving up a couple yummy drinks. She also let us know about the history of the spirit, which was interesting. We got flights and then the Octillo and the River Rita. Both were very good. read more
4 years ago
Had an amazing time at Desert Door, the drinks, the vibes...just fabulous time. Decor is outstanding and such friendly service by our waitress Holly! Definitely a great place to bring friends. Live band was a bonus! read more
Me and my family came down here one Friday night around 6PM and played some card games. We had never had the type of liquor they serve so we got the flight to try everything out. Then we ordered out drinks, the best of which were the espresso martini and the cucumber drink (cucumber was so refreshing in the heat). We sat outside because it was full inside but the inside was much cuter. Everything was decorated great, the bathrooms were very nice, there was even a little shop I think which I didn't stop in but should have. My family brought cards but there was also live music playing which was nice. Eventually we got dinner which was outstanding. The hamburgers and watermelon salad where the best by far and what I would get if I went back again. The duck taco wasn't bad, just not very filling for what you got and pretty simple. The only downside to the place was there wasn't too much service and it was just average service as well. Personally I didn't mind, our orders got taken and came out timely which is all that I personally care about but my parents probably would have given this place a 4 star because they felt the service could have been better. Over all though a really great gem. read more
More info about Desert Door
211 Darden Hill Rd
A200
Driftwood, TX 78619
Directions
(512) 829-6129
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http://www.desertdoor.com
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Ask the Community - Desert Door
What does the food truck serve? Are they there on Sundays?
They are there on Sundays. It's called Lo Salvaje Food truck and they have elevated burgers and streets tacos. I believe the menu is online
Can you bring outside food?
Hi Liana - Eden West food truck is available at the distillery, but feel free to bring your own food as well!
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Desert Door - distilleries - Updated September 2026
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