(Photo: Fierce Whiskers)
This month, a young distillery is launching its first bourbon in Austin, Texas — and it has a message for Kentucky.
Fierce Whiskers released its first bourbon — a 3-year-old release distilled, aged and bottled at 98 proof in Austin — on May 10. It’s available now at retail stores across Texas with a suggested retail price of $46.99.
Fierce Whiskers began distilling its first batches of bourbon in September 2020. In 2021, it opened its tasting room in southeast Austin. Since then, it has launched multiple releases, including a wine-infused whiskey, two carbon-neutral rye whiskeys and a dual gin release.
Its first retail-available product, Fierce Whiskers Straight Texas Rye, debuted in June 2023.
“The success of the Rye was everything we hoped and gave us great confidence for the Bourbon,” founder and CEO Tri Vo. “Our team is exceedingly talented and willfully dedicated to the stubborn spirit needed to make whiskey in Texas, and that heart comes through in every spirit we release. We are so thrilled that after three years in the making, the bourbon is finally among those spirits.”
With an advertising campaign crafted by independent brand studio Butler, Fierce Whiskers made some brash, bold statements around Austin, which Butler showed off on its Instagram page.
“Kentucky, you still have the horse-thing,” a billboard reads. “The next great bourbon ain’t from Kentucky,” says a magazine ad.
In an Instagram post from the distillery showed off two other billboards, one reading “Kentucky, we’ve got the next round.”
“Kentucky, you had a good run,” says another.
Kentucky has a long, storied tradition of making great bourbon — so much so that many people are under the false impression that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky. While that’s not true, it is highly, highly unlikely that Kentucky will ever be dethroned as the king of America’s native spirit.
With that said, there’s plenty of great bourbon coming from all around the U.S. — including in Fierce Whiskers’ backyard. Still Austin is one of the best craft distilleries around.
Fierce Whiskers will celebrate its official launch from 4-8 p.m. Saturday with a “Bourbon Bash” at the distillery (5333 Fleming Ct, Austin, TX 78744). The event is free to the public and will feature food from include Uchiba (free onigiri to the first 150 guests), KG BBQ and small bites from Tare Austin, Castel Provisions, The Salty Donut, OMG Squee and Ululani’s, the latter of which will serve Hawaiian shaved ice, plus an option incorporating bourbon.
Bawi, the agua frescas brand, will provide refreshments including a Fierce Whiskers x Bawi cocktail. The Concord Botanical café and dispensary will park its school bus on the lawn for drink infusions.
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe thunderstorms and flooding are possible in Central Texas Tuesday evening into early Wednesday. Here’s the latest forecast from the First Warning Weather team.
Here are the main headlines:
8:54 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for southern Blanco, Hays, Travis and southwestern Williamson counties until 10 p.m. Winds gusts up to 70 mph and quarter-size hail are possible with this storm.
8:49 p.m.: Wind gusts are strengthening in Williamson County. The National Weather Service now says wind gusts of 70 mph are possible, which could cause “considerable tree damage.” A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect until 9:15 p.m.
8:51 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in this video heading towards Marble Falls.
8:35 p.m.: The National Weather Service said the severe thunderstorm in central Williamson County is now capable to producing ping pong ball-sized hail. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect until 9:15 p.m.
8:20 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Blanco, Burnet, northeastern Gillespie, northwestern Hays, southeastern Llano, northwestern Travis and southwestern Williamson counties until 9:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
8:18 p.m.: Texas Game Wardens have been activated and are prepared to provide support in areas affected by the potential severe weather.
8:11 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for central Williamson County until 9:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
8:10 p.m.: KXAN’s Jordan Belt is monitoring the storms and sent in this video from Burnet.
7:51 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in this video from just north of Burnet.
7:45 p.m.: A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for northern Burnet and northern Llano counties until midnight.
7:43 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for central Burnet County until 8:30 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
7:40 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northwestern Williamson County until 8:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
7:28 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for western Burnet county and Llano County until 8:30 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
7:16 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Northeastern Burnet County until 8:15 p.m. Ping pong ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
7:06 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Southeastern Lampasas County until 8:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
6:56 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northern Williamson County until 7:30 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and half dollar-sized hail are possible with this storm.
6:55 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in this video from just south of Lampasas.
6:45 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in these photos from Marble Falls.


6:33 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Burnet County, northern Llano County and northwestern Williamson County until 7:30 p.m. Ping pong ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
6:27 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northeastern Williamson County until 7:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
6:12 p.m.: The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been extended to include Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Lampasas, Lee, Milam, Travis and Williamson counties until 1 a.m.
6:11 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northwestern Mason County until 7:15 p.m. Golf ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
5:54 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for western Burnet and central Llano counties until 6:45 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
3:56 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Gillespie, Llano, Mason and San Saba counties. It will be in effect until 11 p.m.
Don’t Miss
Texas police have released the mugshot of one of the three juveniles arrested over the weekend in connection with 12 separate shooting incidents across Austin that injured four people, as well as a timeline of the alleged 28-hour rampage.
Cristian Fajardo Mondragon, 17, was taken into custody Sunday after allegedly partaking in a citywide shooting spree that left four people injured, struck two fire stations and triggered a shelter-in-place order in South Austin, the Austin Police Department said in a statement.
Mondragon was arrested alongside two additional suspects, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, police said. Their names have not been released due to a statewide law regarding what information can be made public involving juvenile suspects.
Officers received a report of a stolen firearm from a local business. Surveillance footage subsequently revealed the vehicle driven by the suspects had also recently been stolen, according to authorities.
Less than five hours later, authorities confirmed the first alleged shooting at a trailer residence. However, no injuries were reported.
Officers responded to another shooting at the Whisper Hollow apartment complex, in which multiple vehicles and an occupied apartment were struck by gunfire. Witness descriptions and surveillance footage of the suspects led authorities to believe the two shootings were connected.
Approximately two hours later, a third shooting was reported after witnesses observed a suspect wearing a black hoodie exiting a black sedan at another apartment complex and firing through the door of a third-floor unit, police said.
Authorities said that a group of suspects matching previous surveillance footage of the alleged shootings stole a Hyundai Elantra from a Motel 6 parking lot, with another shooting being reported just 90 minutes later.
Authorities said a suspect fired a gun into an Austin Fire Department station while firefighters were inside. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
Just six minutes later, authorities received a report that suspects matching the same description had fired shots from their vehicle and struck the windshield of an occupied car. One victim inside the vehicle was injured by broken glass, according to police.
Police said the suspects allegedly stole another vehicle, with authorities discovering a previous vehicle containing bullet damage abandoned near 1800 E. Stassney Lane hours later.
Authorities received a report regarding a victim who had been shot in the back and stomach near 7409 Janes Ranch Road by a suspect matching previous witness descriptions surrounding the alleged shootings.
Shortly after, officers recovered several other stolen vehicles believed to be connected to the alleged shooting spree.
A second incident involving shots being fired into another Austin Fire Department station was reported to authorities, with the suspects allegedly stealing yet another vehicle — a white Kia Optima — three hours later.
Authorities said two victims were shot in a drive-by shooting involving a white Kia Optima, with two additional shootings being reported within 20 minutes.
Authorities said surveillance footage showed a white Kia sedan approaching a victim before the individual fell to the ground with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was subsequently transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
About one hour later, officers with the Manor Police Department spotted the Kia sedan believed to be connected to the alleged shootings, prompting a pursuit in which the three suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.
One suspect was immediately detained, with authorities taking the other two individuals into custody separately after a brief search.
The incidents led to the injuries of four people and five vehicles being stolen, police said.
“At this time, investigators believe the incidents were a mix of random and targeted shootings,” APD said in a statement. “Some victims were known to the suspects, while other incidents appeared to occur without any known connection.”
Davis went on to describe the investigation as “complex” because of the sheer number of crime scenes, stolen vehicles and random shootings throughout the city.
Formal charges against the three suspects remain under review, but are expected to include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault/motor vehicle, deadly conduct, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, theft of a firearm and other related offenses, APD said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Austin Police Department for comment.
Monday, May 18, 2026 7:20 PM
The second-busiest commercial air carrier at Harry Reid International Airport is expanding service to and from Austin, Texas.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines will double the number of daily flights to and from the Texas capital to two beginning in the fall.
Demand for trips to Austin, which calls itself “The Live Music Capital of the World” and features multiple music festivals all year, including March’s SWSX multimedia event, is growing, according to Delta. The airline said it expects both markets will benefit from the service expansion.
Delta competes on the route with market leader Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air.
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