Fierce Whiskers

The Fierce Whiskers tasting room is an outpost for fans of premium Texas whiskey. Located within Austin’s newest distillery, we created a captivating and immersive tasting room experience that embodies the Fierce Whiskers brand and is a fitting end to the distillery tour. The brand was already established and construction on the building underway, so we used these existing conditions as our launching point. Finding inspiration in the humble vernacular of Rickhouse Functionalism, we maintained the existing shou-sugi ban wood that clad the ceiling and walls, promoting connectivity to the adjacent Rickhouse. We turned to the American artistry of the Modern Craft Movement to soften the space and add contrast, introducing local textures and patinated upholstery. The furniture reflects the artisan community of Austin, and at the same time was selected for its mobility. At the forefront of the brand’s mission is a desire to build community around the appreciation of process and responsible production, so this - combined with hosting a spectrum of events for Austin's bustling tech scene – meant that the tasting room had to accommodate a range of programming by keeping flexibility in mind.

From apparent touches that incorporate the “FW” emblem to more subtle nods to local Texas craft, every selection was made in service to the Fierce Whiskers brand. The logo appears in discoverable moments throughout the space—etched into brass medallions on tabletops and waterjet into a slab of regional limestone on the bar front—while a patchwork of distressed denim, hand dyed indigo fabrics, and worn leather nod subtly to the Texan cowboy. We created two hero moments through custom millwork made of mesquite and white oak: the Maker’s Cabinet and the bar, which is centered on a window into the production room beyond. A copper still glows through the glass, celebrating and providing transparency into the on-site distilling process. As the final stop on the distillery tour, this is the place where guests are invited to sit and enjoy the custom cocktail program featuring those same spirits that are being made just beyond the wall.