Deep Eddy Vodka to shut brand home
Heaven Hill Brands will close its Deep Eddy Vodka visitor centre in Dripping Springs, Texas, this summer after investing millions into its expansion.
Through a sublease agreement, Deep Eddy will transition the site to another vodka distillery from 1 August 2026. The site will be taken over by Texan brand Goodnight Loving Vodka.
In a statement, Heaven Hill said the decision was made to allow the brand to “focus its energy and investment on the places and experiences that best reflect who Deep Eddy is today and where it sees the greatest opportunity, especially in Austin”.
Heaven Hill said the transition would impact its part-time tasting room team. “We’re working one-on-one with each team member to support what comes next, including exploring opportunities within Deep Eddy and across the broader Heaven Hill organisation, as well as prioritising them for future roles as we continue to build out our experiential presence in Austin,” the company said in a statement.
“In terms of the new tenant, they will be operating independently, and any hiring decisions will be made by them directly. That said, we would certainly hope our team members are considered for any relevant opportunities.”
The Dripping Springs site was originally built in 2014, with a tasting room and visitor experience later added. Heaven Hill confirmed that all distilling was moved from the original Dripping Springs site to the distillery in Buda, Texas, in August 2017.
In 2019, Heaven Hill Brands invested almost US$1 million to expand the Dripping Springs site.
The expansion included a 38-foot bar, an innovation bar centred around the original Deep Eddy column still, a new bottling line, a performance stage, a new merchandising area and seating for 200 people. The site also includes a designated space for product and flavour innovation.
At the time, it was reported that Deep Eddy had already invested US$6m in the Dripping Springs facility and US$10m on increasing production at the brand’s Buda site,
Deep Eddy’s production will continue to take place at its main distillery in Buda, which was opened in 2017 as a second production site for the brand. The site in Dripping Springs was its only location that served as a tasting room open to the public.
The company maintained that its operations in Buda, Hays County, would not be impacted. The brand said it would continue to invest in its people, production and partnerships in the area.
Looking ahead, Deep Eddy plans to expand its presence in its home of Austin through local partnerships and events.
“Deep Eddy Vodka is all about good times and bringing people together,” said Julie Cole, brand director, Deep Eddy Vodka. “Austin is where this brand got its start, and we’re excited to bring more of that energy back to the city.”
The company said that it had been looking at how to bring Deep Eddy’s experiential footprint closer to Austin over the past several months, particularly as the city is “where more of our consumers are spending time today”.
Visitors can continue to visit the Dripping Springs tasting room until 13 June.
Founded in 2010 in Austin, Texas, Deep Eddy was acquired by US whiskey giant Heaven Hill five years later.
Deep Eddy Vodka is now a nearly 1.8m nine-litre case brand. The company launched a new flavour last autumn as a tasting room exclusive, Deep Eddy Espresso, which it claims was sold out in under two weeks.
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