Services
Design Strategy, Interior Design
Fierce Whiskers
Austin, TX
For the forward-thinkers and new age explorers, this is a place to try not just Austin’s whiskey, but Texas’s whiskey.
The Brief
To create an immersive tasting room experience that embodies the Fierce Whiskers brand, accommodates a range of programming with flexibility in mind, and is a milestone at the end of the distillery tour, all in service of building community around the appreciation of process and responsible production.
The Approach
The Fierce Whiskers Tasting Room is an outpost for fans of premium Texas whiskey. Our design was inspired by the humble vernacular of Rickhouse Functionalism, combined with the American artistry of the Modern Craft Movement.
The site came with existing conditions, such as concrete flooring and shou-sugi ban wood on the walls and ceiling, which we embraced as part of our design, promoting connectivity to the adjacent Rickhouse. To soften the space and add contrast, we introduced crafted materials, local textures, and patinated upholstery. The furniture reflects the artisan community of Austin, and at the same time was selected for its mobility, allowing for varied configurations for a range of events.
The Fierce Whiskers logo appears in discoverable moments throughout the space—etched into brass medallions on tabletops or waterjet into a slab of local limestone on the bar front center—while a spectrum of distressed denim patchwork 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 the distilling process as well as the Fierce Whiskers brand ethos.
As the final stop on the distillery tour, this is the place where guests are invited to stay and enjoy the custom cocktail program featuring those same spirits that are being made just beyond the wall.
