Out here in Hye, Texas, we like to say that July 4th doesn’t need much dressing up. A warm breeze. A cold drink. Something sizzling on the grill. A flag catching the wind just right. That’s enough.

Still, there’s something about Independence Day that sneaks up and grabs you by the collar. Maybe it’s the memory of a small-town parade. Maybe it’s the familiar creak of a screen door swinging shut behind someone headed out to raise the flag. Or maybe it’s just knowing that on this one day, coast to coast, we all pause to celebrate the idea—imperfect, unfinished, worth fighting for—that we belong to something bigger than ourselves.

In this chapter in our Red, White & Bourbon series. We started on May 4th, tipping our hats to the day Congress made bourbon a proud product of the United States. We marched through June 14th, raising a glass to the United States Army, the American flag, and National Bourbon Day—all sharing a birthday on the same square on the calendar. And now we’ve made it to the Fourth of July. Fireworks or not, this is the spark that lit the fuse.

A Simple Kind of Celebration

This year, thanks to the dry Hill Country summer, there won’t be fireworks popping over the distillery. Not a single one. But make no mistake—we’ll still have fire. The kind that glows from a smoker loaded with ribs and brisket. The kind that flickers in a glass of Small Batch Bourbon when the sunlight hits just right. And the kind that shows up in people’s eyes when they’re telling stories on the front porch and remembering what this day means.

The distillery will be open. The gates will swing wide at 10 a.m. and stay open until 5. If you’re in the neighborhood, we’d love to see you. Bring the family. Bring your curiosity. Bring your appetite. We’ll be pouring tastings and telling tall tales under the oaks, giving tours and sharing a few laughs with folks who drove in from across Texas just to stand in the same heat that ages our bourbon.

There won’t be explosions in the sky this year, but there’ll still be plenty to take in. Flags flying. Bottles clinking. Smoke rising in slow ribbons above the pit. The familiar rhythm of a bottle getting dipped in red, white, and blue wax. It may not be flashy, but it’s real—and around here, real counts for a lot.

A Quiet Kind of Patriotism

What does the Fourth of July mean to us? It means we celebrate a scrappy, idealistic country that’s still learning, still reaching, still trying to live up to its own promises. It means we honor the people—past and present—who defend those promises with more grit than glory. And it means we get to gather under the big Texas sky and say, “This is ours. All of it.”

And while we’re at it, we’ll toast to the veterans who’ve helped us dip bottles this summer—marking each one they’ve touched with a Hand-Dipped by a Veteran dog tag. Not every bottle has one. Only the ones dipped by veterans earn that tag. It’s a small thing, but it says a lot.

One More Pour

So here’s to one more pour. One more reason to raise a glass. One more nod to the red, white, and blue.

If you’ve been following along through this Red, White & Bourbon series, thank you. It’s been an honor to share these stories—about bourbon, about service, about history, about home. We’re proud of what we make here, but we’re even prouder of what it represents.

So wherever you find yourself this Fourth of July—on a lake, in a backyard, or out here in Hye—pause for a moment. Look around. Take it in. And if you’ve got a bottle of our bourbon nearby, pour a little. Sip slow. Toast something or someone that matters.

Happy Independence Day.

We’ll see you in Hye.