Editor’s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here.
Trinity River Distillery
Trinity River Distillery produces Silver Star vodka, whiskey and bourbon at the former Ranch Style Beans plant just southeast of downtown Fort Worth. Along with distilling award-winning liquor, the distillery also hosts events.
Founded: 2016
Who: The distillery was started by Mark Lusignan. The current CEO and president is Thomas Ingham and the master distiller is Brett Luchesi.
Where: 1734 E. El Paso St.
Suite 130
Fort Worth 76102
The products can be found in Texas and several other states.
What:
Silver Star Vodka, Silver Star Whiskey, Straight Bourbon and Silver Star Texas Honey. Prices start at $15.
Contact:
Cari Williams is the director of events at Trinity River Distillery. She spoke with Bob Francis, business editor at the Fort Worth Report.
Francis: What’s your background?
Williams: I come from the radio world. I was the senior director of marketing promotion for Cumulus Media Dallas. I actually operated KSCS and The Wolf day-to-day and then oversaw all seven properties.
Francis: And you’ve been here?
Williams: About a year.
Francis: Tell me about the events you have here.
Williams: We’re expanding and we’re doing events again. We kind of ramped up the events again last June. So we do everything from weddings to corporate events.
We did a celebration party here with 200 people. We’re capable of doing a lot of different things, hosting about 200 to 220 people. Everybody I talk to, I say, “Look, if you have an idea, bring it to me. We’ll figure out a way to make it happen.”
With this being the old Ranch Style Bean factory, our CEO and president always says, “We’ve gone from beans to booze.” I told him we need to make that a T-shirt.
Francis: Where can people find the products?
Williams: We have a pretty wide distribution. Our website has a pretty good list, if you type in the ZIP code. And we’re expanding. We’re adding another building and more production.
Francis: You said your products are pure Texas, tell me about that.
Williams: We use rainwater we collect on-site in our 13,000-gallon storage tanks and our recipes are made with all-natural Texas grains. We’re made in Texas.
Francis: And you’re rebranding?
Williams: Yes, we got new labels and we’re expanding. We’ve got a lot of plans going forward.
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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