Foundationand Garrison Brothers Distillery Announce Fifth Annual Hye Steaks Cookout

Texas Restaurant Foundation and Garrison Brothers Distillery Announce Fifth Annual Hye Steaks Cookout

October 3 fundraiser will celebrate Texas bourbon, beef and hospitality while supporting the Foundation's statewide workforce programs

AUSTIN, TX (August 4, 2026) - The Texas Restaurant Foundation (TRF), the charitable arm of the Texas Restaurant Association, and Garrison Brothers Distillery today announced the fifth annual Hye Steaks Cookout, an evening celebrating Texas bourbon, beef and hospitality in support of the people who power the state's restaurant industry.

The fundraiser will take place Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, Texas. Guests will enjoy eight chef-led tasting stations, handcrafted bourbon cocktails, Texas wines, live music, auction items and an exclusive From the Barrel tasting experience hosted by Garrison Brothers Master Distiller Donnis Todd. Tickets are $150 and include food and beverages from all eight stations.

All proceeds will benefit TRF's statewide work to strengthen the hospitality workforce through education, career and technical training, scholarships, career pathways, second-chance employment programs and disaster relief. These programs help develop talent, connect employers with job-ready workers and build more resilient restaurant communities across Texas.

"The Hye Steaks Cookout is Texas hospitality at its best: great food, generous partners and a shared commitment to creating opportunity," said Heather Pickett, executive director of the Texas Restaurant Foundation. "Every ticket helps the Texas Restaurant Foundation prepare the next generation of restaurant leaders, strengthen our workforce and support industry employees and businesses when they need us most."

In partnership with Nolan Ryan Beef, Bucker Creek Ranch, Wagyu X, Cut Beef, Performance Fine Foods and Key Allegro Oysters, Garrison Brothers' hospitality team and participating Texas chefs will serve one-of-a-kind beef creations across eight tasting stations. Texas Hill Country wineries will also pour a selection of Texas wines throughout the evening.

Additional experiences will include the Cigar Corral, a new on-property cigar lounge featuring Bariay 1492 cigars available for purchase, and the release of a special Hye Steaks Cookout 2026 Cask Strength Single Barrel available exclusively to event guests. The Jeff Jacobs Band will perform live.

"As current board members of the Texas Restaurant Association and longtime donors to the Texas Restaurant Foundation, Dan and I are thrilled to once again host this meaningful fundraiser at our distillery," said Nancy Garrison, co-founder of Garrison Brothers Distillery. "We look forward to welcoming guests from across the state for an unforgettable evening of Texas beef, bourbon and community in support of a special cause. It is exactly what we are all about, because we believe good bourbon can change the world."

EVENT DETAILS
Event: Hye Steaks Cookout
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Location: Garrison Brothers Distillery, 1827 Hye-Albert Road, Hye, TX 78635
Tickets: $150, including food and beverages from eight chef-led stations
Ticket link: https://garrisonbrothers.ticketspice.com/2026-hye-steaks-cookout-competition

ABOUT THE TEXAS RESTAURANT FOUNDATION
Founded in 1995 as the charitable arm of the Texas Restaurant Association, the Texas Restaurant Foundation (TRF) is dedicated to building and strengthening the future of the restaurant industry through education, workforce development and scholarships. TRF oversees Texas ProStart, a premier culinary and restaurant management training program reaching more than 34,000 high school students in 260-plus schools statewide. The Foundation also leads industry-driven initiatives including the TX Restaurant Relief Fund, Second Chances and specialized training programs designed to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Since its founding, TRF has awarded more than $3 million in scholarships to aspiring culinary and hospitality professionals. For more information, visit txrestaurant.org/foundation.

ABOUT GARRISON BROTHERS DISTILLERY
Garrison Brothers Distillery, located in Hye, Texas, is the first and oldest legal whiskey distillery in Texas and the first distillery outside Kentucky to produce authentic, handcrafted, corn-to-cork bourbon whiskey-and only bourbon whiskey. Founded in 2006 by Dan and Nancy Garrison, the distillery produces bourbon from Texas-grown grain, ages it under the Hill Country sun, proofs it with pure rainwater and bottles it by hand at the ranch. Garrison Brothers welcomes thousands of visitors annually for tours, volunteer bottling, special events and bourbon experiences. For more information, visit garrisonbros.com or follow @garrisonbros on social media.

ABOUT THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
Formed in 1937, the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) serves as the leading advocate and resource for the foodservice industry in Texas. Representing the state's $142 billion restaurant industry and more than 57,000 locations, TRA works to protect, advance and educate the industry's 1.4 million employees. Alongside the Texas Restaurant Foundation, TRA continues to drive growth and innovation throughout the hospitality sector. For more information, visit txrestaurant.org.