A Match Made in Texas

In Texas, we’re known for a lot of things; Southern Hospitality, Cowboys Hats, Hearty Food, and certainly now, Whiskey. That’s where Front Burner Society and BENDT Distilling Co found their common ground, both extremely focused on highlighting all things “local” and Texan. At Haywire and The Ranch they pride themselves on sourcing as many ingredients from local businesses as possible, including Whiskey. At BENDT Distilling Co in Lewisville, Texas we pride ourselves on using the highest quality local grains, most grown as close as 10 miles from the distillery in Krum, Texas.

When the Haywire and BENDT teams put their heads together on a team visit to the distillery in August 2022, the mission became creating a whiskey that stayed true to both companies values. With the growth of Texas whiskey over the last 15 years, Texas has quickly gained a reputation of producing high-quality whiskeys. The team at Front Burner Society wanted a custom blend of whiskeys, all locally made using the highest quality ingredients, to compliment their Texas whiskey portfolio and heighten the whiskey cocktail experience. With their specific flavor profile in mind, Natasha DeHart, BENDT Distilling Co. Founder and Head Blender, created multiple whiskey blends that were then blind tasted by a panel of 8 Front Burner Society whiskey connoisseurs. Narrowing down the blends one by one, the two teams then landed on two blends that passed the test and moved on to cocktail curation. Using the two finalist blends, Haywire’s craft old fashioneds (The Haywire) were made, and the next round of blind tasting ensued. After a resounding group consensus, The Ranch and Haywire Exclusive Blend had been decided. The final blend that was custom created by the two teams is a blend of Bourbon, Rye, Wheat, Malt and Light whiskeys, with a heavier focus on Bourbon and Rye. All whiskeys in the Haywire Blend have been distilled, aged and bottled on site at BENDT Distilling Co.

This BENDT No. 5 custom blend made for Haywire and The Ranch can only be found at Haywire Plano, Haywire Uptown, and The Ranch in Las Colinas. When you order an old fashioned at Haywire or The Ranch using our custom blend, it will truly be one of a kind, never to be replicated.

Bendt Distilling Co. was founded in 2012 by Ryan and Natasha DeHart and is located in Old Town Lewisville, Texas in the former home of the local Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store. Their passion for craft beverages began in homebrewing beer which evolved into creating high quality spirits with a focus on Bourbon and other craft whiskeys. While being a woman and family-owned operation, they’ve evolved into one of the largest whiskey producers in Texas and created the first “Exclusive Blend Experience” in the country. BENDT is open Monday-Saturday with tours available every Friday and Saturday. Come see for yourself what it truly means to DRINK LOCAL. Friends of Haywire and The Ranch can enjoy a distillery tour on us. Reserve online using promotion code BENDTATHAYWIRE. Limit 2 guests (21+ only) per booking.