A Garden for Balcones Distilling

Balcones Distilling is an internationally recognized whiskey distiller based in Waco, Texas, making some of the finest single malt whiskey in Texas since 2008. Turns out, they also make beer. Starting in 2020, Balcones introduced a line of beers to round-out their tasting room experience and it quickly earned a following. With outdoor gathering spaces at a premium that year, it made sense to explore expanding that operation and creating a stronger street-facing presence for the brand.

Planning Agency was tapped to help vision a German-style beer-garden for the distillery, tucked into the existing parking lot. The design offers an inviting street presence for the growing number of neighbors and visitors in the area, with softness and shade for people to work and gather throughout the day and into the night. A grid of columns and trees (an architect’s favorite tool) structures the covered and uncovered zones, with tie beams extending into the landscape to alternate hardscape, softscape, and drainage. Elevated planters enclose the space, lending intimacy against the adjacent hard surfaces. At the heart, a small bar and restroom building anchors the services and utilities for the garden.

In 2022 Diageo acquired Balcones and pivoted resources elsewhere on the campus, and in 2025 Balcones paused much of its whiskey production amid the industry-wide inventory glut. It saddens us that this project never lifted, but the terms and conditions are well understood. Here’s a toast to the next Texas whiskey boom. If you’re in Waco, stop by and take a tour. It’s a remarkable building and operation.