Copper Shot Distillery Visitor Guide | Bastrop, Texas
Introduction
Copper Shot Distillery sits in the heart of downtown Bastrop, about 40 minutes east of Austin and just a few blocks from the Colorado River. Since opening in 2016, it has grown into more than a place to sample Texas-made spirits. It has become a community gathering spot built around live music, familiar faces and the reasonable assumption that most afternoons can be improved by moonshine.
Owners Stephen and Cheri Todee produce their spirits onsite in small batches using local grains and collected rainwater. Stephen brought years of industrial distillation experience into the business and designed Copper Shot’s custom still himself. Visitors can sample whiskey, vodka, moonshine and other spirits while seeing parts of the production process inside the downtown tasting room.
Copper Shot is also an official member of the Texas Whiskey Trail’s Hill Country Trail. Between the historic brick building, adjacent cigar lounge, regular live music and deeply rooted community traditions, it offers the kind of experience that feels distinctly Bastrop—and not particularly interested in behaving like a polished corporate visitor center.
Quick Facts
Location: Downtown Bastrop, Texas Texas region: Central Texas Texas Whiskey Trail: Yes; Member of the Hill Country Trail Hours: Monday–Thursday: 2PM to 9PMFriday–Saturday: 1PM to 10PM
Sunday: 12PM to 5PM Information last verified: August 22, 2026 Family friendly: Yes, although younger children may not find much to occupy them Dog friendly: Yes; dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio Food: No onsite kitchen; several downtown restaurants and delivery options are nearby Outside food allowed: Yes Tours: Scheduled tours have been offered on Fridays and Saturdays; confirm the current schedule and booking availability directly with the distillery Reservations required: Not required for ordinary tasting-room visits; tours may require advance booking Whiskey tastings: Yes Cocktails: Yes Beer and wine: No Bottle sales: Yes Indoor seating: Yes Outdoor seating: Yes Cigar lounge: Yes; the adjacent C&S Cigar Lounge has separate operating hours Accessibility: Contact the distillery directly about specific accessibility needs
* Hours, policies and available experiences can change. Confirm current details directly with the distillery before making a special trip.
What to Expect
Copper Shot is located on Main Street in historic downtown Bastrop, surrounded by restaurants, shops and galleries. Free street parking and public parking areas are available nearby, although finding the closest space may require a little patience during busy downtown events. Fortunately, Bastrop has not yet expanded to the point where parking three blocks away qualifies as an expedition.
Inside, the tasting room combines exposed brick, warm wood and visible production equipment. Glass infusion vessels hang above the bar, displaying some of the flavors used in Copper Shot’s moonshines and other spirits. The room feels active and lived-in, with regulars at the bar and visitors working their way through tastings, cocktails and occasionally more moonshine than originally discussed.
A covered outdoor patio connects the tasting room with the adjacent C&S Cigar Lounge, which also has an entrance on Pine Street. Live music is a regular part of the weekend atmosphere, and dogs are welcome on the patio. Families are also welcome, although younger children may eventually discover that watching adults discuss whiskey has limited replay value.
Whiskey and Spirits
Copper Shot produces its spirits onsite in small batches using local grains and collected rainwater. Owner Stephen Todee drew on his background in industrial distillation to design the custom still used by the distillery, giving the operation a decidedly hands-on identity. This is not sourced whiskey wearing a Bastrop hat; the production equipment is visible inside the tasting room, and the spirits are made there.
The lineup includes whiskey, rye, vodka, rum, unaged “white dog” and several varieties of moonshine. Copper Shot may be best known for its infused moonshines, with flavors that have included apple pie, peach, prickly pear, pecan and root beer. Visitors looking for something less subtle can also encounter Lightnin’, bottled at 120 proof and apparently named after what it does to the decision-making portion of the brain.
Texas Honey Whiskey and Honey Shine use locally sourced honey, while special and limited releases occasionally appear at the tasting room. Copper Shot marked its tenth anniversary with Bu Ford-T Rye Whiskey, connecting the release to both the distillery’s history and its longtime community.
Bottles purchased at the distillery may also include an engraved copper shot glass fitted on top of the bottle—a small detail that makes the bottle distinctive and gives collectors one more object to insist they are absolutely going to use someday.
Ford Rye, a special release rye whiskey that was available at the tasting room during their anniversary celebration.
Tasting Room and Atmosphere
Copper Shot’s tasting room feels like a working distillery, neighborhood bar and community clubhouse sharing the same historic brick building. The custom still and production equipment remain part of the scenery, while suspended infusion vessels above the bar add color and provide a fairly direct warning that ordinary moonshine has been given ideas.
The room is comfortable and casual, with a mixture of regulars, downtown visitors and people who wandered in after discovering that Bastrop contains more than antique shops. Staff and longtime customers are quick to welcome newcomers, and the atmosphere becomes livelier when live music begins on the back patio.
What gives Copper Shot its personality, however, is the history accumulated throughout the space. Photographs and personal items honor regulars who have passed away, while patches from veterans and first responders cover another section of the tasting room. These are not decorations selected by a designer to create “authenticity.” They are reminders of the people who helped turn Copper Shot into a community.
Food and Drinks
Copper Shot offers tastings, spirit flights and a full cocktail menu built around its house-made products. Options include Old Fashioneds, mules, margaritas and cocktails featuring the distillery’s infused moonshines. On weekends, the Bloody Mary bar lets visitors assemble something that can function as both a cocktail and a small produce order.
The adjacent C&S Cigar Lounge operates its own bar with cocktails and house-made mixers. You do not need to smoke a cigar to use the lounge, although spending enough time there may cause you to develop strong opinions about humidors.
Copper Shot does not operate an onsite kitchen. Visitors are welcome to bring outside food, order delivery or pick something up from one of the nearby downtown Bastrop restaurants. That makes it easy to build the distillery into a longer afternoon downtown without requiring anyone to survive entirely on cocktail garnishes.
The cocktails are very well crafted and reasonably priced
Tours and Experiences
Copper Shot has offered scheduled distillery tours on Fridays and Saturdays, although visitors should confirm the current schedule and booking availability before making plans. The production equipment is visible from the tasting room, but a tour provides more context about Stephen Todee’s custom still, the use of collected rainwater and the process behind Copper Shot’s small-batch spirits.
Live music is a major part of the experience, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings. Copper Shot also hosts recurring events such as the Bastrop Blues Jam, open-mic nights, bottle releases and holiday gatherings. Check the current calendar before visiting if you either want live entertainment or would prefer to discuss whiskey without a guitar amplifier contributing to the conversation.
The adjacent C&S Cigar Lounge adds another dimension to the visit, with a walk-in humidor, lounge seating and its own bar. Veterans visiting the lounge can select a complimentary cigar from a dedicated humidor stocked by other customers—a simple pay-it-forward tradition that says more about Copper Shot’s community than any marketing slogan could.
My Visit
What struck me most during my visit to Copper Shot was how much of the distillery’s story could be found in the people and objects around the room. Staff and regulars were immediately welcoming, but the community went deeper than ordinary Texas hospitality. Photographs and memorabilia honoring customers who had passed away made it clear that this was a place where people formed real friendships—not merely a bar where everyone happened to recognize the bartender.
That feeling continued inside the C&S Cigar Lounge. The building once served as a Bastrop fire station, and the original fireman’s pole remains inside, now functioning as a footrest along the bar. Patches from veterans and first responders cover the walls, while the complimentary cigar humidor for visiting veterans turns that support into something tangible.
Copper Shot has plenty of interesting spirits, cocktails and production details to talk about, but the community is what stayed with me. It is easy for a business to decorate around the idea of belonging. Copper Shot has the photographs, traditions and empty barstools of absent friends to prove that people actually found it there.
Suggested photograph: A strong personal or storytelling image.
Who Will Enjoy This Distillery?
Copper Shot works particularly well for visitors who enjoy approachable tasting rooms with more personality than polish. Whiskey drinkers can explore the grain-to-glass spirits, while anyone curious about flavored moonshine will find enough options to turn a tasting flight into a small research project.
Cocktail drinkers, live-music fans and cigar enthusiasts can easily settle in for an afternoon or evening. Veterans and first responders may especially appreciate the patches, memorabilia and traditions found throughout the tasting room and cigar lounge.
Families and dogs are welcome, although the experience is naturally designed more for adults. Younger children may run out of entertainment before their parents run out of moonshine flavors. Its downtown location also makes Copper Shot a convenient stop for couples or groups spending the day exploring Bastrop’s restaurants, shops and riverfront.
Before You Go
Copper Shot is located in downtown Bastrop, so parking consists primarily of street spaces and nearby public parking areas. Availability can tighten during festivals, live music and other downtown events, but the surrounding area is walkable and gives you several respectable excuses to stop for food along the way.
The distillery does not have an onsite kitchen. Bring outside food, order delivery or plan to visit one of the nearby restaurants. Dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio, and families may visit, although entertainment for younger children is limited.
Check the event calendar before arriving. Friday and Saturday evenings frequently include live music, while other recurring events can make the tasting room considerably livelier. If you are specifically interested in a distillery tour, confirm the current schedule and reserve ahead when required.
The C&S Cigar Lounge has separate hours from the main tasting room, so check both schedules if the lounge is part of your plan. Copper Shot bottles are available at the distillery and through select Texas retailers, but the distillery cannot ship liquor directly. Apparently the state would prefer that you conduct your whiskey acquisition in person, like a respectable pioneer.
Location, Hours and Contact Information
Distillery address:
809 Main Street
Bastrop, TX 78602
Distillery hours:
Monday–Thursday: 2PM to 9PM
Friday–Saturday: 1PM to 10PM
Sunday: 12PM to 5PM
C&S Cigar Lounge address:
705 Pine Street
Bastrop, TX 78602
Cigar lounge hours:
Monday–Tuesday: 11AM to 6PM
Wednesday–Thursday: 11AM to 9PM
Friday–Saturday: 11AM to 10PM
Sunday: 12PM to 5PM
Distillery phone:
(512) 412-6414
Cigar lounge phone:
(512) 412-6029
Official website:
Copper Shot Distillery
Reservations or tour booking:
Reservations are not required for ordinary tasting-room visits. Contact the distillery directly to confirm current tour times and booking requirements.
Directions:
Open Copper Shot Distillery in Google Maps
Information last verified:
August 22, 2026
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