LOCAL
yon d e r
Vodka in Bloom Western Son Distillery continues to grow on the shores of Lake Ray Roberts
B
ottles, with liquids of every color, line the wood-paneled walls, along with various articles of clothing. T-shirts. Sweatshirts. Beanie caps. Old-fashioned bloomers. Wait. What? Yes, as you step into the Retail Center of Western Son, a vodka distillery located in Pilot Point in northern Denton County, you are immediately greeted with a view of a pair of pink ruffled bloomers, a cheeky nod to what came before they started distilling vodka on the premises. The 30,000-square-foot building is known to locals as the “Old Panty 18
AUTHENTIC TEXAS
Factory” and was a manufacturing location for Russell-Newman, which was founded in Denton in 1939, producing women’s lingerie and sleepwear. According to Denton County Office of History & Culture, the company expanded to a third operational location in Pilot Point in 1953, with their products attracting the attention of national brands Playtex and JC Penney’s. Following Russell-Newman’s shuttering in 2011, Western Son was at the point where they had outgrown their original location and were ready to find a new base of operations. “When [Western Son’s founders] came to Pilot Point, they saw this old manufacturing company that had this history and a really
by Wendy Haun
PILOT POINT
LAKES TRAIL REGION
