Totem is the boldest expression of what we do at Real Spirits — a spirit born from beer, land, and imagination. It begins as a passionfruit wheat beer (without the hops) from our brewhouse. Because Totem is distilled from a blend of malted barley, wheat, and fruit, it’s technically a hybrid of whiskey and brandy, bridging the depth of grain with the brightness of fruit.
Inspired by Oaxacan pechuga — a traditional style of mezcal distilled a third time with raw chicken or turkey breast, fruits, nuts, and spices to create a rich, savory spirit reserved for special occasions — Totem reimagines that tradition through a Hill Country lens. Each batch is distilled with select fruits, herbs, and spices from Texas, while a wild hog ham is suspended above the wash to enrich texture and depth.
Expect notes of sweet malt, tropical fruit, warm spice, a gentle floral lift, and a subtle thread of smoke, all carried by a rich, rounded texture that reflects the Hill Country itself. Enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or in a bright, citrus-forward margarita.
Totem embodies the Hill Country — its landscape, its flavors, and the people who shape it.
Head Distiller Davin Topel was inspired by pechuga’s ceremonial distillation, a decades-old Oaxacan tradition rooted in gratitude for the land and what it provides. In Blanco, he reimagined that process to reflect both the Real Spirits philosophy and his life as an outdoorsman. Each year, Davin hunts a wild hog, and its leg becomes the protein used in distillation.
Like all Real Spirits creations, Totem begins as beer brewed at Real Ale and transforms through a meticulous grain-to-glass process that honors tradition while pushing boundaries. It’s triple-distilled in our hand-hammered alambic copper pot still, which preserves the nuanced flavors created in fermentation while refining texture and depth. The first two runs extract pure alcohol, and the third, known as the finishing run, is where the artistry happens.
During this final distillation, the leg of wild hog is suspended in the still’s onion while the wash below simmers with pecans and chiles. The vapor passes through an infusion basket filled with lavender from Blanco, peaches from Fredericksburg, citrus from the Rio Grande Valley, and rosemary from Davin’s garden. As the vapor rises, the botanicals release their aromatics and the leg slowly renders, its natural oils softening the mouthfeel without imparting any meat flavor.
What emerges is a spirit that carries fruit, spice, and the essence of the Hill Country — a one-of-a-kind reflection of place, process, and person.
Davin created a ritual to honor that connection: rim a glass with local honey, pour an ounce of Totem, light it briefly to awaken the spirit, then snuff the flame, lick the honey, and drink. The honey, made by bees that draw from the surrounding landscape, symbolizes the land itself. Adding it to Totem connects you to the place where you are, blending spirit, land, and intention into one moment.
Said to bring good luck and prosperity in any outdoor adventure, the ritual grounds you in the landscape around you — whether you’re hunting, fishing, hiking, or simply raising a glass beneath the open sky.
Totem isn’t just a spirit. It’s a reflection of everything we believe in at Real Spirits: craftsmanship, curiosity, and a deep respect for the land that makes it possible.