Elk Store Winery & Distillery

About us

In 1895, a fourteen-year-old boy left Moravia to seek the American dream. The boy’s ship landed in Galveston, Texas where he immediately was taken into indentured servitude, picking cotton for his passage. 

Through hard work, he escaped his plight and later settled in Elk, Texas. 

Once there, he had not forgotten the rewards of hard work and eventually came to own several cotton gins; eventually owning the Elk General Store. That fourteen-year-old boy was my great-grandfather, John Cyril Smajstrla.

Throughout Prohibition and the Great Depression, people learned they could always count on the Elk Store to provide for their needs. And, during prohibition, when the production and sale of alcoholic beverages were banned, our great-grandfather added moonshining to his resume.

Today, we are located on Main Street, Fredericksburg, Tx
Hand making every batch of Sprits in house.
I am Todd Smajstrla. I am proud to say the Smajstrla Elk Store family heritage created by our great-grandfather, John, lives on with the opening of our store the Elk Store Winery & Distillery in Fredericksburg Texas. I am working daily with a handmade Kentucky copper still where we produce premium small-batch moonshine, gin, rum and whiskey then bottle it right here at the Elk Store.

The Elk Store Winery & Distillery serves a large selection of our own small-batch handmade liquors by the case, bottle, or cocktail! We also serve incredible wines procured from all over the world, including top vintners, by the glass, bottle or case.