Rebecca Creek Distillery
When Steve Ison went traveling in Europe as part of his job as CEO of an insurance and risk management company he had no idea it would change his life, and his career.
“The history around some of London’s gins was fascinating,” Ison says. “In particular, Beefeater Gin and Plymouth stand out to me. In some ways, these were the original flavored vodkas. It got me thinking, ‘What could Texas bring to the table?’ Texas didn’t have a whiskey at the time, so I went to Kentucky and visited many of the bourbon distilleries there to see how it was done. All of this combined laid the foundation for me starting Rebecca Creek.”
Four Core Spirits
Although the distillery was founded in 2009, it still focuses on just four core spirits: Rebecca Creek Fine Texas Whiskey, Texas Ranger Whiskey, Enchanted Rock Vodka, and Enchanted Rock Peach Vodka. So why stick to only four?
“We wanted to allow each of our core four brands to grow their brand trademark independently,” Ison says, “and we did not want to dilute any brand equity with new flavors or additional line extensions. We may have a limited edition occasionally, such as Rebecca Creek Single Malt, but currently we plan to stay focused on growing our two vodkas and two whiskies as the only permanent offerings.”
Rebecca Creek Distillery: Award-Winners
It’s been a recipe for success as between them they have won a barrelful of awards – Platinum, Double Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals, and a Best Value Award.
Rebecca Creek’s head distiller Brad Baldwin joined Ison from, interestingly, a wine background. He graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology, and went on to work at vineyards all over the USA and in New Zealand. He only started experimenting with distilling in 2014 while at the Edgefield Winery in Oregon but went on to study with a cognac-maker and a passion for spirits was born.
What Should Bartenders Know about Rebecca Creek Spirits?
So what would Baldwin like bartenders to now about the spirits he creates? “We created Rebecca Creek to be an ultra-smooth, light-bodied whiskey,” he says, “similar to Crown Royal, but made using American High Rye Bourbon Whiskey. The average age of whiskies used in Rebecca Creek Fine Texas Whiskey is 6.5 years old! Texas Ranger is smooth like Rebecca Creek. Enchanted Rock is a frost-filtered vodka, meaning a sterile filtration medium is used, so zero fats and oils come through. The only other vodka company that does this is Stoli Elit, and this is for their ultra top-end vodka that’s at least $50.”
Enchanted Rock Vodka
In a market saturated with 1001 flavored vodkas, Ison decided to limit Rebecca Creek to just one. Why? It’s a Texas thing.
“Enchanted Rock Vodka,” Ison says, “is named after a beautiful and mysterious rock in the Texas Hill Country near Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg is a charming little town known for its Hill Country peaches that can be purchased on the roadside. It was a perfect fit for our first flavor offering. Enchanted Rock Peach Vodka is built to mimic the fresh taste of biting into a Hill Country peach for the very first time.”
Limited Editions
Although Ison plans to still focus on his four core products, he does have plans for other limited editions too. “We have some new partnerships on the horizon,” he says, “and I’m very excited about collaborating with Lucchese boots. We’re also working on a 12-year-old bourbon selection, as well as a small-batch offering using a 10-year-old whiskey. We’re still planning to expand our distillery and are looking at every opportunity for that, because we look forward to being around for many years to come!”
More Information
Visit the Rebecca Creek Distillery website. You can also find Rebecca Creek Distillery’s spirits at Drizly.
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