Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling in San Antonio believes Texas “bourbon” could become a nationally recognized category.

Ranger Creek wants to compete the the best…

“Our goal is to compete with Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky bourbon.”

Barrels are getting filled and maturing and they expect the  experimental, small batch whiskey to be available in Spring of 2011.

Texas Bourbon Whiskey

Ranger Creek’s flagship whiskey will be a traditional straight bourbon whiskey aged using traditional methods. As with all bourbon, corn is the primary grain, but Ranger Creek also used rye as a flavor grain to give the bourbon a “spicy undertone.”  It will be aged for at least two years.

Experimental, Small Batch Whiskey

Ranger Creek will be releasing a series of  experimental whiskeys prior to the release of their “bourbon.”

The distillery even has the long-shot dreams of a Texas whiskey trail, styled after the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and is in the process of reaching out to fellow distillers to discuss collaborative opportunities.

Other distilleries in addition to Ranger Creek have announced plans to eventually sell bourbon statewide:

• Rebecca Creek Distillery in San Antonio and
• Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, which last November took 10 days to sell out a limited-release vintage available only in Blanco and Gillespie counties.
• Balcones Distilling in Waco has been selling its blue corn whiskeys since 2009.

We smell a fight brewing between Kentucky and Texas. What say you? You’ll give the Texas brew a taste for sure, but should it be allowed to be referred to as bourbon?