THE LOCALS
DISTILLERY PROFILE
By Mike Gerrard
W
hen Steve Ison traveled to Europe for business as CEO of an insurance and risk management company, he had no idea it would both change his life and career. “The history around some of London’s gins was fascinating,” Ison says. “In particular, Beefeater Gin and Plymouth stood 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.” 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
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brand trademark independently, and we did not want to dilute any brand equity with new flavors or additional line extensions,” explains Ison. “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.” It’s been a recipe for success, as those four spirits have collectively won a barrelful of awards. Rebecca Creek’s head distiller, Brad Baldwin, joined Ison from, interestingly, a wine background. He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, and went on to work at vineyards all over the United States and 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 from there, a passion for spirits was born. In a market saturated with 1,001 flavored vodkas, Ison decided to limit Rebecca Creek to just
one. Why? It’s a Texas thing. “Enchanted Rock Vodka is named after a beautiful and mysterious rock in the Texas Hill Country near Fredericksburg,” he says. “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.” 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, and I’m very excited about collaborating with Lucchese boots,” he says. “We may have a special edition offering in 2018, possibly a small-batch bourbon. 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 looking at every opportunity for that, because we look forward to being around for many years to come!”
