Co-Founder, Co-Owner, President & Master Distiller – Railean Distillers, LLC.: KELLY RAILEAN

Armed with a fascination for pirate lore and a passion for rum, co-founder Kelly Railean of Railean Distillers, LLC is a pioneer in the American Craft Rum Revolution.  Being a sailor and pirate of the Texas Gulf Coast, Kelly & her husband (Matt) started collecting rum in the late 1990s.

 
As their interest grew, Kelly noticed (thanks to her job in wine, beer & spirits distribution) that at that time there wasn’t rum being made in the USA, especially products that were handcrafted, and not mass-produced. After being a part of the American Craft Beer & Boutique Wine movements in the 90s and into the early 2000s, Kelly saw an opportunity for small family-owned & operated spirits companies.

  
The idea for Railean Distillers, LLC came to fruition in 2005, construction of the distillery in San Leon began in 2006, and the rest is American Rum history!  Kelly has nearly 30 years of experience in the Wine & Spirits industry, she is certified Level 1 in the Court of Master Sommeliers, she is a Master Distiller, and she has been distilling spirits for nearly 20 years.  RAILEAN was one of the first distilleries to open in Texas, Kelly is one of a few female Master Distillers in the country, she was the first person to make aged spirits in Texas, the first to make Blue Agave Spirits in Texas, and the Buccaneer Bar was the first spirits tasting room to open in Texas.  
Kelly was a founding member of the Texas Distilled Spirits Association, and she served on the board of the organization for many years.  

Thanks to RAILEAN Distillers, Americans now have a choice between imported mass-produced Rum/ Tequila/Vodka/Whiskey and higher quality American Rum, Agave Spirits, Vodka and Whiskey made in the USA. Let’s learn more about her in this interview:

TRL: What does the rum mean to you? What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?

Rum is FUN!  Rum is sailing, sipping a cocktail by the pool, enjoying a Mai Tai at a resort, making a big batch of Rum Punch for a party, and sipping a fine aged rum neat or on the rocks as you wind down your day.  In the mid to late 90’s my husband & I learned to sail and bought a 30-foot sailboat.

Well, sailors are pirates and pirates drink rum so we started learning about rum & the history of rum.  Soon we were collecting rum and planning vacations around destinations in the Caribbean where we could sail & sample rum, and we would check out small distilleries everywhere we went.

Even before that, I was a rum drinker (just not so serious about it), because I am a big fan of Jimmy Buffett, his music, and his lifestyle.  I have been a Parrot Head since the mid-1990s and there is never a shortage of rum drinking at our Parrot Head Happy Hours and events.  

TRL: Three essential characteristics that define the rum according to your perspective.

Rum must be made from sugarcane molasses and/or sugarcane juice.  I am a bit of a purist!  For me, rum should not be colored!  The color of rum should come from barrel aging.  I am also not a fan of overly sweetened rum, I understand flavored rum needs a little sugar, but the sticky sweet & artificially flavored rum out there is just not for me.

TRL: What is the most important contribution you have made to the rum industry?

Handcrafted American-made rum is my biggest contribution to the rum industry.  I ferment & distill every Railean Spirit. I do not and have never bought bulk rum from another distillery.  

TRL: Benefits that the rum industry has given you.

I have learned a lot about how to not start/run a Craft Distillery!  My life has benefitted in many ways from the rum industry:  always learning something, all the great people I have met and worked with, the customers of ours who have become more than just customers, and the employees I now consider friends and family.

TRL: What’s another thing you are passionate about, in addition to rum? Why?

I am passionate about wine & cooking, I have a small garden and I love all sorts of peppers, herbs & tomatoes, I also like to hike, and I love to travel.  I am a big fan of 80’s Hairband music and Trop-Rock music.  I enjoy hanging out with friends and family, listening to music, and/or watching music videos while enjoying a little Railean Rum.

TRL: What is your favorite place for drinking rum?

My favorite place to drink rum is Kauai, Hawaii.  There is a little town called Hanalei and my favorite little dive bar/restaurant called Tahiti Nui serves up the best Mai Tai cocktails!  These are not the sweet & frozen Mai Tai drinks most people think of, these are made with locally aged rum, they are on the rocks and they are more savory than sweet.

TRL: Favorite drink + Recipe

Talk Like a Pirate Rum Punch – signature drink at The Buccaneer (the tasting room at my distillery).  Equal parts Railean Spiced Rum, Railean White Rum, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, and Ginger Ale – add a splash of Grenadine and a splash of Bitters.  Garnish with an orange and/or pineapple wedge.  It is our most popular drink, we sell gallons of it, and I came up with the recipe many moons ago while on vacation in Jamaica!

TRL: Why is it important to educate the rum consumer?

Education is essential.  Most consumers do not realize they are drinking a product that is mass-produced, colored, and/or flavored with artificial ingredients.   Premium rum, sipping style rum – should not contain color, artificial flavors, sugar, and/or artificial sweeteners.  Many people believe rum is sweet and should be served in a fruity drink with an umbrella, they also don’t think of rum as being a premium spirit.  We at Railean Distillers try to promote rum as something that can be fun & frilly, but great rum is barrel-aged, distilled in a pot still, and made to be savored and sipped.  

TRL: Any tips to train the palate and taste a good premium rum?

Some folks just naturally have a more sensitive palate than others.  All my years in the wine industry taught me that you just have to keep tasting products and you need to taste wine and spirits blind to train and develop your palate.  When tasting a good premium rum (or pretty much any quality wine/spirit) I prefer the product to be just a little cooler than room temperature, not cold – but not quite as warm as room temperature either.  I like to swirl (the wine geek in me) and get the aroma of a rum, take time to smell the product before I take a sip.  I have to take a couple of very small sips of anything I am sampling, the first sip you get is just waking up your brain and taste buds.  

TRL: How can the rum contribute to improving the crisis in some countries?

Provide good, high-paying jobs for workers.

TRL: Is the commitment to sustainable development the key to success for the permanence of the rum industry in the world? Why?

I am all for taking care of the environment, we recycle everything we possibly can – both at home and at the distillery.  Everyone should try and do their part to take care of our planet, both individuals and businesses.

TRL: Who would like to meet in the rum industry? What would you say to him/her?

Sammy Hagar!  I would love to meet the Red Rocker and talk about Rum, Tequila, and music.  I did get to meet one of my “rum heroes”, years ago I met and hung out with Phil Prichard (Prichard’s Distillery) at a convention.  Phil is credited with being the first “New England” style and American style rum to launch in modern times in the USA.  I have looked up to Phil from the beginning and I appreciate all he has done for our industry over the years.  

TRL: What are your next goals in the rum industry?

I just want to continue to provide a good experience to my customers at my facility, and I want to continue to make good quality American-made rum.  Texas is a tough state to do business in if you are a spirits manufacturer.  We cannot ship the product ourselves to consumers, we have limits on what we can sell to the public, we have limited hours we can operate our tasting room & bar – all these things make it tough to grow a business!  Goals for the industry as a whole, I really wish there would be stronger regulations regarding rum, we need a better classification process to help consumers better navigate the thousands of rums on the market.  

TRL: Plans you have when you leave the rum industry.

I plan to retire someday!  I won’t stop working completely, but after nearly 30 years of working lots of nights, weekends, and holidays in the alcoholic beverage industry – it is tough.  

TRL: Why is the role of the bartender important in the rum industry?

Bartenders can work to get people out of their comfort zone!  Suggest new drinks to the person who always drinks the same cocktail or beer.  Bartenders can educate consumers, and people love to talk to their bartenders.  Our bartenders are constantly coming up with new cocktails, and new ideas and we are always putting a new spin on cocktails already on our menu.  Bartending is a tough job, I know, I typically bartend 2-3 nights a week at my tasting room.  We have about 200 craft cocktails on our menu at the Buccaneer Bar!

TRL: What is your advice for new generations in the rum industry?

Don’t follow fads, and don’t take shortcuts!  Do what you know, and make what you like.  This industry is really tough, it takes a lot of hard work (I never work 40 hours a week, I typically work A LOT more than that), it is a dirty job, craft distilling is not glamorous, nothing happens overnight, and you are not going to make any money for quite a long time!

TRL: How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page?

• Railean Distillery & Buccaneer Bar – 341 5th Street, San Leon, TX 77539
• (713) 545-2742
• www.railean.com
• Email:  info@railean.com and krailean@railean.com
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RaileanRum , https://www.facebook.com/raileandistillery and https://www.facebook.com/raileanrumrunner .