Welcome to San Antonio, Texas: Home of the Alamo, the River Walk, and nestled within the industrial area of the northeastern part of the city, Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling. So come along with us as we take a deeper dive into one of San Antonio's rising stars in the beer world.
Ranger Creek started in 2011 as a whiskey distillery. Shortly after, the company expanded their offerings to brewing beer. The process is mostly the same between the two, so it was a natural fit, as described by brewmaster Harley. All of Ranger Creek's processes are done in house, from the large vats that brew the several different varieties they sell, to a smoker within a shipping container that gives the grains their distinct taste, even bringing in a mobile canning solution to help with packaging and distributing their beers all across Texas. Ranger Creek is very proud of the fact that minimal waste comes from each step of the process, from barrels to kegs to even their cardboard packaging boxes; nearly everything is able to be reused. They are also able to help the community as a whole, not only by offering volunteer opportunities in the whiskey making process, but also providing used dry grain to local farmers who are able to feed their livestock.
As Ranger Creek is nestled within an industrial part of the city, aside from the production, the "Brewstillery" becomes a great place for laborers to kick back after a hard day's work. Once you walk into the taproom, you come into an industrial decor that still lends itself to being an inviting setting, with the walls adorned with their various whiskey offerings, along with the whiskey making process. The taproom includes a couple of seating areas, a lounge with books and board games for your entire party to relax, and a small set of gift shelves to purchase a souvenir to bring home with you. On nice days, perhaps head out to the patio behind the brew factory, among the various garages where the whiskey is allowed to age in a climate-controlled setting.
Ranger Creek is quickly becoming a rising star in the local area for craft brewing, as they offer eight beers on tap along with a selection of whiskey drinks. Their signature beer, the San Antonio Lager, has been a staple on the menu since their inception, and even comes in a wonderful salt and lime variety. Quickly becoming a favorite among beer connoisseurs at retail stores is the "Dog in the Hunt" Amber Lager, as a high demand has been reported. Production has been so well that the company is trying to expand their production areas in the hope of taking their beers not only throughout all of Texas, but to potentially begin a national campaign.
So the next time you head out to San Antonio, give Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling a try. This company may just become a mark on your Internal Compass.
As we continue our mini-series on Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling in San Antonio, Texas, we look at the rest of the beers offered at the time this is being published, along with an idea for a cocktail using their bourbon. Please ensure that these, or any brews, are enjoyed in accordance with local laws wherever you may be. In addition, one other brew that may pique your fancy is the Love Struck Hefe, a hefeweizen previously reviewed in the main brew review series.
When tasting a flight of beers, it is best for the taste buds to go from the lightest to the darkest in color. What better place to start at Ranger Creek than with the Laguna Madre Belgian White Ale. Like many Witbiers before it, Laguna Madre brings that light, clean taste to be able to enjoy on a hot day, while this particular brew has that slight bit of sweetness that will first hit the tip of your tongue to give it that extra special experience. Whether you're out having a wonderful time on the Laguna Madre itself, or out trying to catch a Guadalupe Bass on the rivers of Texas, you cannot go wrong with this choice.
Many breweries will take their signature beer and add another dimension to please even more discerning palettes. Enter, the San Antonio Salt and Lime Lager. Beer salts are a Mexican tradition that has been in existence for last century. It's not a typical "salt" you'd put on your food, but rather a flavoring used to accentuate a beer, such as a lime flavor that Ranger Creek incorporates into this particular brew. There is a hint of a salty taste as one would expect from the name, but the flavoring is able to subdue the "hop taste" from the signature San Antonio Lager. Those that don't regularly enjoy beer will find this to be a good "ice breaker", so give this one a try if your friends bring you along to the brewery.
One of the dark beers available from Ranger Creek is the Sunday Morning Coming Down coffee ale. As with typical stouts and porters, this one comes in at a higher ABV level and a dark brown color. Enjoyment of this brew is really going to depend on your enjoyment of coffee, as from the time you receive this off the tap or out of the can, to the time it's finished, the senses will be overloaded with coffee, coffee, and more coffee. Sunday Morning is produced using coffee from a locally sourced roasting company, while a hint of lactose sugar adds a milky texture to this already smooth beer. If you're one that likes to finish your meal with a slightly alcoholic coffee, then Sunday Morning Coming Down may just be the ticket for you.
Ranger Creek is known not only for being a brewery, but also a distillery, thanks to a grandfathered process in their production. Their bourbon and whiskey is aged for at least two years in their Texas bourbon oak barrels before being bottled and made available to the consumer. Along with several varieties including single malt and rye, if you wish to skip the oak barrel maturity process altogether, there is a white bourbon. Try this clear variety with ginger beer, simple syrup, and lime juice; a drink they call the "Texas Mule". The slightly peppery taste of the bourbon works in perfect harmony with the bite of the ginger beer and the fruitiness of the lime. Whiskey and bourbon lovers will want to flock to Ranger Creek to try their award winning spirits.
So whether your Internal Compass takes you to beers or liquors, Ranger Creek is going to have something for you.
In honor of National Beer Day, which is happening as of the time this is published, Freedom Rolling presents a mini-series on Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling in San Antonio, Texas. We'll have more on this company in another post, but for now, let's take a look at a few of their brewed offerings. Please ensure that these, or any brews, are enjoyed in accordance with local laws wherever you may be.
First on the list of offerings is Ranger Creek's signature beer: the San Antonio Lager. Lager beers are already very commonplace in America, being the choice in style of many of the nationally advertised selections. The San Antonio goes down very smoothly, with that hint of hops to let you know it isn't that run-of-the-mill beer you'd find at a sports bar. However, one tip we had received from one of their representatives, Taylor, is to try this particular brew in the shower. It seemed a bit odd at first, but evidently it is a thing, and who are we to argue with the experts? Needless to say, after a couple of minutes of steaming, the flavor of the hops really starts to come out, accentuating your taste buds during your daily wash. We don't necessarily recommend doing this if a morning shower is your cup of tea, but it is quite the experience to be had.
Moving down the line of taps, we turn to the Dog in the Hunt Amber Lager. Reds and ambers are typically high on the priority list for us, and Dog in the Hunt was not what we had expected. We are used to ambers being brewed as ales, so we were surprised to find this concoction to be a lager. There is a very pleasant scent when first presented, but the blandness in taste cannot be overlooked, even when compared to other lagers. Dog in the Hunt may be an acquired taste, especially given its overwhelming popularity across southern Texas, but we believe a sampler will want to try something different.
Speaking of "something different", time to head to the east for the Sky Trooper IPA. The India Pale Ale is well known for its strong use of hops in order to preserve the brew on a long voyage. Ranger Creek enjoys looking at history to inspire the names of several of their beers, such as the Sky Trooper, which is named after a famous World War II aircraft. Getting back to the beer itself, if you're one that likes your hops, Sky Trooper is definitely for you, as it has a great flavor of hops. Even if you're not used to that overpowering sensation, a nice mix of malts gives this beer a well rounded taste as you sip, taking your taste buds everywhere you expect a beer to go. IPAs are a bit of an acquired taste for those who are new to beer tasting, but this is definitely one brew that is worth enjoying again and again.
Perhaps there is a feeling starting to "brew" that many beers are a bit light on the potency side. How about giving a try of the Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. Ranger Creek is known for distilling whiskey along with brewing beer, and this slightly darker-colored ale is aged within Texas bourbon barrels used for their brand of whiskey. Wee Heavy can seem a "wee heavy" on the potency, as it comes in at a whopping TWELVE percent alcohol content by volume, or ABV. Once you first take a swig of this one, if you're not ready for the strong taste, it's going to pack a punch. Once you get past that initial sensation, this one's going to go down really smoothly from the malts used in this brew. So if you need something a bit stronger at the end of a rough day, Wee Heavy is going to be for you.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to Texas, give a try at a few of the beers that Ranger Creek has to offer.
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