Avast! All land lubbers are welcome to attend Eagle Point Distillery’s grand opening festivities of their new Buccaneer Bar and visitors center on Friday, September 19, and Saturday, September 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. The “parrrty” coincides with International Talk Like A Pirate Day. You must be 21 years of age or older with valid ID to enter the distillery.

Eagle Point Distillery is the home to RAILEAN® Handcrafted American Rum™, the first and only rum certified "MADE in USA.” The distillery produces RAILEAN White Rum, RAILEAN Reserve XO, RAILEAN Small Cask, RAILEAN Spiced Rum, RAILEAN "El Perico" 100% Blue Agave Silver, and RAILEAN "El Perico" 100% Blue Agave Reposado and RAILEAN Vodka.

Rum has to be the only reason why “Roger” was so jolly and to merge these events together makes sense. There will be contests and prizes for “Best Dressed Pirate” and “Best Talk Like A Pirate” categories.

The two-day celebration honors the expansion of their facilities located at 341 5th Street (just 4 blocks south of the intersection of FM 646 & FM 517) in sunny San Leon. To meet growing demand for its liquor, a 3600-square-foot building was constructed next to their original space and half of the space is home to a visitors center, a gift shop, and the Buccaneer Bar.

The visitors area offers ice cold air conditioning for the hot months and roll-up garage doors to be opened when the weather is gorgeous out and not quite as hot. It is a great place for private events such as happy hour get-togethers, bus tours, book clubs, Harley clubs, and bachelor/bachelorette parties, and the like. It is also the home-base for tours given by Kelly Railean, a Master Distiller and the company’s founder and namesake.

The bubbly Railean explains how she got into the distilling business, and discusses fermentation, distillation theory and operation of the still, dark versus white rum, spirits distilled from agave, barrel aging, and the bottling process. The tour will definitely open your eyes to the work, tender loving care, and countless hours that are put in to literally handcrafting each bottle. It’s very informative and highly recommended. You can sample the RAILEAN spirits and keep a souvenir shot glass to put in your treasure chest.

Tours are $5 per person and take approximately an hour. (Remember you must be 21 years of age or older with valid ID to enter the distillery.) To make a tour appointment, contact Kelly Railean at (713) 545-2742 or send an email to [email protected].

Take home some fun booty (keepsakes and gifts) from the gift shop and avoid walking the plank. Browse the unique pirate and rum themed merchandise and purchase stickers, magnets, scarves, metal signs, doormats, books, socks, Tri-corn hats, ball caps, flasks, beach towels, and swords.  Bottles of Railean liquor can be purchased at the distillery as well. You can also find it in liquor stores, bars, and restaurants throughout Texas. Ask for Railean spirits at your favorite venue.

It’s all top shelf RAILEAN liquor and premium grogs (cocktails) served at the Buccaneer Bar. And the price is more than right at $4 and $5 each.

Enjoy creative drinks such as a “Talk Like a Pirate Rum Punch,” the “Scurvy Dog Margarita,” a “Bloody Pirate,” and the “Dark & Stormy.”

The other half of the new building is for barrel storage and the relocation and expansion of the bottling line. Railean’s original distillery building is used for the manufacturing of products and the operating of stills and fermenting equipment.

Railean Distillers, LLC was established in 2005. The following year, they constructed the first and only distillery in the Houston/Galveston vicinity. In 2007, they manufactured small batches of specialty, handcrafted rum utilizing Grade-A, unsulfured molasses in state-of-the-art distillery equipment. In 2012, RAILEAN qualified for the MADE in USA CERTIFIED® / USA-C™ Seal after going through a rigorous auditing and certification process to confirm that the product was manufactured in the United States of America, using U.S. labor, and that each component of the product was manufactured in the U.S.

Remember, you do have a choice between purchasing imported mass produced rum or RAILEAN® Handcrafted American Rum™ that is distilled, bottled, and labeled on a local street by a local resident and can be bought in local establishments.

Current hours of operation are Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. for retail sales and 5 p.m. tours, and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. for retail sales, and tour start times at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m.

Visit www.railean.com for more information. Aye-aye!

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