Railean Distillers

So-so bar south of Kemah. When we turned on the street, I thought for sure we weren’t in the right place. It’s a random warehouse in a neighborhood of trailers. Upon entering, there is so much stuff on the walls and on the floor it’s hard to know where to look. And it’s somewhat dark inside. There is this cheap shelving unit filled with random items like dog treats, salsa, and pickles that makes no sense in the space. There’s also a cool deck area out back but it’s mainly for smokers because there’s ashtrays at every table. They offer tours but there’s not much happening so I can’t imagine paying for that. The drinks were okay but could use some finesse. Unless you live in the area, this is a one and done type of place.

Such a great experience! Our first time here, but we were brought by family who has been several times. The tour was entertaining and educational. The tasting was wonderful! We stayed for snacks and drinks after. Very reasonably priced and the bartender was helpful in choosing from the menu. Great place to relax with friends! Would love to visit again!

This spot was okay. They were understaffed and it was frankly too much for one bartender to handle by himself. The drinks were meh. The rum was fine. So, enter at your own risk. 🤷‍♀️

Fun little local distiller, live music day time tours Extensive cocktail menu full bar and plenty of seating indoors and out locally owned and operated currently producing Rum, Tequila, Whiskey and Vodka I believe and multiple flavors of each very delicious a must have for your home bar

What an amazing experience! Super friendly staff and OMG the spirits! We will definitely be coming back!

I drive from Houston to San Leon to get my Reilean distilled rum and tequila. They are my secret ingredient to my best drinks. If you think the only way to drink rum is in a bar full of pirates, this is your place. “ Why is there never any rum?” Captain Jack Sparrow……..

Took the tour and stayed for the atmosphere!! Recommend!! Also, women owned small business!! Liquor stands on its own!!

Cool Tour with great humor stories and a nice tasting at the end!

Very laid back & fun atmosphere! You'll enjoy everything from the specialty cocktails to the pirate theme! They have a lot of live music and other events such as comedy night, themed costume parties & craft nights!

This distillery is about 25 minutes from Webster TX where I was staying. Based on the reviews I was excited. Underwhelmed... Spirits were all OK, but nothing to write home about. If you're in the area it's worth a stop, but I wouldn't make it a destination...

We attended a "local mutt" Dog Show here last week. It was great fun. It was our first trip to Railean Distillery and we found this pub to be a "local charm". A really great place to run into old friends and make new ones.

A $20 tour of the Railean distillery will learn you up on the spirits process and industry, includes a tasty beverage and give you all the tasting you want! Fair warning, it's super hot in the distillation room when it's 85 outside His only knows what is like in the summer. The Buccaneer bar is a cool place just on its own as well, with occasional live music.

I love this place. Great drinks, fun atmosphere, great prices. What more can you ask for?!?! It's a fun place to stop if you are heading to Pier 8. We did the tour years ago and it was a blast.

Really enjoyed Railean, live blues music night. The drinks were good, no lines, love the shopping and get your own mug for the next visit!

First time in and it was because Vince King was performing (Elvis tribute). We ordered a pizza and a flight of spirits, and a few extra shots throughout the night. The pizza was a frozen type pizza, but wasn't horrible. The flight of spirits was interesting, very affordable. No complaints there. For it being a metal building, it was exceptionally cool, atmosphere was neat. My problem was the bartender. He was not even a little bit friendly. He was sweating profusely and kept wiping his head with his hands then touching our drinks to hand them to us. Each encounter, he wouldn't even crack a friendly smile or even say thank you. Except when it was a local or someone he knew. If I don't feel valued as a customer, I can see no reason to come back and support the establishment. That's unfortunate because it could be a fun place to hang out, but given the reception, it won't be.

It is a little hole in the wall distillery. The staff were truly friendly & welcoming. The tour was very enlightening. The owner was an absolute sweetheart. The tasting class was thorough. Hubby was happy that he got one of their mugs. HAHA The outdoor area was quaint. They even have an oversized rocking chair for a cute picture opportunity. The bar decor was so cute & "Piratey" The selection of Rums was refreshing. They also have things going on nightly like karaoke trivia & bingo. I'm so happy we decided to stop in!

Awesome distillery with super friendly staff!! The atmosphere is casual and inviting and the drinks are delicious. We had a tasting and then a few cocktails from their expansive list! These people know spirits! We will definitely be back next time we are in the area. Delicious!

If you want nostalgia and a down home feel, this is it! Sandy and her supervisor made me drinks I couldn't even imagine existing! I'll never forget my time at this place. I received such warmth and was educated about the area! I'm a history buff! A lot of things going on in San Leon!!

Fun & friendly place. Great outdoor patio seating that is pet friendly. (You do need to pass your dog over the outer patio gate due to local area regs). Great beverage selection. Live music often. Had a great time. Everyone said we MUST do a distillery tour so we will definitely b doing that out next time through!

Very condescending. Had never been there and felt very unwelcomed. She berated us when we asked about beer. Sorry we weren't aware that you were only a distillery and nothing else. Work on your customer service skills. We won't be back nor will we be recommending.

Good rum great stuff Bartender was awesome! !!! Explained everything Good job Love it Good job

Impressive little craft distillery in a little bay side town of San Leon TX with the motto, a small drinking community with a fishing problem. All components are Certified MADE IN THE USA. Only exception is the cork stoppers.Bottles, labels, ink on the labels and products used for her liquors. Im a big fan of all the dark rums and blue agave (tequila). WARNING, ONCE YOU OPEN A BOTTLE THE CONTENTS RAPIDLY DISAPPEAR.

Loved hearing the amazing owner speak, she is knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about her distillery!! She also makes an amazing run punch, the tour was great & they gave free shit glasses!

Had a lovely afternoon sitting on the patio playing dominoes and sampling drinks. The tour was great and very informative. Really enjoyed the tasting too!! Our dog loves the spent barley dog treats we got her. A little out of the way, but worth the trip!

How did I not know about this hidden jewel! It's like a trip to Key West just down the road. I only tried the Pirate Punch, but plan on working my way through the list.

I learned about Railean after a visit to my local liquor store, and I was instantly excited to make a visit. I have always wanted to visit a distillery and the fact that it was local owned and operated made me even more happy to check it out. We did a 20$ tour special that came with the the following: -Tour -Shot Glass -Tasting -Mixed Drink -Collectible mug Our tour was with Kenny Bradshaw who is the VP of operations and the master distiller. He was very knowledgeable and explained a lot of the ins and outs of what goes into making spirits. We got to try nearly all of their product line. Of what we tried my personal favorites were the Kelly Jean Light Whisky and their version of their aged agave spirit. (They are not legally allowed to call it Tequila) If you have a chance make the drive to San Leon and go see Railean Distillers. You will likely even see Kelly there serving and hanging out with customers.

I ordered an old fashioned and it was terrible. I could not even finish it. They had it on their menu, but did not even have a cherry to put in it. Poor quality whiskey. My wife had a margarita and liked it so I inquired about if they had a military discount on their overpriced bottles and they do not.

Great cocktails and friendly staff! We were there pretty early on a Friday and the bartender took tons of time explaining their distilling process and all they had to offer. They weren't offering tours on the Friday afternoon we were there, but let us take a peek into the production area. Highly recommend!

We made this place our destination upon learning about it and were not in the least disappointed. High quality spirits and RUM and now whiskey. Be sure to take in the tour, Kelly is a wealth of knowledge and you get to sample almost all they make! All in all a very fun afternoon !

This place is the best! The rum is amazing all the drinks are delicious. Very cool laid back atmosphere great place to hangout with some friends. I have been here several times and it is always a great time. The tour is awesome and you get to try some top notch alcohol. Railean is super friendly and extremely knowledgeable! My one wish is that they stayed open later but I understand that they are restricted due to liquor laws so that's not their fault. I cannot recommend this place enough!

The best craft cocktails anywhere! !! Not only do they distill amazing rum, agave (can't call it tequila), vodka. Whiskey and flavored rums but the cocktails they make are fresh and delicious. The bar is fun and the employees are attentive. Make a trip to San Leon, pick up a few bottles and head to Gilhooley's for oysters and a set up.

Cool hidden place on 5th street in San Leon. Large variety of drinks! Tours start at 6 pm.

I had the unique pleasure to get invited to a private tour of this distillery. Over the years I have visited and been briefed in the art of brewing and distilling of alcohol. By far this was the best presentation of the process. Kelly the owner and master distiller was extremely knowledgeable of how to produce a quality product. The ingredients used here are quality with the resultant product a high grade liquor. They produce rum, blue agave, vodka and some whisky. If your in the area this is a must stop especially if you are a connoisseur of fine alcohol.

Our Kay's Friends Group took 40 friends to visit the Railean Distillery and we all had a blast. The tour was so educational and the tastings were spot on also. We did this tour last year and we all loved it then also. I recommend this to anyone who wants a good time and learn about spirits being distilled. The Top Water Grill is just around the corner and it was great also.

What an awesome place and people. Kenny and Kelly are absolutely the best. Friendly, more drink option than humanly possible to get though and exceptional quality Rum. Best place to hang out and relaxed anytime.

Very cool place and nice tour of the distillery. Also great prices on drinks and a nice place to just knock back a few. If your in the area. Check it out!

I've been to the Railean Distillery several times and have always been extremely impressed with how much this one woman (Kelly) does all on her own. She puts out high quality products, and works harder than anyone I know. I have brought visiting family members to see the operation and they always leave amazed, and can't wait to come back and "restock" on her wonderful Rums and Blue Agave! I've known Kelly for several years now and she has always been a great host. Yes the rummery is a Pirate inspired place and there can be some good natured joking around, but never anything that would offend ANYONE with a sense of humor! Kelly and anyone reading these reviews needs to ignore the one star wonder reviewer that obviously doesn't have a clue. Come on down and tour the distillery and sample the great Rums, Agave, and now Vodka that this energetic a Texas girl creates with her own hands. Kelly is awesome (and her distilled spirits ain't bad neither!)

I think Richard N. has some serious issues. I've been to the distillery a handful of times and have never experienced what he claims. The staff are friendly and professional. Please keep in mind it is a working distillery, so it's not like having a drink in your own home. But Kelly and the staff do the upmost to explain the history of the company, how their products are made, and a maybe even a little bit about the challenges they've had to get to where they are. There are seven products you can try (if you're of legal drinking age) as part of the tour. You can also purchase cocktails made with their products. No one else can claim that in the area. If you're someone who is serious about supporting local businesses, and you like the "geek side" of fine spirits, it's a great place to go!

My husband and I were in the area visiting relatives and they served us the spiced rum from this distillery. We loved the taste and they told us it was made locally and would take us for a tour. We went on a Sunday afternoon and the tour had already started but we were allowed to join the group while Railean was speaking about how she got started in the business. During this time, her husband took our drink orders and then brought them to us. I recommend the spiced rum punch. It was delicious. The tour didn't take too long although there was a gentleman in the group who seemed to think he knew a lot more about distilling than the host. She handled his questions well but he constantly interrupted. At the end of the tour, Railean gave us samples of 8 products and we got to keep the shot glasses. I don't know the cost of admission for the tour as our relatives paid for ours, but I am sure that it was very reasonable. My nephew bought a bottle of the spiced rum to take home. We were unable to purchase anything as we were flying out the next day. It will be nice to visit Texas again and see how this small business grows.

I toured Railean Distillery with group of 6 women. The tour of the distillery met my expectations as an entertaining diversion. But I was even more amazed at how much there was to learn about the art of distilling!!! Kelly exuded expertise with a charming and warm demeanor. I left contemplating how I could use her lively teaching techniques in my high school class, then realized my lessons would be missing a vital element.... RUM! Go! Enjoy!

Great little distillery! Fun folks! Bar open for tasting of fun Tues-Sat! Friday night parties! Don't forget to take a bottle or 2 home! Rum, vodka, whiskey, sugarcane and agave! The tour is very good and worth the$$. Pirates guild membership gets you discounts!

Excellent - distillery with pirate decor a wide variety of fresh fruit drinks pleasant atmosphere. Very reasonable prices.

Absolutely amazing! Not just the atmosphere, but the owners "Kelly & Matt" as well. It's great to see a family owned business doing well and living their dream! Keep up the great work!!

Such a fun experience ! Everyone was awesome and we had a blast! A great Saturday adventure :) We love Railean!!! Ask for Kenny on your tour a well of information!!!

Got my buzz, very good drinks. Had the bar tender recommend a drink for me. Rock vodka was awesome. Will be coming back.

So happy to find they are open with a regular schedule now. When I would try before, it was by appointment only. Their drink menu is extensive. My eyes were drawn to "Turtle Piss" and I found that it had everything that I liked in it. It was delicious. Bartenders were prompt and friendly. It is very close to my home so I am very pleased. It's clean and cool looking inside with lots of little treats you can buy.

Wife and I had the ultra-premium flight. We've done wineries and breweries before, however this is the first distillery we've ever done. Kelly, owner, was amazing. She walked us through everything and spent time to talk to us. It's obviously her passion but she didn't assume we knew things. Wonderful experience, hope I can get my local place to carry their spirits so I can buy them where I live.

The tour is well worth the five bucks. The drinks are fantastic! Their 100% blue agave tequila is smoooooth. I think my favorite is the reserve rum but everything they make is good. The owner is very pleasant and the buccaneer bar is a fun place to hang out!

The bar is pretty good. The guy giving the tasting talk was torture. He really needs to go to a Specs tasting (they are free) and get some training in how to do it better. Who cares about his long career (and even longer boring story) about selling boats. His constant nervous pacing. The chairs are miserable and I worried the whole time that mine would break. Our entire group had a pretty in depth discussion on the failings of the tour leader and his ad nauseam droning. Maybe, if he had poured the samples while discussing the product (the way the professionals do) then we could have had an opportunity to taste each offering and savor it. Saving all the shots to serve one after the other at the end is really palate numbing. As far as the actual liquor is concerned it is just so-so, but, that assessment may be heavily influenced because we were given all the shots in one rapid fire go. The only thing that saved this experience was the very friendly bartenders and the yummy drinks they were serving. Would I go back? Possibly, but, I would check to see if the owner was leading the tour before I did that again. Would I drink in the bar again? Absolutely.

Great place! The tour was fun and Kelly is so knowledgeable. The spirits are good too. The atmosphere is great. .

We have recently found this distillery and the associated "Buccaneer Bar" where they serve up various delicious drinks, all made from the products they make either the many varieties of rum, Blue Agave(if they were located in Mexico they could call it Tequilla) including a reposado and an Anejo and Vodka. We like the No Smoking in the bar as well as the must be over 21 rule. Very clean, well run, and tours of the distillery are offered as well. There is a gift shop featuring novelty items. We've been there several times and always a great experiance.

Not sure where "Richard N" was when he had his "experience" at the Railean Distillery, but it surely CANNOT have been the actual Railean Distillery.... Or maybe he has a vivid imagination? Either way, let me give you the real story about the Railean Distillery. You will never meet a more respectful or more sincere distiller. Kelly Railean has never been anything but polite and welcoming to all her visitors and she would certainly never do anything harmful to an animal let alone her own dog! Do yourself a favor and ingot the review of the "one star hater" and take the time to visit for yourself. You'll experience a personal tour from one of the only female master distillers in the world and definitely one of the nicest and most knowledgable .... And did I mention all of the products are fantastic?!

Had a private group tour/tasting. Had a wonderful time and it was really informative. We were on a time schedule and sorry we had to leave. Would have liked to stay longer. They make the most wonderful spiced rum.

I come down from Amarillo almost everyother weekend. Can't wait to get here. Just love it here. This is the best kept secret in San Leon. Thanks Kelly for making all of this SO! JE

Great rum and a fun tour! My husband and I joined the club and can't wait to go back!

Great drinks. Awesome liquor. Kelly J is a pier sweet lady and provides a blast of an atmosphere!

This is a great place! Came here instead of a local brewery and glad I did. Every liquor they sell here is top notch with zero bite and when you buy directly from the manufacturer the price is a lot lower