Episode XVI - AMERICAN ALCOHOL PIONEER: Before launching this show we had a few names at the top of our rather long list of guests to target and we are excited that today we get to visit live, in-studio with one of them. Kelly Railean is a true Texas — actually American — Alcohol Pioneer. She is a Master Distiller who opened not only the first women-owned, certified "Made in USA" distillery, but the first to produce Handcrafted American Rum and Agave Products to be certified as Made In USA no matter the owner’s gender. In 2005 she launched the first distillery in the entire Houston/Galveston region and basically re-ignited the American rum industry in the USA and spear-headed the concept of manufacturing specialty, small, handcrafted batches utilizing Grade-A ingredients to compete with the mass-produced spirits companies monopolizing the market. But in addition to leading the American Run Revolution, she pioneered a new category of American spirit made from 100% Blue Agave which rival Mexico's finest tequilas. But the Railean Distillery is not limited to Rum nor Agave and we will dive deep into the growing Railean product line that now covers almost every segment of the liquor business. As a pioneer, Railean was a regular in Austin fighting, lobbying and eventually helping rewrite the Texas liquor laws and regulations. I’ve personally seen the evolution where she was legally unable to give a sample, host a tasting or sell a bottle to go during her early distillery tours to eventually building (from the ground up) and opening the impressive Buccaneer Bar, which includes a craft cocktail bar, tasting room, retail store, gift shop and live music venue and is celebrating 4 years with a huge pirate-themed party on Saturday, August 4. We look forward to joining you at 7pm tonight and we are now, starting last week, available live on iHeart Radio and Spotify in addition to the other mediums and platforms (YouTube Live, www.vinyldraughtradio.com, TuneIn, Player FM, iTunes, Google Play and SoundCloud, etc.) - John Ennis, host of the Galactic Coast Power Hour