Rebecca Creek Distillery sits on 22 acres along Bulverde Road in San Antonio, founded by Steve Ison in 2010 as Texas’s first whiskey distillery since Prohibition. Ison, who spent years in the restaurant business, decided to pivot into spirits production after developing a passion for bourbon and recognizing the gap in Texas whiskey production. The distillery operates out of a 10,000 square-foot facility that houses their copper pot stills and barrel aging warehouses, producing bourbon, rye whiskey, and several specialty spirits.
The journey wasn’t easy—Ison had to navigate complex Texas liquor laws and convince local authorities that craft distilling could work in the Hill Country. He brought on experienced distillers and invested in custom copper stills designed specifically for their Texas climate conditions. The team focuses on traditional bourbon-making techniques while adapting to the intense Texas heat, which accelerates the aging process compared to Kentucky operations.
Visitors get an authentic look at small-batch production in action, with tours that showcase the mashing, fermentation, distillation, and aging processes. The facility includes a tasting room where you can sample their core lineup alongside seasonal releases. What sets this place apart is the Texas approach to whiskey-making—they’ve had to innovate around the climate challenges while maintaining traditional quality standards.