About RAILEAN

My name is Kelly Railean, but most people just call me "RAILEAN". I founded Railean Distillers, LLC and constructed the first and only distillery in the Houston / Galveston vicinity with the vision of re-establishing the American rum industry in the USA. Most Americans don't realize that rum was the "Original" American spirit with over 60 rum distilleries in operation in the 1700's. To see this American tradition taxed and regulated out of existence was a sad day for all Americans.

Family, friends and co-workers thought I was crazy to quit the rat-race and start-up my own company; especially in a world monopolized by mass-produced spirits companies, where very few woman have ventured. However, my fascination and passion for sailing, tropical islands, pirates, parrots (and of course rum and tequila); determined my destiny. Today, my dream of owning a distillery & making Handcrafted American Rum™ has come true but it has taken over 5 years to get to this point.

It all started in 2005 when we established Railean Distillers, LLC. By 2006, we completed the construction of the first rum distillery in the State of Texas. We located the Eagle Point Distillery in a sleepy little town along the shores of Galveston Bay in San Leon, Texas. Once a stronghold for the swashbuckling pirate Jean Lafitte, today San Leon is a "small drinking community with a large fishing problem". The area is also home to a thriving population of wild parrots called Monk Parakeets, which we have adopted as our official RAILEAN mascot.

In 2007, we were manufacturing small batches of specialty, handcrafted rum utilizing Grade-A unsulfured molasses, state-of-the-art distillery equipment, unique recipes and manufacturing techniques. Distribution began with the local Houston market and quickly expanded to three other major Texas markets including Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. In 2009, we established a partnership with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) one of the largest wine & spirits distributors in the US and we picked up additional distribution in Arkansas and California.

Following up on the unparalleled success of RAILEAN rum, in 2010 we launched a 100% Blue Agave Sprit called El Perico (Spanish for the parakeet) to rival Mexico's finest Tequilas. We were now making two spirits seldom produced in the USA and we were building our brand awareness through a grassroots movement of "Sprits Locavores" who were reshaping the spirits industry in towns across the USA.

This trend in the sprits industry was confirmed when a Gallup Poll came out and found 72% of Americans were paying "heightened attention" to the country of origin of the products they buy and nearly 94% of Americans would pay more for foods grown or produced in the United States of America. American consumers want companies to adhere to strict US labor laws, OSHA safety standards, and the EPA environmental regulations, and they want a guarantee of quality for raw materials, packaging and final product.

Leveraging these recent trends, in 2011, RAILEAN Rum and Agave Spirits became the first in their respective category to be certified as Made in USA in accordance with Federal Trade Commission regulations. With this elite certification, we were now able to easily differentiate RAILEAN Rum from all imported rum and RAILEAN El Perico Agave Spirits from all imported Tequila.

Americans now have a choice between imported mass produced Rum/Tequila and higher quality Handcrafted American Rum and Handcrafted American Agave Spirits. My original vision to re-establish the rum industry in America is well on its way and the American Handcrafted Rum Revolution has begun. At the same time we are pioneering a new category of American spirit made from 100% Blue Agave.

We are fully committed to providing products Made in the U.S.A.; thus providing jobs, fueling our American economy and aiding in the recovery of our economic system.

I hope you enjoy RAILEAN Rum and Agave spirits - Buy American!!!

President & CEO

Certified Made in USA

RAILEAN is certified "MADE in USA" in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission requirements under federal law. Qualifying for the MADE in USA CERTIFIED® / USA-C™ Seal signifies that a manufactured product has gone 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.

RAILEAN retained Made in USA Certified Inc. to audit their suppliers, packaging, labor, and manufacturing processes. On, August 11, 2011 they received official notice of their successful completion of Made in USA Certified, Inc.'s proprietary independent audit process and became licensed to use the Made in USA Seal of Certification. This seal of certification assures the consumers that the "Made in USA" claim is true; keeping consumers safe, giving consumers' peace of mind, and helping to support and promote products made in U.S.A.

RAILEAN® rum and agave spirits are the first in their category to be certified as Made in USA in accordance with Federal Trade Commission regulations. With this elite certification, RAILEAN is now able to differentiate their rum from every other imported rum on the market and their Agave Spirit from Imported Tequila. Americans now have a choice between imported mass produced rum and tequila and higher quality Handcrafted American Rum and Handcrafted American Agave Spirits

Although additional costs are incurred to meet the stringent Made in USA regulations, a recent Gallup Poll found that 72% of Americans are paying "heightened attention" to the country of origin of the products they buy and nearly 94% of Americans would pay more for foods grown or produced in the United States of America. American consumers want companies to adhere to strict US labor laws, OSHA safety standards, and the EPA environmental regulations, and they want a guarantee of quality for raw materials, packaging and final product.

Railean is fully committed to providing products Made in the U.S.A.; thus providing jobs, fueling our American economy and aiding in the recovery of our economic system.

Download our congratulations letter here.

The Resurgence of American Rum
The resurgence of American rum stared when Craft Distilleries became popular like Craft Breweries and Boutique Wineries. Consumer demand for higher quality, locally produced spirits prompted RAILEAN to establish the first rum distillery in Texas. Within a couple of years, RAILEAN became the first American Rum to become certified "Made in USA" in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission regulations. 

Events leading up to the American Rum Revolution™

2012 – RAILEAN® re-brands as Handcrafted American Rum™
2012 – RAILEAN® launches the first Handcrafted American Spiced Rum™
2011 – RAILEAN® becomes first rum to be Made in USA Certified®
2011 – Demand for products Made in USA increase due to poor quality of imports 
2009 – RAILEAN® launches first American made “Single Barrel” Rum
2008 – RAILEAN® launches first aged spirit produced in Texas
2008 – Hurricane Ike rips through RAILEAN® Distillery and shuts down production
2008 – Puerto Rican and Virgin Island Rum industry receive $192 million government bailout
2008 – Foreign held Diageo receives 2.8 Billion in tax subsidies from US Government
2007 – RAILEAN® launches the First Texas Rum™
2007 – Craft distilleries become popular like Craft Breweries and Boutique Wineries
2005 – RAILEAN® establishes first and only distillery in Houston/Galveston Texas

Import Subsidies & Prohibition Destroy the American Rum Industry
Imported rum from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands received federal tax subsidies and rum production in the United States slowly decreased. Prohibition was instituted with ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920 and as a result the last New England Rum distilleries closed. The 21st amendment repeals prohibition of alcohol in 1930 but the subsidies on imports continues and therefore the American rum industry never recovers.

1954 – United States extends federal excise tax exemption to the US Virgin Islands
1933 – Repeal of Prohibition Twenty First Amendment to the US Constitution
1919 – Prohibition Eighteen Amendment to the US Constitution
1917 – Puerto Rican rum producers become exempt from federal excise tax

Rum is the Original Spirit of America™ 
Rum was the official drink of the New England Colonies. The French's ban on the manufacture of rum to protect their domestic brandy industry provided a cheap source of molasses to the American Colonies. Over sixty distilleries sprang up providing 80% of all exports from the colonies. 

The British first imposed a tax on French molasses and subsequently on sugar (taxation without representation) and tea which led to the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution. Rum was the preferred drink of American Soldiers during the Revolutionary War and is still considered America's Original Spirit.

1791 – Rum taxes force Americans to produce grain spirits
1776 – Rum is the preferred drink of American Soldiers during Revolutionary War
1773 – Tax on Rum and Molasses (Rum) lead to Boston Tea Party and American Revolution
1764 – Sugar Act – beginning of “taxation without representation”
1750 – Sixty Rum Distilleries in operation equating to 80% of all exports from colonies
1733 – Molasses Act – tax on imported molasses from French Colonies or Plantations
1700 – Molasses imported by New England Distillers from French sugar Islands
1690 – The French ban manufacture of rum to protect their domestic brandy industry
1675 – Rum is official drink of New England Colonies

Caribbean Islands, Sailors and Pirates
The first distillation of fermented sugarcane molasses and thus the first rum spirit produced took place on the sugarcane plantations of the Caribbean in the 1600's. Plantation slaves first discovered that molasses, a by-product of the sugar refining process, can be fermented into alcohol or Rum (English), Rhum (French), Ron (Spanish).

The association of rum with the Royal Navy began in 1655 when the British fleet captured the island of Jamaica. With the availability of domestically produced rum, the British changed the daily ration of liquor given to seamen from French brandy to rum. Rum's association with piracy began when British privateers became pirates and buccaneers.

Discovery of Sugarcane
The discovery of sugarcane can be traced back to antiquity, however, the actual fermentation of sugarcane juice is believed to have first occurred either in ancient India or China around 1500 A.D.

1600's – First distillation of Sugarcane into Rum
1700's – 60+ Rum Distilleries in the England Colonies