Ranger Creek recently had a release party for its new Blondetastic Blonde Ale, so I decided to stop by and sample their beer and whisky. They are located on the northeast side of San Antonio in a not-so-easy area to get to these days due to all the construction going on around I-35 and 410, but it was still worth the trip and I will have to get this place on my regular rotation. I ordered a flight and they only had four beers on tap, so I got one of each of what was available: the Blondetastic, Salt & Lime Lager, Dog in the Hunt Amber Lager, and Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. I also tried their .36 Straight Bourbon and following are my thoughts on all of the tastings.
Blondetastic Blonde Ale: This was the featured beer of the day and delivered a decent summer brew. It has a light, malty flavor and is not too rich but still has good taste. There is a bit of sweetness and maybe some citrus in there as well. The alcohol content is moderate at 4.5% and this is the type of beer that goes well with a hot Texas summer day.
San Antonio Salt & Lime Lager: This is another brew that is on the lighter side (though not a lite beer) and that works well for the summertime. It has some maltiness and some citrus, but neither the latter nor the salt overwhelm like you might expect since both are in the title. It is a refreshing beer and would go great with a barbeque. The alcohol content is 4.7%, so it is not too strong, but it definitely has good flavor.
Dog in the Hunt Amber Lager: This is another lager, and it adds a little more complexity over the prior brew. The expected maltiness is there and it is a dryer beer, but it still goes down quite well. It has 4.6% ABV so it won’t overwhelm, and it is a good drinking beer.
Wee Heavy Scotch Ale: This one is a notable change of pace from the other beers as it delivers a rich and complex brew with a high alcohol content (11.9%). This one spent some time in a bourbon barrel, and that comes through in the taste. It has some caramel flavors with some bitterness and maybe some similarities to a mead. This isn’t what you would call a refreshing summer beer, and a little goes a long way. But if you like Scotch Ales and/or bourbon barrel brews, you should definitely enjoy this one.
.36 Straight Bourbon: This is their flagship whisky which they make in small batches, and bourbon drinkers should certainly enjoy it. It has the caramel flavor you expect from a bourbon with a touch of sweetness with hints of vanilla, and the oak from the barrels really comes through. But it is still a smooth whisky that goes down quite well.
They offer whisky flights, but I didn’t go that route because I already had the beer flight and I just missed the food truck, so I didn’t want to drink that much on a relatively empty stomach. But I will be heading back to try more of their whiskies at some point. And if you want to try a wider selection of their beers, that do have several more varieties available in cans. They don’t have a kitchen on the premises, but they do have food trucks come by for events. Just be sure to get there early if you want to eat, because they run out of food if a lot of people show up.
Ranger Creek’s beers and spirits are available in some of the local stores, and they are definitely worth trying. You can sample some at their brewery, and they do sell cans and bottles, or you can check for the beer at your local HEB and the whisky at you liquor store.
Ranger Creek is located at 4834 Whirlwind Dr, Ste 102 and you can check out their page on our site for the hours they are open and more information.
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