I’ve been told that my great grandmother, Linnie Zonelle Tysinger Bates, was quite the wild woman. She lived in Quanah, a sleepy little town near the Oklahoma border in North Texas, where my mom was born. It’s been said that she was known for her entrepreneurial skills, which included the management of a rather successful boarding house (and probable brothel) along with a dancehall. She was also quite popular for her bootlegged whiskey during prohibition, in and around Hardeman County, which was a completely dry county until 2006.

It seems that Linnie Zonelle was ahead of her time. Although Prohibition only lasted from 1919 to 1933, Texas didn’t allow distilleries of any kind to operate until 1997, when Tito Beveridge lobbied and fought for legislation that would allow Texans to obtain distillery licenses. Tito’s Vodka is distilled in Austin, and has become a national favorite in the vodka category. Tito was a maverick and now Texas has 45 distillers across the state, including San Antonio’s own Rebecca Creek. The first distillery in San Antonio since Prohibition was repealed, Rebecca Creek makes its signature whiskey, along with the handcrafted, small batch Enchanted Rock Vodka as well.

Texas ranks number nine in the U.S. among states with the most distilleries, and with the recent change in legislation, allowing distilleries to sample and sell their own products on-site, the industry is set to explode. Libation-loving entrepreneurs are creating jobs and increasing tax revenue for this fledgling industry across the state, and Texas distilleries are producing high quality liquors that are winning awards around the world.

Read more in the October 2013 issue of S.A. Scene.

It’s no secret that San Antonio is in the midst of a culinary explosion. The Alamo City is on fire with food festivals, celebrated chefs and the opening of highly anticipated new restaurants. In fact, there are so many new restaurants opening this fall, that it might take until the New Year to try them all.

“Think Globally. Act Locally.” That seems to be the mission of our newest “restaurantrepreneurs.” With concepts ranging from pairing Asian street food with craft beer, to a multi-regional culinary tour of ancient Mexico, San Antonio’s most ambitious new chefs are pushing the limits of our gastronomic imaginations. It’s truly an exciting time to be a foodie here, and we now have many opportunities to explore the world through our palate, as these restaurants open their doors, and open our minds, to some delicious cuisines from around the world.

Read more in the October 2013 issue of S.A. Scene.

Emerging from a cool plunge in the deep blue sea of Banderas Bay, I settle back in our little motorboat which gently rocks side to side as it glides towards densely forested cliffs and an intensely azure grotto. The sun is high overhead, its warmth lulling me into a dream-like state of sheer bliss. Bobbing in the bay, I revel in the fact that I’m incommunicado, far away from shore, unavailable, unreachable and suspended in time.

Banderas Bay, on the west coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is considered one of the most beautiful bays in the world, framed by the majestic Sierra Madre mountain range and 40 miles of pristine coastline. This city, while being home to a popular tourist destination (thank you, Liz and Dick), a plethora of cultural festivals and a thriving art scene, accomplishes the seeming impossible—it retains the character and traditions of the small fishing village it once was.

Read more in the October 2013 issue of S.A. Scene.

Driving around San Antonio some of you may have noticed a large complex of buildings perched high on a hill near La Cantera and The Rim shopping center just off I-10. You might have wondered what this group of buildings was and who was using it; as you continued to stare, you might have also realized this is like nothing you’ve ever seen in San Antonio before.

And you would be very right.

Éilan is an example of a new kind of living space that is new almost everywhere in the United States, but completely foreign to San Antonio.

Read more in the October 2013 issue of S.A. Scene.

by Brent De La Paz

Everyone has heard of the “Miranda Rights” or “reading your rights.” Before an officer asks any questions, the law requires these rights to be read to a citizen. Once an officer read the Miranda Rights, the citizen had the right to remain silent. Despite all continued attempts to ask any questions, the right to remain silent could not be used against a citizen. Until now.

Salinas v. Texas was a case that came out of Texas and went to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their decision came out earlier this year. Police questioned Mr. Salinas before he was read his “Miranda Rights.” He answered some questions and the question he did not answer was used against him. His silence was used against him. Without dissecting it here, the end result now is a citizen must tell the officer he/she is invoking the right to remain silent. Let’s repeat that. You must now say you want to remain silent.

Read more in the October 2013 issue of S.A. Scene.