Spoetzl Brewery

Posted in Spoetzl Brewery

Bomber Treatment For Shiner Cheer

Shiner’s Holiday offer – Cheer is getting the 24oz treatment this season.  Cheer is a dunkleweizen brewed with Texas peaches and pecans.  Last year, Cheer was 12oz bottles & draft.

Availability: 24oz bottles, draft.  Seasonally.  (Replaced Shiner Dunkel)

5.4% ABV

Posted in Coming Soon, Spoetzl Brewery

Shiner Sees Red This Summer

Spoetzel Brewing, makers of Shiner are launching a new summer seasonal – Ruby Redbird.  Apparently in place of Shiner Smokehaus. This year summer is more citrus, less smoke.

Commercial Description:
Shiner Ruby Redbird is brewed with genuine Texas Rio Red Grapefruit, the signature sweet citrus of the Rio Grande Valley, and ginger. This lager beer features grapefruit tartness and finishes with a ‘lil kick of ginger. With Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit and Ginger, Shiner Ruby Redbird is sure to be a crisp and refreshing summer beer.

Availability: 12oz/6pks. Draft.

Arrival: April, 2011

Posted in New Releases, Spoetzl Brewery

NEW RELEASE: Shiner 102

Spoetzl Brewing – brewer of the Shiner line of beers just released a new one – Shiner 102. 102 is a follow up to last years anniversary beer 101.  Spoetzl Brewing was founded by a group of businessmen in 1909.  At that time it was called the “Shiner Brewing Association” based in Shiner, Texas.  In 1915 Kosmos Spoetzl, a German immigrant with German brewing experience, leased the brewery.  With him came various Bavarian brewing recipes still in production by Spoetzl today.

Commercial Description:

Our Double Wheat features a malt base containing 50 % Wheat. The wheat variety is Brundage, a soft white winter wheat released in 1997 by the Idaho AES. Double Wheat is a hybrid style which falls between a wheat beer and a wheat wine. Shiner 102 is an American style filtered double wheat ale, lightly hopped with aromatic Czech Saaz and WA Golding hop.

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

Taste Expectations: Full of wheat, 102 is nice & soft on the palate. Grassy hops, light fruit, honey, & light spice.

Availability: 12oz/6pks. Draft

4.8% ABV

Posted in New Releases, Spoetzl Brewery

Shiner Spring Ale Dortmunder Style

You have seen this beer before under another name – Shiner Frost.   Frost like this spring ale are dortmunder ales.  This style first originated in Dortmund, Germany in 1873.  It’s pale lager was first brewed by Dortmunder Union for the industrial workers of Dortmund.   The Dortmunder style is influenced heavily from Pilsner, a golden beer with noble hops. (Noble hops, are more for beer bittering, and not strong hop aroma like IPA’s.)  I agree with Shiner, this is a better beer for spring.

Commercial Description:
Shiner Dortmunder has a smooth, well-rounded flavor – the perfect fit for any Springtime activity. Because of the unique nature of the style, Shiner Dortmunder is sure to satisfy the palate of a diverse crowd.

Style: Dortmunder

Taste Expectations: Light & pale malts give a sweet flavor to this beer.  Grainy, biscuity, light. Noble hops.

Availability: 12oz/6pks. Draft. Spring seasonal.

5.5% ABV

Posted in Bell's Brewing, Boston Beer Company, Brooklyn Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, Leinenkugel's Brewing, New Releases, Red Brick, Sam Adams, Spoetzl Brewery, Weihenstephaner

Oktoberfest Mega Post!

So many hit at once, I thought I would just combine them into a post.    Fall seasonals are hitting the stores almost daily.  Over the past week a some of the more well known Oktoberfests have arrived. Oktoberfest is also known as Marzen. Beer and refrigeration actually have an intimate history. Brewing of beer, and preserving of beer has greatly improved since refrigeration. Prior to the ability to refrigerate, brewing had to be suspended during the warmer months, because the beer would spoil in the heat. ( Cold inhibits bacterial growth.) More often than not, March was the last feasible month to brew (Marzen=March.) They were stored underground or in some form of cold storage until fall — Sept/October. Also, these versions had a higher alcohol content to keep over time. Fest beers are typically darker, malty, not as hoppy as IPA’s and some pales.

Here’s a rundown of the new releases:

Red Brick Octbeerfest.  5.7% ABV.  2010 marks first bottling run of this beer.  Here’s my writeup on it. –> Red Brick Octobeerfest
Weihenstephaner – Festbier.  5.8% ABV,  Bready, and sweet. Malty and light bodied.  Very drinkable.  Freising, Germany
Shiner – Oktoberfest.  2nd time this has been released by Spoetzl Brewing. First time under the label Shiner  Oktoberfest.  Here’s my earlier article on this beer.  Shiner – Octoberfest
Ayinger – October Fest-Marzen. 5.8% ABV.  Bready, malty German lager. Aying, Germany
Brooklyn – Octoberfest. 5.5% ABV.  Slightly hoppy, slightly fruit. Coppery and malty.  Brooklyn, NY
Bell’s Octoberfest – 5.5% ABV.  Very clean, and light bodied.  Caramel and light malts. Slightly sweet.  Kalamazoo, MI
Left Hand – Oktoberfest. 6% ABV. Toffee, sweet malt. Hints of coffee and roasted malt.  Longmont, CO
Leinenkugel’s – Oktoberfest. 5.1% ABV.  Caramel & toffee.  Hint of lemony hops.  Chippewa Falls, WI
Sam Adams – Octoberfest. 5.4% ABV.  Sweet and malty.  Hint of caramel.  Tastes like a maltier version of their lager.  Boston, MA


Posted in New Releases, Spoetzl Brewery

New in Bottle – Shiner Frost

Spoetzel Brewery, makers of Shiner Beers out of Shiner, Texas just released Shiner Frost.  Thought this would be a good time to explain a style of beer.

Frost is a Dortmunder.  This style first originated in Dortmund, Germany in 1873.  This pale lager was first brewed by Dortmunder Union for the industrial workers of Dortmund.   The Dortmunder style is influenced heavily from Pilsner, a golden beer with noble hops. (Noble hops, are more for beer bittering, and not strong hop aroma like IPA’s.)

You will find a Dortmunder to have some Pilsner tones to it, or characteristics of a full bodied lager.  In respect to Frost, it’s a hand crafted micro brewed lager.

Frost is available in 6 packs.  & ½ Barrels, seasonally.

5.5% ABV