MAKE MINE A SHINER

Spoetzl Brewery, legacy of German immigrant brewmaster Kosmas Spoetzl whose vitae included a stint at the Pyramid Brewery in Egypt, is home to the Texas brew known nation-wide as Shiner. Spoetzl took over the Shiner Brewing Association’s operations in 1914, a local brewery founded in 1909 in the future community of Shiner, transforming it into an innovative family enterprise. With the exception of a brief period of altered productivity (the Prohibition years) in which a close proximity to beer (known as “near beer”) was brewed, the brewery has been producing its signature Bavarian elixir for almost a century. The operation, now housed in a white brick building built in 1947 and reminiscent of the Alamo in design, continues to produce a selection of over a half-dozen locally-brewed beers including a classic American Pale Ale, a wheat brew known as a Hefewizen, a special “Holiday Cheer” brewed with peaches and roasted pecans, and the traditional Bock, a deep amber Bavarian standard. Heritage brew fans can tour the Spoetzl Brewery (and sample the goods) most non-holiday weekdays.

Watch our German Texan Culture video to learn more about German Texan cultural heritage in Texas. This video was produced for our German Texans mobile tour.