With gas being as expensive as it is, and me living in Michigan, I don’t want to drive to Ohio every time I feel like Shiner beer. Can I order directly though your Web site?

Thanks for writing. Unfortunately, Shiner beer is not available in your area and we cannot fill any private orders. It would be illegal for us to send you any beer, for several reasons:

1. We cannot sell our beer in a state in which we are not legally registered.
2. We cannot sell our beer directly to consumers, but must follow a 3-step distribution process: brewery to distributor to retailer to consumer.
3. We cannot ship our beer by public carriers (such as U.S. Mail, UPS, Fed Ex) who are not licensed to transport alcoholic beverages.

Click here to view a Shiner Beers Distribution Map.

I lived in Austin years ago. I’ve moved around throughout the years and I’ve ended up in Chicago. I’m amazed there is no Shiner here. Modelo is owned by Gambrinus and I see Modelo in the store—I think it’s distributed through Barton. How can there be Modelo but no Shiner?

I understand how much you can miss Shiner when living far away from Texas, as I had to endure 3 years in Minneapolis without the beer. It was tough! As for now, we do not have plans in place to enter the Chicago market. We have expanded our distribution to cover 22 states, and, in fact, just entered the eastern half of Missouri, and that is keeping our hands full!

As for Barton and Gambrinus, they actually are two separate companies, which import Modelo Beers into the USA. Barton handles the western states and Gambrinus handles the Eastern states. Gambrinus doesn’t supply beer to Barton, so we would not be able to use them for Shiner.

Please hang in there! We are considering expansion possibilities and I’m sure we will be in the Illinois market at some time in the future. In the meantime, we are now available in Missouri, so if you are driving that way, I hope you can stock up.

Click here to view a Shiner Beers Distribution Map.

Thanks again for writing and for being such a fan of Shiner Bock

I had Shiner beer while in Tennessee last week. I bought a bunch to sell here in New York to my buddies. Am I breaking any laws?

It is unlawful for private citizens to distribute (through a public carrier) alcoholic beverages to other private citizens for any reason or use. One must be a licensed distributor of alcoholic beverages, sending the items to another licensed distributor.

You could only do this legally by going to a local alcohol buyer, having them arrange for the shipment to another licensed buyer and who can then "distribute" the beverage to the final consumer. This is probably too expensive a task. LTL carriers are licensed, but the person shipping must be a licensed distributor, and LTL carriers will all have a minimum charge that is far to expensive. (usually near $200)

Click here to view a Shiner Beers Distribution Map.

There’s no Shiner Beer out here in Maine, but there’s Corona and Moosehead, which are beers from Gambrinus. What’s the deal? Where’s the Shiner?

Since 1989, the Spoetzl Brewery has been privately owned by The Gambrinus Company of San Antonio, Texas. Gambrinus imports Corona beer (and other Modelo brands from Mexico) to the eastern half of the U.S. and imports Moosehead Beer (from Canada) nationwide. Gambrinus also owns the BridgePort Brewing Co. in Portland, Oregon.

We are still in the process of introducing Shiner beer into various markets. It would be helpful if you would continue to request Shiner beer to encourage local establishments to carry it. We greatly appreciate your support and your taking the time to write.

Click here to view a Shiner Beers Distribution Map.

I’ve been collecting beer labels since I was in college. I have about 4,000 from around the world. Shiner is by far my favorite, but I can never peel it off the bottle without tearing it. Can you send some to me for my collection?

We’ll be happy to send you some of our Shiner beer labels on our next general mail out. We’ll also be happy to send you some of our Shiner beer labels and coasters!

My grandpa collects bottle caps from all over. Being the Shiner beer fan that he is, I’d love to add to his collection with the new caps that recently came out. Can I purchase those or do I have to buy a six-pack of each brand?

We’ll be happy to send you some of our Shiner bottle caps; just send us your mailing address. (Due to the high volume of e-mail we receive, please include the body of this message in your reply so we’ll know what it’s in reference to. Thanks!)

Shiner Bock is my favorite beer hands down. My co-worker said there was a great concert in Shiner and all they served was Bock. Is this true?

Bocktoberfest will be held Saturday, October 15th. Check out our Bocktoberfest Web site for further info. We hope to see you there!

My buddies and I created a band called the “Shinerholics.” Can we perform at Bocktoberfest?

Thanks for writing. Bands wishing to be considered for Bocktoberfest 2005 should send a demo CD or tape plus bio information to our Shiner Brand Manager, as follows:

Contact Bill Lee at Lone Star Attractions
(210) 494-9477

Where the heck is Shiner?

Shiner is roughly between San Antonio and Houston, south of IH-10. We’re at the intersection of Hwy. 90 Alt. and U.S. 95. (map)

It takes about an hour and half to get to Shiner from Austin. From Austin, take US 183 (South) to US 90 (East) into Shiner. Turn left at THE stoplight, and you’ll find the brewery at 603 E. Brewery St.

It takes about an hour and a half to get to Shiner from S.A.; Shiner is actually east of S.A. From S.A., take I-10 East; exit U.S. Hwy. 183 and go south to Gonzales. From there, take U.S. Hwy. 90-Alt. east into Shiner. Turn left at THE stoplight, and you’ll find the brewery at 603 E. Brewery St.

I looking to drive from Waco to Shiner for the weekend and I want to tour the brewery with my friends. What time does it open on the weekends? Are there other things to do in Shiner?

Sorry to disappoint you, but the brewery is always closed on weekends. We need the rest time ourselves! In the summer, we offer additional tours (usually at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.) along with our regular tours at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., but all are only on weekdays.

Spoetzl Brewery Gift Shop Hours of Operation:
Monday–Friday from 9:00 to 5:00
Saturday, from 11:00 to 3:00.
The Gift Shop is closed 1:30 to 2:30 for lunch.

And yes, there’s plenty to do in and around Shiner on weekends. Call the Shiner Chamber of Commerce directly at (361) 594-4180 (or write them at P.O. Box 221 / Shiner, TX 77984) for events and information.

I want to make some Shiner shirts for my fraternity, but when I copy the logo off the Web site, it’s all bitmapped. What’s the problem?

Shiner takes great steps in being socially responsible and must have a good understanding of the content of the Web site before granting permission to use a Shiner logo or Icon. Please provide the link for further review by emailing us at shiner@shiner.com. Thanks for your support.

I’m a “Weekend Brewmaster” and I’m wondering what type of yeast Shiner uses when brewing beer?

It is a bottling yeast; we carefully remove our primary yeast before we add honey to the bottle and the secondary yeast. It is fine to use that yeast in repropagating for homebrewing...but because it is NOT our primary alpha-fermentation yeast, it will not give the same esters or profile that you would find in our beers. Happy brewing.

What happened to the smaller Shiner bottles that were used in 12-packs? They used to fit perfectly into my cooler, and now all the bottles are longneck and too big. And what’s going on with the graphics, why did they change? Did you change the taste too? I’m very disappointed in what has occurred.

Over the past several years, the brewery has received many consumer inquiries about our 12-pack package and our use of the short bottle. All of our 6 packs used longnecks, and many people were confused and said they would prefer the longneck. Based on this and many other inputs, we decided to change our 12 packs to use longneck bottles exclusively. We also took the opportunity to update our graphics. Of course, our new graphics still feature the proprietary Shiner Bock yellow, our majestic ram, and the distinctive Shiner logotype.

You are also very perceptive about the beer. We did not alter the taste of Shiner Bock in any way. Our graphics may have changed on the outside, but we have not changed the beer that made Shiner famous, Shiner Bock.

I sincerely hope that you will give our new longnecks a second chance and will continue to be a loyal Shiner fan. As a small independent brewer, we value each and every consumer. I strongly hope that we can earn back your business and your support.

I’m allergic to wheat, but I see there is wheat in Shiner Bock, my favorite beer. What is the wheat content?

I’m sorry to hear of your allergy to wheat, and therefore, you may want to avoid drinking Shiner Winter Ale, Shiner Summer Stock, and Shiner Hefeweizen. Each of these beers contains wheat in addition to the barley malt. Shiner Bock and Shiner Blonde are made with several barley malts and corn. We do not use wheat in these beers, but I should point out that they are processed using the same equipment as our wheat beers, and could contain trace amounts of wheat. I hope your allergy is not so severe that a trace amount of wheat would cause a reaction.

I’m recently engaged and my fiancée and I are planning the wedding reception. We want to order some kegs of Shiner Blonde. Can I order now so I can make sure we have it in time?

Congratulations on your wedding. It sounds like you will have quite a reception, especially if you are serving Shiner beers. You may want to wait until closer to the wedding date to purchase our beer, however, in order to have it at the peak of freshness.

Again, congratulations, and let me know if you have any other questions about our products.

Does Shiner Bock add more sugar to their beer? It seems to have a sweeter taste than others.

Shiner Bock has no added sugar*. However, the mashing process transfers the starch in the malt into fermentable sugars. Some large national brewers might add sugar to their beers as a shortcut—we do not.

* All beer contains natural sugars.

I’m a diabetic but I love Shiner Beer. I should be able to drink your beer since there is no added sugar, correct?

We do not give medical advice, but every diabetic should ask his/her physician about drinking beer... many diabetics are prohibited from consuming beer.

I always see Shiner Bock in bottles, but I love crunching beer cans against my head. Do you make Shiner Bock in cans?

Yes, Shiner Bock is available in cans (and always has been)–we just sell a LOT more in bottles. You can always check with your local distributor to ask which specific stores carry Shiner Bock in cans.

What is the nutritional value of Shiner beers? I’m joining Weight Watchers and I want to make sure I can still fit in some Shiner calories into my weekly routine.

1. Shiner Bock
   • Alcohol Content: 3.5% by weight / 4.4% by volume
   • Calories: 142
   • Carbohydrates: 12.9
   • Original Gravity: 10.9 Degrees Plato
   • IBU: 13
2. Shiner Blonde
   • Alcohol Content: 3.5% by weight / 4.4% by volume
   • Calories: 140
   • Carbohydrates: 12.4
   • Original Gravity: 10.7 Degrees Plato
   • IBU: 13
3. Shiner Light
   • Alcohol Content: 3.1% by weight / 4.0% by volume
   • Calories: 120
   • Carbohydrates: 9.1
   • Original Gravity: 9.3 Degrees Plato
   • IBU: 13
4. Shiner Hefeweizen
   • Alcohol Content: 5.6% by volume
   • Calories: 174
   • Carbohydrates: 14.3
   • Original Gravity: 13.2 Degrees Plato
   • IBU: 17
5. Shiner Kolsch
   • Alcohol Content: 3.9% by weight / 4.9% by volume
   • Calories: 147
   • Carbohydrates: 11.1
   • Original Gravity: 11.3 Degrees Plato
   • IBU: 17
6. Shiner Dunkelweizen
   • Alcohol Content: 4.2% by weight / 5.4% by volume
   • Calories: 193
   • Carbohydrates: 19.6
   • Original Gravity: 14.4 Degrees Plato
   • IBU: 22

My buddy and I are having a debate. He says Hefeweizen is pasteurized. I say not. What’s the answer?

Hefeweizen is the only bottled beer we do NOT pasteurize. None of our draft beers are pasteurized, either.

It’s me again. My buddy and I are on a new debate. He doesn’t believe that Hefeweizen is carbonated? Is he right or wrong?

Hefeweizen is naturally carbonated by bottle conditioning at 60 deg F. We add Texas pure honey, immediately before packaging, and hold the beer until it reaches carbonation spec.

One more question. Shiner Blonde has more sugar than Shiner Bock, right? It’s so sweet, there is no way there’s more sugar in Shiner Bock.

The sugar in Shiner Bock is higher than in Shiner Blonde: 0.35 g/12 oz. max sugar (up to triglycerides, not including higher dextrins) concentration Shiner Bock (Shiner Blonde is lower.)

I’m moving to Oklahoma soon, and I hear they’re Shiner Bock has less alcohol. What gives?

Thanks for writing. Yes, Shiner Bock is available in 3.2% in Oklahoma. Our regular Shiner Bock has 3.46% alcohol by weight, so the 3.2% version has only a small amount less alcohol. (You can still buy the original strength Shiner Bock in liquor stores and bars; it will have the symbol "OK+" on the back of the neck label. It’s also available on tap.) We had many requests for Shiner in grocery and convenience stores and decided it was worth doing.

How many cases are in a keg? One of my sorority sisters think it’s 15.

There are 15.5 gallons in a barrel (bbl), and 6.889 cases in a half keg (which is how we sell Shiner draught beer), thus 13.778 cases in a full barrel. Close enough--go enjoy a Shiner!

My boss’s wife made us some homemade bread and he said it was made from Shiner beer. Is this true? Tell me my dreams are coming true!

We do sell a Shiner beer recipe book at the gift shop. Here are some of the recipes:

Beer Corn Bread
1 c. yellow corn meal
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 beaten eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. Shiner beer
1/4 c. cooking oil

In bowl, stir together corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Combine eggs, milk, Shiner beer and oil; add to dry ingredients. Mix well. Turn into greased 8 x 8 x 2" baking pan. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until done. Serve warm with molasses or maple syrup if desired. Makes 9 servings.

Beer Biscuits
4 c. biscuit mix
1 T. sugar
1 12-oz. Shiner beer

Mix ingredients with a fork. Pour in a well-greased muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Shiner Beer Bread
3 c. self-rising flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 egg
1 12-oz. Shiner beer (room temperature)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar and salt; add beaten egg and Shiner beer. Beat about 17 strokes. (Do not overbeat). Pour into greased 5-1/2 x 9-1/2" bread pan. Bake about one hour, or until done. Cool to slice. Makes one loaf.

Hope this helps!

I want to order a few Shiner t-shirts as an anniversary present for my wife. Can you send them to my office so she doesn’t find out?

Please contact our Gift Shop directly at 361-594-3383 and ask for Dotsy. She will be able to help you with your order. Thanks for your continued support.

My buddy at the shop is always wearing Shiner shirts and hats. Where does he get all this stuff and how do I get MY hands on some?

We have a lot of dandy Shiner beer items on hand. And have you visited our on-line Shiner General Store?

I just bought a kegerator for new bar. I’m only going stock it with premium Shiner Bock. What kind of taps does Shiner offer for me to beautify my new purchase?

Shiner uses the "American Sankey" tap. All draft hardware venues are familiar with this, the most popular US tapping system.

I recently visited my friend’s house, and in his bar he had beer novelties like banners and lights. I started thinking, I’d like to have some banners and neon lights for my bar at home as well--but all Shiner brand. Can I order these online?

Thanks for your support. Unfortunately, while it is legal for us to provide merchandising aids and advertising materials to our distributors for placement in retail accounts, it is illegal for us to provide these items directly to either retailers or consumers. We do have some special merchandise available for sale at the brewery gift shop, if you can make a trip to the little brewery in Shiner sometime, or buy it online here. :~)

How is Shiner more expensive than others? It’s not an import; it’s a domestic beer.

Sounds like they’re using a “two-tiered” pricing system; i.e., (1) domestic and (2) imported. Shiner beer actually falls into a third tier between the two, which is “specialty beer.” Our beer costs more because of the high quality of ingredients and our brewing process: we handcraft each and every brew. By law, the retail account has 100% control over pricing.

I’ve recently opened a distributorship here in White Butte, North Dakota. I’m interested in carrying Shiner Beer. What is the process to do so?

Our policy is to use established distributors with proven customer bases and experience with beverages. You may submit information on your company, including a list of any other beverage companies you service, to our Director of Sales at this address:

The Gambrinus Company
Spoetzl Division
14800 San Pedro, Suite 310
San Antonio, TX 78232

The Veterans at our local legion are hosting a model car festival next month. They’d love to have Shiner sponsor the event and provide some beer as well! Who do I contact?

Thanks for writing. We appreciate your thinking of us, but we do not directly sponsor any local events. You are welcome to contact your local Shiner beer distributor to see if they have any funds (or beer) available for sponsorship.

I’m putting on a large golf tournament for my company and I’d like to see Shiner to sponsor a few holes, or possibly the entire event. Who do I contact for this?

We appreciate your thinking of us, but we do not provide any sponsorship at the corporate level. You are welcome to contact your local Shiner beer distributor to see if they have any funds available for sponsorship.

Does Shiner Bock go bad? I’ve got a bottle from 1991 in my fridge.

Our packaged products have a 120-day shelf life before we ask that the product be pulled from the retail account (which happens VERY rarely). The "pull-date" printed on the bottle indicates the day on which the product was bottled PLUS the 120 days. For example, a pull-date of 03/21/04 would mean that the beer was bottled on November 21, 2003.

This does not mean that the beer is "bad" after the pull-date; however, 120 days is our standard for freshness to the consumer.

What’s the deal with the letters at the bottom of Shiner Beer bottles? A bottle in my six-pack reads “DIE” on the bottom of my bottle. Does this stand for something?

Here’s the deal on the letters at the bottom of Shiner beer bottles: this is a production code stamped on by the bottle manufacturer. The “DIE” is actually “DI3” read backwards through the glass. The “D” indicates the fourth tank at the production facility; the “I” indicates the first production line on the “D” tank; and the “3” indicates the time the bottle went through the line, i.e., 3 a.m. All bottles which go through this particular production line every day between the hours of 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. are stamped with the “DI3” code. The “DI3” code is preceded by a Julian date code which specifies the date the bottle was manufactured.

We assure you that there is nothing malicious about these codes in any way.

I am interested in seeing how much beer and how much profit the brewery makes on a quarterly basis. Who do I contact?

We appreciate your interest in the Spoetzl Brewery; however, since we are privately owned (by The Gambrinus Company of San Antonio), we do not release financial information to the public.

I purchased a 6-pack of Shiner the other day. When I started drinking them, one of my bottles was almost half empty. This doesn’t seem very fair. What does Shiner do to monitor this?

By letting us know about this problem, you are helping us monitor our quality assurance procedures. We are disappointed any time a consumer gets anything less than a top quality product.

The Spoetzl Brewery and our distributor network make extensive efforts to insure that all product is "brewery fresh" and in excellent condition when purchased by consumers. All of our bottles feature a "pull date" (stamped on the shoulder of each bottle), which is 120 days from the date of production (75 days for draught beer). Unfortunately, sometimes in the process of rotation, a case is mishandled. Our distributors are aware of the "First In/First Out" procedure; however, occasionally a mistake is made. This lack of rotation can cause oxidation of the beer, which makes it taste flat or “skunky.”

In order to resolve this situation, we will need more information from you. Exactly where (name and location of the store) and when did you purchase the beer? Do you still have any of the bottles? If so, could you give us the date code number stamped on the shoulder of the bottle?

It would also be helpful if you could provide us with your daytime phone number so we can call to discuss. We appreciate your cooperation.

By letting us know about this problem, you are helping us monitor our quality assurance procedures. We are disappointed any time a consumer gets anything less than a top quality product.

I usually drink import beers with no twist off cap. While opening my Shiner with a bottle opener the other day, the bottle broke. Why did this happen?

We are very sorry that you had a problem with a bottle of Shiner Bock beer. Our bottles come with twist-off caps, and we recommend (as printed on the bottle cap) using the twist-off caps and NOT using a bottle opener. Unfortunately, breakage is one of the consequences of dealing with glass bottles.

We would like to reimburse you for the Shiner Bock and also pick up the broken bottle so that it can be inspected by our Quality Assurance manager. Please send me your mailing address and daytime phone number so that I can make arrangements.

Again, thank you for bringing this problem to our attention.

I was opening a bottle of Shiner last night and the bottle broke while I was twisting off the cap. Although my buddies thought it was hilarious and now call me “Hulk” I wanted to know why this happened?

I showed your note to our Quality Assurance Manager, and this is his reply:

“We apologize for the inconvenience you’ve experienced with the twist-off caps on our Shiner brand beers. This problem is best categorized as excessive removal torque and is usually caused by insufficient lubricity of the plastic in the crown [cap] liner.

“As a quality measure, we continually test and evaluate removal torque (RT) of the crown. This is an important parameter in which there is a minimum value. Below this minimum, package seal integrity cannot be maintained.

“We appreciate your concerns and thank you for being a faithful customer.

“P.S. A tip for instances where the crown is difficult to remove:
1] Hold bottle by the base in the left hand.
2] Hold a napkin in the right hand and grab the crown of the bottle with the right hand so that the index finger aligns with the crown.
3] Using the left hand, twist the base of the bottle while holding the crown with the right index finger.“

Whew. That’s what happens when you ask the engineers for an answer! The caps do have to be attached firmly to the bottles so that no beer leaks out during shipping or shelving. The easiest immediate solution for you is probably to grab something handy, like a napkin or towel or even your shirttail, to provide a little better grip when you remove the bottle cap.

I recently bought a pack of Hefeweizen and there’s stuff floating around in it. It looks and tastes like little pieces of fruit. You may want to check your filter—things are getting through.

Thanks for writing! Nothing is wrong with your Shiner Hefeweizen. As it says on the label, “This UNFILTERED Hefeweizen ale is brewed with clover honey, lemon and orange peel for a refreshing and light taste. Optimum flavor is obtained by gently ‘rousing’ the bottle prior to pouring. This will suspend any yeast which has settled and fully release its natural goodness.” In other words, the things you see floating in the bottles are particles of yeast.