THE OG OF CRAFT BEER HAS NEW OFFERINGS

WORDS BY ASHLEY BROWN | LEFT: PHOTOS BY K. SPOETZL BREWERY

Established in 1909, K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery in Shiner, Texas, has been producing grain-to-glass beer for over a century, including Shiner Bock, which has long been synonymous with German-inspired Texas beer. While steeped in tradition and culture, the Shiner brand is also constantly evolving. One of the major innovations is the recent addition of spirits to their offerings — the distillery in the name is new. This project is spearheaded by director of brewery and distillery operations Tom Fiorenzi along with brewery and distillery innovation manager and head distiller Jessica Michalec. A fourth- generation Shiner native,Michalec worked at the brewery as a teenager and rejoined the Shiner family in 2017 after attending Texas A&M. That’s when they began developing the distillery concept, which involved extensive research and a trip to Scotland to work with the coppersmiths building their equipment. Shiner’s inaugural whiskey came out in March 2023. Now, they also make vodka, gin, shine and cinnamon moonshine, with more to come.

In the small town of Shiner, population 2,127, it’s not uncommon for people to show up at gatherings with mason jars of whatever liquor they’ve concocted at home. Immersion in that culture, along with their state-of-the-art brewing equipment, made adding a distillery a seamless next step. They put the same passion and care into the recipes for the washes — the alcohol base of spirits, which is beer without hops — as they have their brews. “All Shiner spirits are distilled ‘off-grain,’ meaning we lauter out all grains and filter out all the yeast. To build the infrastructure to do this is very expensive for a distiller but is standard equipment for a craft brewer,” explains Fiorenzi.

Also driven by a love of food, the innovation team dreams upmouth-watering spirits and beers that are inspired by and complement their favorite foods. “We’re all foodies first and foremost,” says Fiorenzi. Once his son, who works at a food manufacturing facility, brought home a container of strawberry ice cream and set it on the counter. Fiorenzi stared at it until his son asked him what he was doing. He declared that the ice cream would make a delicious beer. That was the origin of Shiner Strawberry Blonde. Similarly, many of the flavors in Shiner’s beers and spirits are designed by reverse engineering the tastes of a particular food into a drink.

Their love of food also extends to thoughtfully creating good drink pairings, such as heavier meats like steaks or barbecue with their flagship Shiner Bock or a new-fashioned, an old-fashioned made with their unaged Shiner ’Shine whiskey. They like to pair salads with a fruit or citrus component with Shiner Gin; and any happy-hour appetizer with an espresso martini made with their barley-distilled Shiner Vodka.

Given this appreciation for food, and how perfect Shiner Bock goes with meats, K. Spoetzl BBQ Company was added to the compound. Visitors can now spend the day sampling beers (including special brews available only onsite) and spirits in the taproom, having lunch at the restaurant, enjoying a cocktail at the bar and taking a tour of the brewery and/or distillery.

Tom Fiorenzi and Jessica Michalec

The tours shine a light on the long history of K. Spoetzl Brewery and give guests the opportunity to watch the bottling process and the keg line, where “Chippy the Robot” is hard at work.

With 150 employees and deep roots in the town of Shiner, the facility is a big part of the community, and they’re all about giving back. “Any time there’s a major natural disaster, pandemic or educational opportunity, we feel it’s our duty to help where we can,” says Fiorenzi. They donated supplies after Hurricane Beryl caused significant damage in the Houston area, they contribute to an annual scholarship that sends two local students to the University of Texas at Austin.

In addition to philanthropy, sustainability is integral to Spoetzl’s operations. Fiorenzi explains that before the term “sustainable” became trendy, they were already operating under those principles. For the past year, solar panels have been providing about one-third of their power. Nearly 100 percent of their waste is recycled. Their spent yeast goes to local animal feed producers; their spent grain to local farmers. Wastewater is used for irrigating nearby fields. And they collect all the vapor from the brew kettles to heat the water used in the brewing process. “It’s beneficial for everybody, including the environment,” says Michalec.

“We’re doing it because it’s the right thing,” adds Fiorenzi. “The physics is right, the science is right, the business is right. And a great 115-year-old business like ours incorporates those things as part of the lifestyle, part of the business model.”

Their business model is the epitome of success, from their conscientious operating practices and commitment to innovation to their relationship with the community and devotion to their German and Czech roots. There is much to celebrate, and the fall and winter are all about merriment at the brewery. “With our three-week Oktoberfest, we try to mimic what’s going on in Germany. We can’t help ourselves … we really love our heritage and it’s who we are, so we want to celebrate it as hard and as often as we can and have as much fun as possible,” says Fiorenzi.

The festivities kick off in the last weekend of September with the Shiner Fest. Following that is a month of fun with tents scattered about the property, polka bands, employees donned in dirndls and lederhosen and, of course, plenty of beer. And there’s always

something new to try, like the seasonal Shiner Oktoberfest, a malt- and hop-forward contrast to the lighter beers offered throughout the

K. Spoetzl BBQ Company

summer. In November, they host a Beer Run, benefiting the Boot Campaign. And then it’s time for Shiner Cheer — both a beer and an event with a tree lighting and fireworks on the first Saturday of December, a music festival and ongoing holiday fun.

A true Texas treasure, Shiner represents celebration, history and heritage, generosity, family and a zealous appreciation of food and drink. So, go eat, drink and be merry!

About the Contributor

Writer and editor Ashley Brown lives in Wimberley with her family of rescues: a dog, two cats, and two donkeys. In addition to animal welfare, her passion is exploring the Hill Country’s natural beauty, small farms, eateries and drinkeries.