Shiner Bock Beer (6pk.)
Item Purchased: Shiner Bock Beer (6pk.)
Location Purchased: Viking Village Liquor / 1625 E. Main St. / Reedsburg, WI
Price: $6.99 + tax
Review: Before this trip to Wisconsin, I had only tried Shiner Bock beer once in my life. That once was due to my good friend Cindy bringing me a bottle all the way from Texas, where this beer is brewed. Shiner Bock is Cindy’s favorite libation but for some godforsaken reason, Chicago cannot import this fine bock beer. I don’t think I’ll ever understand beer importing laws. Or I just won’t try because I am too busy drinking the available beer to figure it out. I do understand that Chicago is a weird place when it comes to beer. Teritorially proud, Chicago will swear by it’s homebrew, Goose Island. Never mind that most of Goose Island’s beer tastes like foot sweat (except the Pere Jacques, of course). Chicagoans still cling to what little they have in the way of hometown brewing. Most restaurants are too afraid to even serve Sprecher’s Brews because they know it is far superior to the Island.
There is no fear involved in the lack of Shiner Bock, though… except fear of the law.
Luckily, my girlfriend and I were staying across the street from Wisconsin’s Largest Liquor Store (which probably makes it the world’s largest liquor store, no?). Not without it’s problems (they don’t sell Schlitz?????), Viking Liquor store is a fantastic place which sells this fantastic beer. Still remembering the taste from nearly two years ago, I began to visibly salivate when I saw Shiner Bock’s golden label and ram mascot smiling at me from the shelves.
Shiner Bock is a mid-range lager beer brewed in the Bavarian/Czech tradition in Texas. Somewhere in all that internationalism, someone decided not to mess with what Shiner, TX decided to do to beer, and thank goodness for that! This beer is as refreshing as a Corona and as flavorful as any of the amber beers you are used to drinking. Traditionally brewed as a spring beer, Spoetzl Brewery does things the Texas way… Bigger and more. Available year-round in licensed states (stupid Illinois), this is a beer worth seeking out and worth bringing back across the border.
Rating: 4 / 5
June 3rd, 2007 at 4:13 pm
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