Texas Beer Guide

If you want the flavor of Texas, in a rich, dark beer, the best Texas beer for you would be Shiner Bock. It's been manufactured in Shiner, Texas by Spoetzl Brewery since the early 1900's. Spoetzl was one of only five breweries in Texas to withstand Prohibition. It's no longer exclusive to Texas and is now exported all over the US, with the exclusion of New England, the Dakotas, Hawaii and Oregon. The first taste is thick and creamy. It has a bit of a bitter finish, but less of the yeast flavor of other beers. For a dark beer, it is rather refreshing and is great with Tex-Mex style food.

For a Texas beer that is similar to Shiner, though not quite as good, consider a Zeigenbock. It has almost the same richness as a Shiner with just a little more bitterness and a little more yeast. It has a tiny bit less of a punch than Shiner, as well. The first sip, though, is similar to a Shiner, with a little more head. It pairs well with comfort foods, but is not necessarily a good stand alone beverage, and would be better for parties. Unfortunately, "Only Texans Get It", which means you can only try this Houston-made brew if you are actually in Texas.

The Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, Texas is a small brewery that makes an array of good beers for nearly every palate. They have everything from a pale ale called Rio Blanco which is quite refreshing, to a stout British-inspired ale that goes under the name Phoenixx Double Extra Special Bitter and is somewhat like a poor man's Newcastle. It remains relatively the same from first sip to last. PDESP is a strong, clean ale with a lot of kick. Unfortunately, it is only available on draught, in select bars and restaurants in Texas.

The Live Oak Brewery in Austin, Texas was created by two home brewers with a big dream. They, too, make a pretty varied selection of beers, but if you are a Hefe Weizen fan, the Live Oak version, available only in the spring and summer, is not to be missed. They use a unique blend of flavors that you might not expect to find in a beer - even a strange beer like an Hefe Weizen - such as banana and cloves, which somehow complement the wheat beer and make it thirst-quenching and a pleasure to drink.

Lone Star Lager is rather like the Miller Lite of Texas beers, a bit weak and watery, yet also very fermented tasting and fairly bitter. Luckily, there are many other breweries in Texas to choose from, like Rahr, Saint Arnold and Southern Star, all of which are more than worth a try.