Shine on, Shiner
Readers, should you ever need reassuring that you did the right thing when you joined the brewing industry – read this book. It’s called “Shine on. 100 years of history, legends, half-truths and tall tales about Texas’ most beloved little brewery” by Mike Renfro. Price: USD 23.99.
Mr Renfro has written the history of the Spoetzl brewery, which has all the ingredients that make a good story: vivid characters, an exotic setting (viewed from Berlin, Texas is exotic) and a plot that is full of conflict and jeopardy, yet still manages to have a happy end.
There is no point in me giving it all away. Suffice to say: the history of the Spoetzl brewery is the kind of story which keeps the lore and lure of brewing alive.
At the Spoetzl brewery, the brewers are very good marketers too. The brewery has been releasing specialty beers the past several years counting down to this year’s 100th anniversary.
Five years ago, they introduced the first in a series of limited-edition, commemorative brews. They called it Shiner 96 Märzen-Style Ale. Next came Shiner 97 Bohemian Black Lager, followed by Shiner 98 Bavarian-Style Amber and Shiner 99 Munich-Style Helles.
For their 100th anniversary, the brewers could have adopted a number of styles for their special brew. They took, however, the most logical approach of all: they brewed up a stronger, darker version of Shiner Bock, and called it a doppelbock.
In the tradition of classic German doppels, they have even added the "-ator" to the beer’s name. We have had the Munich Salvator, Triumphator, Optimator, Unimator, Delicator and Maximator … and now we have the Shiner Commemorator.
That’s where my story could have ended, had it not been for the American beer aficionados, who have posted their appraisals of the beer on the internet.
There seems to be consensus that the beer is not the real thing, i.e. not a real doppelbock, being neither doppel nor alcoholorific enough.
Having read these reviews, I started wondering: “Good heavens, is that all they are worried about? Then these critics must be holier than thou.”
I could not care less if a beer is brewed according to conventional specs for as long as it is nice.
Let’s face it: this Commemorator is a beer brewed for Texans and Texas. Show me the Texan who will want to drink a German-type doppelbock at ambient temperatures when all he really wants to do is sit inside his fridge to escape the Texan heat.
My guess is that the Commemorator is as much a doppelbock as the Shiner Bock is a bock.
Perhaps its critics should graciously allow for a Texan variant of a doppelbock and accept that in the grand scheme of things – which is the Spoetzl brewery’s centenary - beer style authenticity is a tad beside the point.
Ok, this means that I will never be invited to judge beers. Ah, well, so be it.
