Shiner Beats European Breweries on Their Own Turf

GRÄFELFING, GERMANY, and SHINER, TEXAS (NOVEMBER 12, 2014) –

It’s one thing to make a beers with German and Czech heritage, but yet another for that beer to compete with – and win – against beers from Germany and the Czech Republic, on their home turf.

But that’s exactly what Shiner Bohemian Black Lager from the Spoetzl Brewery did when it was awarded a silver medal at the European Beer Star Awards (EBSA), held recently in Gräfelfing, near Munich in Germany.

Black Lager was awarded its medal, appropriately, in the Bohemian-Style Schwarzbier category. Because the EBSA limits categories to beer styles of European origin, breweries from that continent have long dominated the awards.

A record number of 1,613 beers were submitted for judging. Of those, 42% were from German breweries. The remaining 58% came from breweries in 41 countries, representing every continent except Antarctica.

Judging for EBSA awards is considered among the most rigorous of all beer competitions. More than 100 judges, recognized beer experts from around the world, conduct blind tastings to determine winners in 52 categories.

Shiner Bohemian Black Lager was originally known as Shiner 97, produced in 2006 in honor of the brewery’s 97^th anniversary, part of a series of small-batch brews made each year leading up to Spoetzl’s centennial. Black Lager quickly gained a loyal following and became a permanent member of the Shiner lineup in 2007, prized by Schwarzbier and dark lager fans for being faithful to the rare style and for its unique flavor profile.

This is not the first trip to the EBSA podium for Shiner or for Black Lager. In 2012, Black Lager was a gold medalist. The year before, Shiner Oktoberfest won a silver medal and Bohemian Black Lager and Old Time Alt won bronze. In 2010, Oktoberfest won gold and Shiner 101 Czech-Style Pilsner brought home silver.

The town of Shiner, where the brewery was founded in 1909, was settled largely by German and Czech immigrants. And the first full-time brewmaster, Kosmos Spoetzl, who bought the brewery in 1915, was born in Bavaria and trained there as a brewmaster. The brewery has a long tradition of handcrafting beers reflecting that European heritage.

“Considering our roots, it’s a great honor just to be able to compete with the greatest breweries in Europe and the rest of the world,” said Spoetzl’s brewmaster Jimmy Mauric. “We like to think that Kosmos would be very proud.”