Spoetzl Brewery- Shiner 101: Simplicity at its best

Ok it is hot outside, I am jet lagged, and (this pains me to say) I don’t even feel like drinking a beer. I knew I had to get something simple and light or I was going to just piss and moan. I remembered that I had a Shiner 101 kicking back in the fridge and I remember it being very light and drinkable. So I wiped the sweet off my brow and reached to the dark nether region of the brew box.

Shiner 101 is the 101^st birthday brew from Spoetzl Brewery out of Shiner, Texas. It is a traditional Czech Pilsner brewed using only barley, hops, water and yeast. Shiner 101 pours just like a traditional pilsner, fuzzy and yellow, but with a little more foam then that crap they serve at baseball stadiums. The scent is very light and vaguely bitter. There is a faint aroma of hops, but overall this beer has a very light profile.

Shiner 101 does a nice job of standing out from traditional pilsners due its flavor. This pilsner seems to have a little more gravity and body then other beers of the same style. If your one of those, “I only like Coors Light,” kind of people this could be your break through beer. It has just enough flavors to temp you away from pilsners and maybe try a light ale.

Spoetzl has not created a masterpiece here, however they have created a decent beer at beer’s most basic level, and I respect that. Shiner 101 is a great beer for your bitchy grandpa who won’t set down that Natural Light; or a tasty treat for a whiny reviewer who was just planning on going through the motions. If you have written pilsners off completely for their lack of flavor, I implore you to try this, it might change your perceptions and that is always a good thing.

Consumed: Pint Glass

ABV: 4.6%

Verdict: Buy a twelve pack



Spoetzl Brewery- Shiner 101 Czech-Style Pilsner: Old School Refreshing Flavor

As I try and expand my boundaries and delve into other styles I frequently rely on others to make suggestions and recommendations to me as to what to try next.  I decided to go to the portion of my review box that includes beers given to me to try by the mighty Wes and grab something out of my comfort zone.  My selection is a Texas brew from the folks over at Spoetzl Brewery and I am trying the limited availability Shiner 101 Czech-Style Pilsner.

Spoetzl Brewery classifies this beer as a Czech-Style Pilsner and the label on the bottle describes Shiner 101 as, “Simple things aren’t necessarily easy.  In fact, when it comes to brewing, it’s tough to brew great beer with just a few ingredients.  But fear not, at the little brewery in Shiner we know a thing or two about refining even the most challenging of old-world recipes.  This Czech-style Pilsner is brewed with barley, hops, water, yeast and 101 years of brewing experience.  Here’s to sticking to your roots and keeping things simple, PROSIT!"

Shiner 101 pours a crystal clear straw yellow with a 1 ½” compact white head and has a grassy & lemony citrus aromas.

All in all, this is a rather refreshing Pilsner.  Shiner 101 is brewed in the tradition of classic Czech style from Shiner, Texas which was settled in the early 1900’s by German and Czech immigrants.  The carbonation tickles the taste buds as 101 has a dry and subtle lemon zest flavor that finishes with a microscopic hop bite that is clean and refreshing.  Shiner 101 is extremely light without being watery.  There was no information on Spoetzl’s website in regards to the ABV of Shiner 101 but typically a Czech-Style Pilsner will run in the 4.5%-5.5% range.  This brew would be ideal for a warm summer day as an alternative to a macro style pilsner.  So at least once this summer if you’re looking for a Pilsner that is simply refreshing, skip the Old Style and reach for a Shiner 101.  You’ll be glad you did.

ABV: N/A

Consumed: Pilsner Glass

Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack