Shiner Cold-Brew Coffee Ale amounts to more than a hill of beans

Cold-Brew Coffee Ale is good to the last drop (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

For this, the latest edition of what the little brewery sent me in a little white box, Shiner packed up a bottle of its latest Birthday Beer (number 108 for those keeping track) and a bottle of Chameleon Cold-Brew Organic Black Coffee. Wrapped in a burlap sack, the two brews arrived nestled in a pile of Chameleon coffee beans, the key ingredient in the brewery's new Cold-Brew Coffee Ale.

The beer, of course, is a collaborative effort born out of the idea that coffee and beer have known to play well together. It's a product that couples the Spoetzl Brewery with Chameleon Cold-Brew, an Austin-based company credited with being the country's original bottler of cold-brew coffee.

In this case, the coffee consists of 100% organic, Fair Trade beans. And, it is said, that coffee crafted with the cold-brew process is especially suited for making a coffee ale. That's because the method produces deep coffee flavors without the bitter and astringent qualities sometimes found in a hot cup of joe. A perfect fit, it seems, for a beer coming from a brewery known for its rather mild, more drinkable dossier.

So, how did it turn out?

Well, the brewery describes Cold-Brew Coffee Ale as "malty, with a slightly sweet coffee aroma and a silky, smooth taste." That's pretty close to my impression of the beer as well, though I'd probably expound a bit on the roasty element. The roast isn't intense, mind you, but it has some depth and it meshes well with the grain bill, which results in a consistent, balanced mix of coffee and roasted malt that sustains from start to finish.

As for how it drinks, give credit where credit is due, since Cold-Brew Coffee Ale is nothing if not smooth, with no perceptible bitterness or astringency in the aftertaste.

The real question, though, is whether or not the beer is...how does that one coffee company say it...good to the last drop? Based that whole start to finish thing I said before, I'd have to say yes. Cold-Brew Coffee Ale is a flavorful, easy-drinking beer that's defined by its primary ingredient. As long you don't mind that the beer wasn't sourced from a barrel and the beans weren't shot out from a civet (i.e. it's just a good, basic coffee ale), then I think it's certainly worth trying.

Look for Cold-Brew Coffee Ale on tap, in 24-ounce bombers and in 12-ounce bottles and cans.


Cold-Brew Coffee Ale
Style: Coffee Ale
Malt: Roasted specialty malt
Hops: Mt. Hood
Other: Arabica coffee, cold-brew coffee.
ABV: 5.0%

Shiner Birthday Beer returns as Hoppy Pilsner

Image credit: The Gambrinus Company.

Just in time for the holidays, the latest little white box from the little brewery in Shiner arrived at my door on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Inside it, nestled neatly among strands of green and gold confetti, was Birthday Beer, a.k.a. Shiner 107, a Hoppy Pilsner brewed in celebration of the Spoetzl Brewery's 107th birthday.

Hoppy Pilsner follows last year's bearer of the Birthday Beer label, Chocolate Stout, and comes just two months after Shiner's introduction of another hop-driven brew in the form of Wicked Ram IPA. The new offering is brewed with German pilsner malt and a combination of Hallertau Tradition and Czech Saaz hops to create a beer that embodies the brewery's cultural roots.

As for whether or not the name fits the beer, let me start by saying that the pilsner part of the equation fits rather well. Hoppy Pilsner is light-bodied, dry and refreshing, with bits of crackery malt, a hint of honey-like sweetness and a mix of spicy and grassy hop flavors. Really, outside of a distinct lack of bitterness, the beer would seem to fall right in line with much of what the BJCP considers as standard for the German Pils style.

Whether or not it's hoppy, though, probably depends on how you define that particular term. Is it hoppy like an American IPA? Certainly not, but anyone skilled in the art knows that hoppy doesn't in any way equate to a beer being citrusy, piney or bitter. Words like that only describe the characteristics imparted by specific varieties of hops. Hoppy is more about hop presence, and to what degree the intensity of such is a dominant player in the beer.

In that respect, you could argue that Hoppy Pilsner is hoppy, since the spicy and grassy components attributable to the hops used are fairly prominent. Still, I wouldn't call the beer hop-forward, as the pilsner malt plays a significant role in shaping the overall character. To me, Hoppy Pilsner doesn't lean one way or the other when it comes to being hoppy or malty. Rather, it's balanced, which isn't at all a bad thing.

Maybe it's all just marketing, you know like that whole "session" IPA thing as it applies to an everyday pale ale. I mean, Hoppy Pilsner does sound a lot more interesting than just calling the beer a plain old pilsner. Say that, I suppose, and you start to associate yourself with beers made by the big three. At the end of the day, though, Hoppy Pilsner is just a good basic pilsner, and given the brewery's history and heritage, that's exactly what you'd expect it to be.


Hoppy Pilsner
Style: German Pils
Malt: 2-row German Pilsner
Hops: Hallertau Tradition, Czech Saaz
ABV: 5%
IBU: 30
Availability: Limited in 12-ounce bottles and cans, as well as on tap.

Birthday Beer: Shiner's surprising chocolate stout

Image credit: McGarrah Jessee and
The Gambrinus Company.

I guess Forrest Gump was right when he said "Life is like a box of chocolates," since one look at Shiner's latest offering will have you thinking, "you never know what you're gonna get."

The quote is appropriate because earlier this week I received what was, in effect, a box of chocolates from the Spoetzl Brewery and their brand manager McGarrah Jessee. It was a gift of sorts, to help celebrate the brewery's 106th birthday. Of course, one might have expected to look inside and find a traditional German lager, but much to my surprise the contents revealed Shiner's new chocolate stout. Needless to say, based on past history, it wasn't what I thought I was gonna get.

Birthday Beer, a.k.a. Shiner 106, is a limited-edition creation brewed in small batches with chocolate malt and real cocoa. It's the first stout produced by Shiner, coming a little less than three years after the brewery crafted its first ale in Wild Hare Pale Ale, and a further departure from their traditional line of lagers. As for the number designation, in addition to referring to the number of years Spoetzl has been in business, it's a continuation of a series of annual releases that began with Shiner 96.

Samples of Birthday Beer arrived in a gift box, appropriately wrapped in paper with a birthday party motif. An accompanying card, depicted in the image above, described the beer as having "a distinctly chocolate aroma and taste." You'll find no argument here, as a rich cocoa powder character is evident immediately upon opening. This persists throughout the drinking experience, as does an underlying sweetness which is balanced by a hint of chocolate bitterness in the finish. The beer has reasonable body, along with some chalkiness and a fair bit of carbonation, and while I wouldn't call it "stout" in terms of strength or feel, there's a good amount of flavor for a brew that fits right in with Shiner's easy-drinking style.

The card goes on to suggest that Birthday Beer will return again next year, presumably keeping the same name but with the contents being yet another surprise that's "something completely different." If you're a fan of the "little brewery," I suppose that gives you something to look forward to. For now, though, this year's edition will be available in twelve-ounce bottles and cans. Seek it out wherever Shiner products are sold.


Birthday Beer - Shiner 106
Style: Chocolate Stout
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: 18
Malts: 6-Row, Chocolate
Hops: Nugget
Other: Cocoa