I can't believe I haven't reviewed this brewery!! Shiner started me off, on my craft beer adventure. Though to be honest I don't really count Shiner that much anymore as a craft beer, nonetheless it's still a great beer. I visited this place about 2 years, though by skimming recent reviews, it doesn't look like much has changed. We had a great time at the brewery, as said Shiner is a real small town and there isn't much else, but the brewery. But hey it's free beer and a free tour! Regular old Shiner is still my favourite. I still have my Shiner license plate on my wall, I brought here. We had a very enjoyable experience here, the staff are very nice, the tour isn't very long. But what really made our visit outstanding for us, was, we were just hanging out on the bridge in the parking lot, and an employee walked past us carrying a 6 pack of Shiner beer, and we commented to her, that she has a great job being able to walk out of work with a 6 pack. We talked to her for a little while and said our goodbyes. Then she called us over in the parking lot, and gave us a 6 pack of their [then] new beer, Birthday Beer -- which wasn't even out on the shelves yet! We were gob-smacked, it made our day. Great experience, great first brewery. read more

Spoetzl Brewery - Free beer!! - Breweries Near Me - Shiner, Texas

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If you ever find yourself in the cleanest little city in Texas (that's Shiner, yall), you should probably take some time to tour the Spoetzl (rhymes with pretzel) brewery. I have been to Shiner many times, usually for the Bocktoberfest or the Austin to Shiner Ride after party (not the ride, just the party). But I had never toured the brewery, most likely because it is open on weekdays only. We finally did it last week, right after a tour of the creamery in Brenham. This tour is free, and includes a tour of the facility and ends with 4 wooden nickels good for 4 small pours of the beers they have on tap in the gift shop. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and my mechanical engineer companion was able to get answers to all sorts of riveting questions about the beer making process and equipment. Off to the side of the gift shop/taproom was a small room to view the movie about the history of Kosmos Spoetzl and his brewery. Overall the tour was interesting and informative, with a really fun vibe. I enjoyed sampling the different brews and seeing the facility. I would recommend this tour if you happen to be in the area or as a day trip. read more

God created the earth, and then he turned water into beer...or something like that. If you live in Texas you should drink Shiner and if you don't, then you aren't a real Texan. This Spoetzl Brewery has so much history and was by far one of the best brewery tours I've ever done. Our guide was engaging, funny and a life long Shiner drinker. The tour is only about 30 minutes and free, and with the tour you also get 4 tasting chips...again, free! As the holiday season was near, they had Shiner Cheer on tap and I found a new holiday love! I've had Cheer before but this time it was better. We enjoyed our beverages outside on their patio and also shopped in the gift shop for some take home gifts. The location is a bit off the beaten path, but so worth the trip! Go, go now! read more

Spoetzl Brewery is a must if you're in the area and you are a drinker/admirer of beer. They are most famous for their Shiner Bock line of beer. Take the free tour; it's rather amazing to see such a small brewery, staffed by very few folks, outputting so much beer. One thing to note though, there aren't any tours on the weekend, only during weekdays. After the tour, you get some free drink tokens which you can use to sample any of the beers that they are currently producing. Choose wisely. read more

Closed due to holiday but beautiful on the outside...! One day...! One day Shiner we will be inside you...! Check out the downtown.! read more

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These are the times when I am proud to be a Texan. Our tour guide was the most hilariously animated lady I've ever experienced. Talk about someone who loves her job and shows it. There is nothing I appreciate more. Although it is a bit of a drive, if you have even the smallest inkling of a nerd inside you, you will love this. They walk you through the process and it is super fascinating. Then you get rewarded at the end with several beer tastings. It is definitely the best field trip ever. If only there had been beer on high school field trips, life would've been so much sweeter. read more

It's as good as you want it to be. It's like Willy Wonka for grownups, minus the gory fates. You see where the magic happens, you get the magic explained to you, you get free tokens to taste the magic, you can buy exclusive magic-related memorabilia, and they tell you where to go in town to sample some rare versions of the magic. Be a good beer drinker and go on your pilgrimage. read more

If you are a Texan and you like beer, you drink Shiner right? I'm not the biggest beer fan but I remember driving out here in my college days during a spare weekend and being so upset that the doors were closed. So when I had a chance during the week to come out here, I made sure to do it. If you've done a brewery tour, it's pretty standard. I'm not quite sure why there's this attitude that they're some sort of A List celebrity and I can't take photos during the tour. Hey, guess what, guilty. Photos taken. I do like that the event is free. The souvenir shop is pretty well organized and there are multiple times during the day for you to go through the brewery. We got to get our chips before the tour and I actually left during the tour to go back down and use the rest of my chips which benefited me greatly with the amount of folks on the tour. Beat the crowd, folks! You're going to have to find a place to stand while you sip your micro cup of beer. By the way, it might behoove you to purchase some of the larger ticket items at the brewery. From what I understand, some of the prices might be a bit cheaper at the store instead of online? Just sayin... read more

I feel like another voice in the crowd, but I am also one of those visitors who has been on other brewery tours that were perhaps grander and larger. What makes this special is that this is a very iconic Texas beer that is now sold at a national level, and it's still so small! I enjoy being connected with my food, and seeing the kettle room and knowing that every bottle of Shiner I have ever enjoyed passed through there was a neat moment. The small area was definitely part of the draw for us. Let's also be real - that little gift shop is pretty great if you're a fan of the brewery. We dropped a bit on signs and swag that I know I won't be able to get here in Illinois, or even where I lived in Texas! Plus you get 4 free samples to enjoy as you tour and shop, or just lounge outside on the picnic tables, and we were able to drink Ruby Redbird in January! What a place! Would I suggest you plan a trip around this brewery? Maybe not, but we made it a huge part of our road trip down to South Texas and I am so glad we did. There's nothing finer than a shiner...on a warm January day when you know there's a blizzard back home. read more

I came here with my family for a tour over Thanksgiving and had a great time. The tour was excellent and the personnel were very friendly! A must if you are in the area! read more

Shiner Beer was born here. Automatic 5 stars. Aside from that it's just a straight up cool spot. The gift shop is full of Shiner wonder. I had a great time tasting Shiner straight from the source & shopping for new Shiner gear. (Koozies, tee shirts, cups, tube holders, etc.) However, it does suck that they don't do weekend tours. I wound up missing the tour because my flight to ATX was a bit delayed. But at least I made it in time for the beer tasting though. "Shiner Bock beer Take me home tonight Shiner Bock beer On a Texas Friday night C'mon baby lets get out of here Go to the store & get some Shiner Bock beer" read more

Located in Shiner, Texas is the best little brewery. They offer free tastings of their finest beers and an amazing tour of their marvelous brewery. This oasis is a treat and a must if your in San Antonio, Austin or even Houston. Have and enjoy! read more

My husband and I visited the home of Shiner beer in July 2007. The chilly brewery was like the adult version of the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham with delicious beer instead of ice cream. I really hope they bring 99 back as a permanent beer like they did 98 (Black). read more

I visited the Spoetzl Brewery in May 2008 with my best friend. First let me say, Shiner beer is delicious. Shiner Bock, Blonde, Light, Heff, it's all good, and it's a Texas tradition. This is why we went there. The brewery itself was a fun experience. My favorite part was going to the bottling assembly line setup and watching the thousands of bottles being cleaned, filled with beer, capped, labeled, and boxed. The rest of the tour wasn't that exciting, but it's a big, working facility. That's sort of to be expected. When I was there they gave tokens, which you could redeem for up to four sample beers. The samples were like 4 oz. each, so it amounted to 16 oz. of beer. I guess I had always imagined like genuine, large, ice-cold beers there, I guess that's not how it works. Is it the most exciting experience ever? Not really, but I'm glad I was able to cross it off my list. Shiner beer! Woo!! read more

Ok let me say this before I go off and review. I live in Dallas/Fort Worth, and I've only been to breweries here in the metroplex and in Los Angeles CA. So excuse me for saying that I expected way more, all it is/was is a small souveniour shop and a small walk around of the brewery...nothing more. I've seen realtors show me a 1500 sq ft house and it be more entertaining and interesting than this. Atleast I can tell people I've gone but definitely won't go back. But Cheers anway. lol read more

Didn't really start on the right foot, as the bartender appeared annoyed by my mere presence never mind that I didn't know what beer I wanted without looking at the list. But the tour with Justin more than made up for it! He was a wealth of knowledge and, more importantly, genuine. Beer was delicious, and the whole experience felt very unique. read more

We stopped at this place on the way home from Austin and my love affair with Shiner was definitely solidified. We saw the giant vats of wort and the massive manufacturing floor on the tour. We then got a little history lesson before going to the tasting room which has multiple beers on tap. You get like 6 free tokens to try about 6-8 oz. per token. The gift shop also has various Shiner memorabilia which are good for souvenirs. The staff was knowledgeable and seemed to truly love their jobs!! This place should be on the TX Historic Trail!! read more

Love the tour. It is Free and you get 4 small cups of Shiner beer. Love it! read more

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Shiner is a family owned beer in a tiny town in Texas and totally worth an hour drive from San Antonio or Austin. The tour is free and begins in the gift shop where you can also do some tasting of all the beer they are currently distributing. You get 4 wooden tokens for a small cup of beer that you can use before and after the tour. It's nice to go with someone so you can split the types and try all 8 on tap. There is also a short video of the brewery's history on loop in a small room off of the shop which is helpful as the tour doesn't go into this as much, and it really is interesting and a good way to spend time while waiting for the tour to begin. The tour itself is pretty quick, only about 30 minutes and goes through the plant, though not actually through working portions like the filling or bottling lines, though you can view these through windows from above. They talk mostly about the brewing process, though not in a tremendous amount of detail (very similar to other brewery tours we've been on). The place has a great atmosphere and you can really tell how family oriented it is as all the employees know each other and greet all the guests.They even seem to know everyone in town and made suggestions for where to buy some cases to take home. We had to make a stop for some of the special edition beer that we can't get in NJ. read more

Was a great time really enjoyed stopping by and tasting the different beers. Really enjoyed the brewery tour. Fun family experience

If you happen to swing by Shiner, TX make sure you get a visit in with the folks at Spoetzl Brewery. We had a great time at the brewery. You get a short tour which includes a brief history of the brewery, a description of the brewing process in which you get to see some of their copper tanks, a description and viewing of the bottling line, and a stop to the gift shop/tasting room complete with four samples from their taps. All of this for FREE! I know what you're saying. Free (and pretty good) beer...so, why lose a star? First, the atmosphere is a bit odd. The people aren't all that friendly and are a bit stern. You aren't allowed to take pictures on the tour which is an odd restriction to me. Everything we were seeing was pretty basic, so I'm not quite sure what the no picture policy was about. Finally, there are no tours on the weekend. I love breweries, but having a regular ol' 9-5 job it is usually a weekend event for me. We were luckily able to tack this on to a weekend trip we were doing when coming back on a Monday, but this might not happen again. If I did have a weekday off, I'd probably rather stay in Houston and go to St Arnold. read more

Loved the tour. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. The best bit the free beer samples. read more

Spoetzl Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Shiner, Texas

To the guy below that gave a horrible, one-star review, I suggest that you visit their website first before going on a Saturday and realizing that the tours don't happen on the weekends and leaving a terrible review. I've wanted to visit this brewery ever since moving to Texas, but with the tours only being given on weekdays, it took almost an entire year to get out here. The gift shop is packed with tons of cool Shiner gear and souvenirs. I have been collecting brewery glassware for a while now and have almost 100 different breweries. This was the perfect place to add to my collection. I also bought a cool t-shirt that has a Texas Craft Beer logo on the front and some of Texas's most popular craft brewery logos on the back. When you first arrive, you get 4 token for free beer per person. When a new tour gets lined up you get taken into the brewery. They briefly describe the process and then walk you through many of the places you would expect at any other brewery. They spend the most time talking to you and showing you the bottling, canning, and kegging lines. For someone who generally only visits small craft breweries, this was very impressive to see. Their setup was more similar to a Coors or Budweiser than a craft brewery, but still serving the town of Shiner proudly with home grown beer goodness. One of the coolest things at the entire brewery was this thing they call "The Claw." When you go, trust me, you will be mesmerized by it (or maybe I am just very easily amused). The tour guide told us that each employee gets two cases of beer a month for working at the brewery and that cases rollover month-to-month. Very historic and definitely worth a tour. My favorite beer was easily the White Wing, although Ruby Redbird also is a good beer. I spent just under $30 for the pint glass, the t-shirt, 4 beers, and a tour. Definitely worth checking out. Don't be shocked, however, when you discover there is nothing to eat in this small town. read more

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Definitely a fun day trip! It's a tiny little brewery making LOTS of beer...the tour was nice, but pretty simple and matter of fact (I felt like my tour at Anchor in San Fran was much more in depth & our tour guide there had the perfect mix of wit, charm and LOTS of info). Best parts - beautiful Central Texas surroundings (especially in Spring), 4 free beer samples (Shiner 101, Bohemian Black Lager, and Frost were winners on this trip), and lots of great merchandise for sale. read more

Going to Spoetzl is a journey to Texas Beer Mecca where their slogan is it's the place "every drop of Shiner Beer is made." They have a very nice tasting room and an extensive gift shop. We took a free that included three wooden tokens good for small tastes (I think it was about a six oz plastic glass). Our tour leader was fun, but my one complaint was they do not allow pictures. When I moved from Michigan in November 2005 I had to leave behind my beloved Bell's Porter. Shortly thereafter Shiner Bock became my "go to" beer. Shiner Bock is Texas beer...hands down. Bock is Spoetzl's primary beer. I also enjoy their 97 Bohemian Black Lager and a couple of their small batches-Alt and Kosmos Reserve. Unfortunately the small batches can only be acquired by buying a "Family Reunion" 6-pack which currently includes one each of Bock, Blonde, Black and Hefeweizen. Spoetzl may switch out the Alt with something else down the line. I asked about the Alt & Kosmos during our visit and they explained that they are just small batches and Spoetzl has no future plans to market them in 6-packs. That variety pack is their marketing gimmick, so check the 6 beers before you buy, I have encountered 6-packs that were switched out and the Kosmos is always one of the missing. They also produce a numbered anniversary beer coinciding with the number of years they have been brewing. This year is number 102, a double wheat, I did not care for, but I loved the (97) Black and it was so popular they made it a regular. The area around Shiner is a wonderful place to visit expecially in Spring if Texas has an exceptional wildflower year. In addition the area offers some of the most beautiful Painted Churches. read more

Spoetzl Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Shiner, Texas

I've become a bigger fan now that I've been to this great historical brewery. The free tour was short but very informative, didn't get to see much of the brewery but none the less my trip was very pleasant. The Free small samples were great and their gift shop is super. This was worth the 4 hr drive from ft worth. Simply put, shiner makes the best beers! read more

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Super awesome. Very knowledgeable the beer is great. You walk in they give you 4 chips to taste beer then you go on a free tour through the brewery. Absolutely a must if you are this way and have nothing to do. Also I bought a shirt and they are super soft. read more

Spoetzl Brewery is a worthwhile deviation if you're driving from Austin to Houston and I'm glad we made it through this cute little town and to the historic brewery. We barely made the last tour of the day. I would skip the tour. The tour guide was boring (very rehearsed, not very informative/funny, etc) and slightly grumpy and we felt like rogues leaving the tour early to use the restroom and get beer before the crowd. I don't care too much for Shiner Bock, but I do enjoy the Ruby Redbird and Wild Hare Pale. They're not breaking too much ground, but both are easy drinking. In the tasting room, you can purchase a wide array of Shiner souvenirs. They also have a video you can watch while you sip your sample. The line for tastes is long but moves quickly. The ladies dispensing the samples were almost as humorless as the tour guide. The brewery itself has some pretty nice outdoor grounds, ideal for picnicking. The brewery is also very old and has great history. The town of Shiner is small and seems to revolve around Spoetzl as it probably employs half of the town's people. read more

This brewery was awesome! We barely made it in for the tour and it was awesome from start to finish. Even though the tour was short, it was packed with tons of information- everything you would want to know about Shiner, its history, and its beer. It felt like someone brought you into their home and showed you around- nothing corporate about this tour at all. It felt very down to earth and you could feel the passion the employees had for beer. Best part of the tour- the free beer at the end in the gift shop! This was definitely my kind of tour- short, interesting, focused, fun, and free beer. read more

Happened to be passing through and thought it would be neat to stop by and have a beer from the source. Easy to find and a nice layout and neat place. 2 stars because the staff is super rude. Little girl more concerned with her phone than taking care of people, long lines because staff just acts like it's a hassle to help anyone. Glad I went, won't go back. Beer was good, but I'll just buy it at the bar/store from now on. read more

The tour of the Spoetzl Brewery was the highlight of my recent trip to Austin! We arrived a bit early for the weekday tour and perused the gift shop. They had a TON of really cool Shiner gear including a park bench that I would have bought if I could get it on the plane. Every one of the staff we encountered was pleasant, generous (with the pouring) and able to answer all of our questions. The tour itself is pretty cool, you get to see the main operations of the brewery including a bird's-eye view of the bottling process. Anne was our tour guide and she was phenomenal; very personable, professional, and knowledgeable. We had a connection with the brewery so our small group was able to see a bit more than the standard tour, which really helped us understand the pride these folks have for their job at the brewery. It's a free tour and you get 4 tasting portions of their brews. The cherry on top is that the drive takes you through Lockhart ,where you can stop and stuff your face hole with delicious BBQ. read more

4 free small beer tastings and a free tour Can't beat that No tours on weekends check their site it's obvious unlike some idiots read more

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Good times!!! The tour was very interesting and our guide made it fun and enjoyable. It's a short little tour explaining the history and showing the machines and workers from a window... and DONT TOUCH THE BRASS!!! Hahah... but it was fun. 3 tokens for beers was a nice treat afterwards too! The outside area is nice and big and plenty of seating to go around. Nice big yard for kids to run around and play while parents or single folks can sit under a shade tree and drink! It's a nice little stop while on a road trip. There is a lot of Shiner gear to load up on too!! Lots of good stuff in the gift shop! The family and I had a pleasant little time and it makes me appreciate Shiner that much more seeing and hearing that they put a lot of love in there beers! read more

I love Shiner Bock, so I probably built this tour up in my head way too much. It was cool, but not terribly exciting. The facility is really nice. A good mix of classic and modern buildings built on top of each other as the brewery grew. So, aesthetically, it's quite lovely. And the surrounding area has that perfect flavor of rural Texas. The tour is kind of lame for a couple of reasons: it's short, it's hard to hear what the guide is saying, and in our case, the group was way too large. The kettles and bottle-line look really cool, but I'm not sure about the crucial details of the operation because I couldn't hear half of what the guide was saying. Beer sampling at the end of the tour is pretty cool. Definitely makes up for the lackluster tour. The bottom line is that I'm not sure if there's anything better than this within an 80 mile radius. So if you like Shiner Bock and you're in the area, why not check it out? It's free. read more

The tour was much shorter than I thought it would be, but the fact they gave everyone 4 beer tokens while we waited in the gift shop for said tour more than makes up for it! The gift shop was pretty cool in its own right -- all kinds of memorabilia and Shiner-related goodies were for sale. So if you're a fan, you can stock up on anything and everything "Shiner". I'm still getting tons of use out of the 20-pack of coasters I scored for $3. I did ask our tour guide if Kosmo's Reserve was available without having to buy the "Family Reunion" 6- or 12-pack, but unfortunately she said no. Give the people what they want!! I LOVE factories, so I could watch mass production happen all day long. But if that's not your thing, you may want to pass on this place as it's a quick tour with not much to see besides copper vats and fast-moving lines of beer. read more

If you are a Texan like me, this little wonderland in the heart of Texas is our crown jewel. Who can complain or say otherwise? The Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner has stood for a 100 years now and will continue to stand until the end of days, as long as Texans and Americans have a thirst for beer. I have been going to this institution since I was a child with the help of my grandmother and great aunt and uncle. Apart from any bias, going down those winding country roads provides any pilgrim with the beauty that is Texas. I always want to go back every time I return home... I recommend stopping around the little shops and restaurants in Shiner or the other towns (i.e. Moulton, Praha, Flatonia, Schulenburg) to get a good feel of what country living is all about. THIS IS A MUST FOR ANY BEER DRINKER. Thank God Kosmos Spoetzl settled in Shiner, TX and brewed beer. Did I mention FREE tours and Shiner beer? Prosit! read more

Really a fun time in a small brewery that makes excellent beer. When you get there, they give you 4 wooden coins to trade for 4 small beers... it's a nice thing as you get to try some of the flavors that are not as available in some areas. Our tour guide was Norman and he was EXCELLENT! Really nice person and had all the history and his jokes were really cute... makes everyone smile. If you are even close to this small town, we highly recommend this tour. read more

I've done the Shiner tour twice now, and I've loved it both times. However, the town itself is nothing to write home about. If you're going, you're going only for the tour. I've gone twice and have eaten lunch at horrible places both times; there just aren't restaurant options to speak of. There is a small city park with lots of memorials about how they were a 'Centennial City' back in '76 and thats about it. The tour itself is pretty bitchin'. You learn about the Brewery's history, see the huge copper vats and then get to see the assembly line where every bottle of Shiner is lovingly made. Its mesmerizing. At the end, you get 4 (maybe 5) drink tokens to try whatever they have on tap that day. There's also a short video you can watch while waiting for the next tour. And the gift shop there is about the only place you can get true Shiner stuff. :) They only do tours on weekdays, so be aware of that. And its a good hour and a half drive from San Antonio. But its worth it. :) read more

If you're in the area, you must come here! A few friends and I made a mini-road trip out of it (from Austin) and am really glad that we did! There's a free tour, which is informative, fun, and you get free drink tokens at the end! The place itself is pretty small in comparison to other breweries that I've been to, but I liked it because it had the small-town feel that Shiner is known for. Texas Forever. read more

Great little Brewery in an adorable small Texas town. The 5 or so women who work in the gift shop and do the tours are hit or miss. While I was there one was very friendly and another you could tell was having a bad day. The free tour itself is about an hour and very informative. 4 small samples are available free in the gift shop. Worth the trip! read more

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