This week we’ll explore Texas beer. I was in Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest music conference over Spring Break, and several breweries and beers really stood out as local favorites, cheap specials and open-bar offerings. It’s always important to get a taste of local flavors. Trying regional offerings is a must when traveling anywhere new.

 

Shiner Bock

Spoetlz Brewing Co., Shiner, Texas

ABV: 4.4 percent

Rating: 3.5/5

Born from German immigrants to plant roots in Texas in 1909, Spoetlz Brewing Co. makes seven different beers, but their flagship on tap at almost every bar in Austin is Shiner Bock. Bocks, as we have previously explored, are dark (thanks to more highly roasted malts) and sweeter tasting ales that are relatively low in alcohol and, therefore, highly sessionable. Because it’s a local beer, it is relatively cheap and was even free at certain places during the conference. It smells sweet, pours dark and feels between light- and medium-bodied, with mild carbonation. It’s not the best-tasting beer, but for little money, it’s worth it. To note, this beer is not found on the East coast.

 

Austin Amber Ale

Independence Brewing Co., Austin, Texas

ABV: 4.9 percent

Rating: 4/5

Started by a husband-and-wife homebrewing team, Independence Brewing Co. distributes to Austin, San Antonio and Houston. Since opening in 2004, the company now offers eight different styles. It is a relatively well-balanced amber ale, with mild sweetness on the tongue at the beginning, then a bite of orangey tang on the finish. This is truly a microbrew. If you are in the area, do a brewery tour and sample all of their styles, but pay attention to this ale.

 

Lonestar Beer

Lonestar Brewing Co., San Antonio, Texas

ABV: 4.65 percent

Rating: 1.5/5

A whopping $2 gets you a 16-ounce tallboy at a sports bar in downtown Austin. This is the cheapest they come. Even 16-ounce cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Lonestar’s parent company, were $3. It is so cheap because the company makes just the one beer and has extremely low distribution costs. Lonestar is everywhere! Lonestar claims to use Pacific Northwest hops (i.e., the same in Sierra Nevada brews that provide distinctive bitterness). But this clearly isn’t the case for Lonestar beer. It smells only of mild graininess, looks like apple juice and has no head and little visible carbonation. With essentially no taste, it’s no surprise they use corn with the malted barley. Corn is cheaper but lower quality, hence lighter body, color and flavor. Try it for novelty if in Texas.

 

— Complied by Lucas Sacks, staff writer, ldsacks@syr.edu

Published on March 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm