Great American Beer Festival® (GABF®) Jason E. Kaplan

Oldest Independent Brewery in Texas has a History of Award-Winning Brews

An international panel of brewing experts confirmed what Shiner beer fans have always known: the little brewery in Shiner, Texas, produces some of the best beers available anywhere.

Representatives from the brewery came home victorious from the Great American Beer Festival® (GABF®), in Denver, Colorado, with a silver medal in the American-Style Wheat Ale category for Shiner Winter Ale and a bronze medal in the American-Style Dark Lager category for number-one selling Shiner Bock®.

"We're extremely pleased with our wins, but not completely surprised," said John Hybner, Spoetzl brewmaster. "We've always known how much consumers enjoy our beers, so winning these medals from trained judges confirms what our fans have been saying all along."

The Spoetzl brewery is no stranger to acclaim. Shiner won a silver medal at the 1999 GABF and Shiner Winter Ale recently won a silver medal at the 2000 Brewing Industry International Awards (BIIA). This year's GABF medals are exciting additions to the brewery's rapidly growing trophy case.

"The Great American Beer Festival is the premier judging event for the American craft beer industry," states Nancy Johnson, festival director. "Being chosen a winner, no matter if gold, silver or bronze, is truly an accomplishment."

The GABF is the largest national beer competition in the United States, accepting a whopping 2,061 entries from 445 breweries. This year's announcement marked the close of the 20th anniversary of the festival, held at the Colorado Convention Center.

The Spoetzl Brewery, established in 1909, is the oldest independent brewery in Texas and boasts an award-winning reputation. The historic brewery now offers three year-round brews and two very popular seasonal products.

In addition to award-winning Shiner Bock and Shiner Winter Ale, consumers can also enjoy new Shiner Hefeweizen, a bottle-conditioned, unfiltered Bavarian-style wheat brew, and Shiner Blonde, a Bohemian-inspired natural golden lager. Spoetzl also offers Shiner Summer Stock®, a German-style Kölsch bier, during the hot summer months.

For more information on the Spoetzl Brewery or the Shiner family of beers, please visit the brewery on the web at www.shiner.com, or call the toll-free hotline at 1-800-5SHINER.