Spoetzl Releases Shiner 99

Spoetzl Brewery released the latest edition of their annual anniversary series this week, the Shiner 99. This limited-edition beer is a Munich helles lager style.

This anniversary series from Spoetzl is to commemorate the brewery's centennial in 2009. A different limited-run style has been featured every year since 1996, leading up to their 100th anniversary next year.

Southern Star Now Open

After many delays, Southern Star Brewing is finally operational and has their first batch underway. They anticipate their first beer, the Pine Belt Pale Ale, to be available around the end of March.

Southern Star has invested in a canning line instead of bottles for their beers, making them the first craft brewers in the state to do so.

Ginger Man Hosts "Taste of Texas"

The Ginger Man hosted its first "Taste of Texas" beer tasting at its newest Fort Worth location yesterday, February 16th. A similar event is planned for its Dallas location next Saturday, February 23rd.

This tasting featured a selection of beers from various Texas brewers, including Real Ale, Live Oak, Saint Arnold and Rahr & Sons. Presenting their beers and fielding questions were Kendra Harrell (North Texas Sales, Saint Arnold), Chip McElroy (Brewer and Owner, Live Oak) and various staff members from the local Rahr & Sons brewery. Representatives from Real Ale were scheduled but unable to attend.

Points of note from the tasting include:

• Real Ale's next planned commercial beer will be called Real Heavy, a Scottish-style wee heavy due out later this year.
• Due to the recent hop shortage, Live Oak's Liberation IPA will be cut back to a seasonal offering. To compensate for customer demand, their year-round Pale Ale recipe will be modified slightly to near IPA strength and flavor.
• The next edition of Saint Arnold's Divine Reserve will depend on expected new equipment recieved at the brewery, both for timing and for style. Early delivery will mean added capacity for the next release of an in-house recipe this summer; late delivery will mean the next release will be taken from the winner of the Big Batch Brew Bash in May.
• Rahr & Sons featured a keg of their End of Winter Warmer, a limited release of their standard Winter Warmer aged in Maker's Mark bourbon barrels.

This "Taste of Texas" beer tasting is an annual event with the North Texas Ginger Man locations.

Franconia Brewery Now Open

Texas' newest operational brewery is now the Franconia Brewery, located in McKinney. Franconia was built and owned by Dennis Wehrmann, former master brewer at the Addison Two Rows location.

Franconia will sell in draft and keg only for now. Originally planned are four beers: a light lager, a wheat ale, a third beer that will either be a kölsch or a schwarzbier, and one as yet unnamed that will be sold exclusively through the Two Rows chain.

The McKinney brewery will be run by Wehrmann and his brewer, Gavin Secchi. A website is still under development.

BrewCrAzY Interviews Dave Fougeron

The online beer and brewing podcast show BrewCrAzY recently interviewed Dave Fougeron of Southern Star Brewing about his background and impending first batch at the new brewery.

The interview is included in BrewCrAzY's "It's the Alcohol Talking" Show 44, originally aired on January 13th. (The interview with Fogeron begins about 20 minutes into the podcast.)

Bluebonnet Brew-Off in Irving, Mar 28-29

Final details of the 2008 Bluebonnet Brew-Off have been released, with the location being the Westin DFW Airport hotel in Irving and event dates of March 28-29.

The keynote speaker for this 22nd annual homebrew competition is the award-winning brewer Phil Markowski of Southampton Brewery and Southampton Publick House of Southampton, New York. Markowski is also the author of Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the European Tradition.

The Bluebonnet Brew-Off is a collaborative event organized by several North Texas homebrew clubs and traditionally one of the largest homebrew competitions in the United States. Registration, entry deadlines and full competition details are available at the event website.