Shiner

Shiner Bock took off in the mid-70's in Austin and thanks to that we have the wonderful story and even better, the beer today. Prior to that, Shiner was the beer of choice for the country folks. As usual, the counter culture has a large part in this story. There were kegs of Shiner and the omnipresent white cups with the Shiner logo at every Cosmic Cowboy bar and event. Happy hour was a bit different back then... one dollar pitchers and two-for-one drinks meant that Shiner and Lone Star greased many an enjoyable conversation.

Another Austin tradition that seems to have fallen off was the pilgrimage to the Shiner brewery. It went something like this:

1. Wait for a nice day in early summer
2. Head down to Black's in Lockhart for a barbecue lunch
3. Continue to Luling, stealing a watermelon from a field and eating it in the car along the way
4. Blaze through Gonzales
5. Arrive at Shiner and wonder how the brewery could be so small
6. Take the 5-minute brewery tour
7. Spend the next hour or two in the hospitality room
8. For bonus points... you could swing by Staples on your way back for a quick dip in the falls

Yes, that is certainly the proper summer's day BBQ, Beer, and Swimming checklist.