After seven years in Chicago, I have stopped caring what other people think. I pump 7-Eleven chili directly into my open bag of Fritos. I sing along with Willie, Lyle and Zona—loudly—and often refer to others as “all y’all, ” which is the plural of “y’all.” I wasn’t born in Texas, but as the saying goes, I got there as soon as I could and swore I’d never leave. That is, until I married a boy who got a job in Chicago. So began my life as a Texpat. Getting used to the weather was the biggest challenge (although buying a real winter coat did help), but I also found it annoying that my favorite beer, Shiner Bock, was only available as far north as St. Louis. For nearly a hundred years, Shiner’s been crafted by the family-owned Spoetzl Brewery in the little Hill Country town of Shiner (population 2070). The easy-drinking, amber-tinted Bock tastes like lazy weekends, local bars and porch swings, and it’s got a slight sweetness that can stand up to even the most piquant jalepeno popper. My Yankee friends may not understand my love of the Lone Star state, but soon they’ll be able to fall in love with my favorite beer. That’s because, starting this week, Shiner is officially available in Chicago. It’s the end result of about ten-years-worth of requests from Chicago consumers, distributors and retailers, says Shiner marketing guy Charlie Paulette. “We weren’t trying to avoid Chicago, we just wanted to wait until the time was right,” he says. “We’re a little brewery, and we did the best we could.” And that’s plenty impressive: The fifty-employee brewery added a second shift to churn out the 4,000 cases needed to “seed” the city—the cases traveled last week to Chicago via three packed trailer trucks. To create buzz for the big launch, the brewery has sponsored a series of teaser ads on buildings and in print. It’s also been hooking up local Texas alumni groups, big-time. “Donating beer is the best currency in terms of making people happy and spreading the word, and we’re relying on that word of mouth, especially from other Texans,” Paulette says. “Shiner grew out of the liberal, open-minded, laid-back crowd that exists in Texas—those are the people who made us popular, and hopefully we’ll connect with those same people in Chicago.” (Jenny B. Davis) To find out where to enjoy Shiner Bock, visit shinerchicago.com
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