More photos from Shiner and Columbus, TX >>

We visited the Spoetzl Brewery that produces the Shiner Beer line named after the town it is headquartered in. Oddly enough the Spoetzel Brewery brews in the German Tradition of beer making because…come to find out this Hill Country area of Texas has a strong German heritage. Just seems weird to think of Germans being cowboys. Upon coming into the small town of Shiner I was a little disappointed to read on their welcome sign that they consider themselves “The cleanest small town in Texas” That meant no shoes to be found laying around :(

It was a neat little town with an old downtown that looked like some shootouts probably took place there back in the Old West days. I had a salmon burger off of the “weight watcher’s” menu at a Friday’s Fried Chicken. They served just about everything there, salads, wings, cake, ice cream, donuts, burgers and of course fried chicken.

They brewery tour was cool, got free beer :) We did find out to our liking was that Shiner Beer is bottled with recycled glass. Another interesting fact was the beer was made Kosher by an on-site Rabbi. And did you know Bock is german for a ram, and that Bock beer was first brewed by monks in Germany to drink during their lenten fast because it was a hearty beer and they got nourishment from it? I learn something new everyday, too bad I forget two things also.

We also must have hit the hill country at the perfect time for wild flowers because they were everywhere and gorgeous. This is a pretty area with its bright green rolling hills, pecan trees and fields of yellow, white and purple flowers.
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