Texans who treasure the taste of Shiner Bock, produced by the state"s oldest independent brewery, soon can opt for a lighter version of the beer. With Shiner Light, the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner hopes to take advantage of Texans" growing thirst for light beer and their mounting aversion to carbohydrates.

"The bottom line is that Texas is a light beer state," said Gary Hudman, Shiner brand manager. "It"s been a long time coming." Shiner Light will debut at the 10th Annual Shiner Bocktoberfest Concert Oct. 18 in Shiner and will be available the following week at stores, bars and restaurants in Texas. Although Shiner products are sold in 23 states and Washington, D.C., 85 percent of sales are in Texas.
This is Spoetzl"s first new beer since 2001, when Shiner Hefeweizen was introduced. The company has been working on the light beer the past four years, Hudman said.

A bottle of Shiner Light will have 120 calories and 9 grams of carbohydrates, compared with 143 calories and 12.5 grams of carbs in Shiner Bock. Brands like Bud Light and Michelob Light have about 100 calories and about 3 grams of carbs.

Although the new brew will be lighter in calories and carbs, Hudman said, Shiner Light won"t be a light pilsner like its cousin Shiner Blonde. It will still have the full-body flavor and amber color of Shiner Bock.

03 October, 2003