OT: Lone Star Beer. Question from some of the older beer drinkers here.

[NORMLFROG]

Bring back Pearl to the mainstream, in a white can with red label. The name, label and the neato old brewery in San Antonio deserves it.
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Back in my drinking days I was unapologetically a Pearl Beer man. Of course I was born in San Antonio and grew up in the Hill Country so I guess I felt it was required.

NF

 

[Frognosticator]

Celebrator is a Double Bock, a style which was first expressed in Salvator. This old Monk's recipe was so renowned that all dopplebocks were named with a word finishing in "-ator" to denote their lineage. The "Shiner 100 Commemorator" was a dopplebock.

Shiner Bock was, it is rumored, merely their Blond with some extra syrup added for color and flavor. In the early 90's after new ownership, a brewmaster from by-Ghod Bavaria was hired, and he began producing a proper Bock beer, which is the present Shiner Bock we all know and love. His second "new" beer was the Shiner "Summer Stock" a Kolsch-style beer featuring a Horned Frog on a cactus. Since then, Shiner has frequently issued special beers of varying styles and really had some fine things to offer.

Ah, beer. I think it's time I went and fetched one.

It was at Salvatorfest in Munich where I first started drinking beer. Imagine ordering a mass (liter) of delicious Salvator dupelbock beer as a 17-year-old freshman in college. Now imagine getting three of those in one evening.
Those were the days.

 

[OICU812]

Bring back Pearl to the mainstream, in a white can with red label. The name, label and the neato old brewery in San Antonio deserves it.
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Few years back I took my boy on vacay to South Texas, stayed on a massive guest ranch near Leakey. Riding River Ranch. Huge property(like 3.5k acres) but only a handful of cabins, think it was 5. Down in a valley, sun didn’t crest the eastern bluff until around 9 am.
Plan was to hang out on the Frío. The ranch had 3 glorious Spring-fed swimming holes, one of which turned out to be where those Pearl label pics came from. Stayed a week and only tried the Frío once. The private pools were way better. No visitors allowed, could only swim if you were staying at the ranch, so more often than not we had whichever swimming hole to ourselves.

 

[FrogCop19]

Boring but Dependable…
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This is my preferred "lighter" beer. I don't like any other Mexican-style beer.

I'll also indulge in a Leinenkugle (I know, liquid potpourri) every now and again, too. Summer Shandy is incredibly refreshing on a hot summer day.

 

[Sangria Wine]

This is my preferred "lighter" beer. I don't like any other Mexican-style beer.

I have never really cared for any beers other than light golden pilsners. I love an ice cold draft Dos Equis in a salted mug with lime added. I can’t do anything dark no matter how many that I’ve tried over the years. “Darkest” beer that I enjoy is literally a Coors Banquet. LOL!

 

[FrogCop19]

I have never really cared for any beers other than light golden pilsners. I love an ice cold draft Dos Equis in a salted mug with lime added. I can’t do anything dark no matter how many that I’ve tried over the years. “Darkest” beer that I enjoy is literally a Coors Banquet. LOL!

Shiner is a good middle ground for me. Fat Tire is a sentimental favorite, but anything much darker than that and I'm grimacing as it goes down.

 

[frogetaboutit]

I order Lone Star now and then and even keep it in the beer fridge once in a while but key for me to a good, even really good Lone Star, is being served in a bottle and cold. And I mean really really ice cold. There's a funk in the taste when served less than ice cold that gets worse as it gets more tepid. My today self couldn’t handle drinking it student style - toting around and working on a loose 6 pack for 45 minutes on game-day - my college self totally would tho.

 

[TxFrog1999]

Are you sure about Tito’s? Was curious where in Florida, and I see no mention of Florida online. Says Texas.

I stand corrected as it looks like they have now moved the majority of their distilling operations to Texas. For a good long while they were distilling the majority of their product out of the state to keep up with demand.

 

[Froglaw]

I don't think I have had a Lone Star since the late 1970's. It is still the same crap that they brewed then? Texas makes some great beers, but LS and Pearl ain't one of them. I remember in the mid-70's when a friend of mine and I ordered LS by mistake and thought that the Coors on tap was really gross! He stopped drinking his and I finished mine, and had a bad stomach for a couple of days.

It's just that you see a Texas bar scene on TV and everyone is drinking Lone Star.

I had one last night. Tastes like beer.

 

[Frognosticator]

I have never really cared for any beers other than light golden pilsners. I love an ice cold draft Dos Equis in a salted mug with lime added. I can’t do anything dark no matter how many that I’ve tried over the years. “Darkest” beer that I enjoy is literally a Coors Banquet. LOL!

I take you don't like Guiness?

 

[BrewingFrog]

I take you don't like Guiness?

It just leaves more for us.

 

[Frog79]

(Brewing Frog and Bizzaro, I have two silvers and one bronze from the GABF from back in my pro days.)

Who knows, our paths may have crossed at some point. Back in a former life (about 20-25 years ago) I was a competitive homebrewer and won a combined 16 medals in the AHA nationals and the Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing (MCAB). I wrote an article for Zymurgy and lectured at the AHA national convention when it was in Irving in the early 2000's.

 

[What Up Toad]

My tailgate partner brought some Dos Equis to the Baylor freezing rain game. I didn’t drink any before the game and we stayed there for the entire game and celebration afterwards. We got back out to the tailgate and it was the only beer we had left. I twisted the top off a freezing cold one and drank it down in about three gulps. One of the most satisfying beers I‘ve ever had. I’ll never forget that.

I think the whiskey in my veins was the only reason I didn't get hypothermia at that game.

 

[BrewingFrog]

I think the whiskey in my veins was the only reason I didn't get hypothermia at that game.

Ditto. The estimable Froglaw hosted Mrs. Brewingfrog and I in his heated tent pre-game, and plied us with Pappy. Probably single-handedly saved us from certain doom from the icy fingers of the elements.

 

[Horned Toad]

Who knows, our paths may have crossed at some point. Back in a former life (about 20-25 years ago) I was a competitive homebrewer and won a combined 16 medals in the AHA nationals and the Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing (MCAB). I wrote an article for Zymurgy and lectured at the AHA national convention when it was in Irving in the early 2000's.

Funny thing is that I started pro and built several brew pups and micro breweries. Won medals at the GABF and the WBC for several beers. Then I retired from brewing in early 2000’s after the crash. My wife talked me into picking up brewing again and I home brewed for the first time in my life about 6 years ago. She woke up a monster. Got right back in it although I’ve never entered a home brew contest. Now I always have 4 beers on tap and two in the fermenters. They are all just for me and my friends.

 

[OICU812]

Funny thing is that I started pro and built several brew pups and micro breweries. Won medals at the GABF and the WBC for several beers. Then I retired from brewing in early 2000’s after the crash. My wife talked me into picking up brewing again and I home brewed for the first time in my life about 6 years ago. She woke up a monster. Got right back in it although I’ve never entered a home brew contest. Now I always have 4 beers on tap and two in the fermenters. They are all just for me and my friends.

Impressive. How much time and expense would you say is required from knowing nothing to sufficient production for on-site consumption? I’m within sight of retirement and have thought about a small bbq shack and seems like some in house brew would be a nice feature.

 

[BrewingFrog]

Impressive. How much time and expense would you say is required from knowing nothing to sufficient production for on-site consumption? I’m within sight of retirement and have thought about a small bbq shack and seems like some in house brew would be a nice feature.

I didn't find it difficult at all to get started. I like to cook, and making beer was sort of a natural extension. What got complex was the amount of gear I accumulated: 6.5 gallon glass carboys, soda kegs, True beer tap cooler, miles of tubing, chests full of goofy fittings and miscellaneous brewing gizmos. I whittled a lot down when I moved out to The Ranch.

In truth, you should start with some basic stuff. I started with swing-top bottles, but tired of the cleaning and filling, and went to 5 gal. soda kegs. You can easily convert an old fridge into a beer cooler with a tap sticking out the door or side. This site: Williams Brewing will have everything you need, or you can find a local homebrew shop (In Fort Worth: BrewHound ) that will have most knowledgeable geeks there to dole out advice.

Don't be frightened by the umpteen-gazillion strains of yeast, or hops, or grains available nowadays. It is still the same, simple, straightforward process it ever was, only now with a host of available destinations we didn't have way back when.

 

[OICU812]

I didn't find it difficult at all to get started. I like to cook, and making beer was sort of a natural extension. What got complex was the amount of gear I accumulated: 6.5 gallon glass carboys, soda kegs, True beer tap cooler, miles of tubing, chests full of goofy fittings and miscellaneous brewing gizmos. I whittled a lot down when I moved out to The Ranch.

In truth, you should start with some basic stuff. I started with swing-top bottles, but tired of the cleaning and filling, and went to 5 gal. soda kegs. You can easily convert an old fridge into a beer cooler with a tap sticking out the door or side. This site: Williams Brewing will have everything you need, or you can find a local homebrew shop (In Fort Worth: BrewHound ) that will have most knowledgeable geeks there to dole out advice.

Don't be frightened by the umpteen-gazillion strains of yeast, or hops, or grains available nowadays. It is still the same, simple, straightforward process it ever was, only now with a host of available destinations we didn't have way back when.

Thanks, I appreciate the info and encouragement. Like you, I consider myself a pretty competent cook, and that this ought to be in my wheelhouse, but a little intimidated by all the chemistry. Time is on my side tho. Thanks for the resources!
I’ll invite you to the ranch to sample after I’ve perfected Mesquite Bean IPA!

 

[BrewingFrog]

Thanks, I appreciate the info and encouragement. Like you, I consider myself a pretty competent cook, and that this ought to be in my wheelhouse, but a little intimidated by all the chemistry. Time is on my side tho. Thanks for the resources!
I’ll invite you to the ranch to sample after I’ve perfected Mesquite Bean IPA!

Well, cheers! And may your journey on the way to Beer Nirvana be happy and filled with tasty research!

 

[Frog79]

Funny thing is that I started pro and built several brew pups and micro breweries. Won medals at the GABF and the WBC for several beers. Then I retired from brewing in early 2000’s after the crash. My wife talked me into picking up brewing again and I home brewed for the first time in my life about 6 years ago. She woke up a monster. Got right back in it although I’ve never entered a home brew contest. Now I always have 4 beers on tap and two in the fermenters. They are all just for me and my friends.

Very cool! I miss the days when I had a dedicated beer fridge with 4 or 5 soda kegs full of homebrew to drink and share with appreciative friends. I moved in 2003 and decided not to take all of my brewing equipment with me. I do miss it sometimes.