Shiner is an institution in Texas.  Perhaps not as touching to the heart as the Alamo or as historical as the San Jacinto battle, but a home-grown business that has kept the big boys at bay for longer than anyone else (Lone Star was the only other “big” name beer to be brewed in the area, and they sold out years ago).  

The brewery was started in 1909; which incidentally, was the year that my grandfather and JD’s grandmother were born.  Makes us family, doesn’t it?! 

Ya’ll probably know that I’m not the drinker in the family, but someone likes him a brew – though, he IS environmentally conscious enough to save his bottles so he can drop them at the local recycling center when he has a car load (which, if you know him, is laughable - he only recycles because it’s FREE).

I walk out onto my deck, and have a lovely view of our “forest” and chickens, hummingbirds and some potted herbs … then, I turn to go to the other end of the deck and I see the lovely stash below:

And lest anyone worry, this is a few month’s worth of bottles – I *do* keep him on a tight beer budget on purpose!