SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Today, Spoetzl Brewery, the iconic 109-year-old Texas craft brewery, announces the release of two special edition beers in honor of the San Antonio tricentennial. In partnership with Canary Islands’ Agüita Cerveza Artesanal, a craft brewery in Tenerife, Spain, the brews combine expert beer making skills and pay homage to San Antonio’s rich cultural heritage which has a long-standing connection to Canary Islanders who first settled in San Antonio in the 18th century. Carlos Alvarez, CEO of The Gambrinus Company, owner of Spoeztl Brewery, personally traveled to the Canary Islands earlier this year in an effort to get to know the native brewers and discuss the idea of collaborating.
Carlos Alvarez came from Mexico with his family to San Antonio and founded The Gambrinus Company in 1986. “I made my home in San Antonio and wanted to contribute to the tricentennial celebration with a special beer from our beloved brewery,” Alvarez said.
“We had never done a collaboration brew before, but given the historical ties that bind San Antonio to the Canary Islands, I was inspired to travel there and invite the craft brewers from Agüita to collaborate with our highly-skilled brewery team to create these exceptional brews,” added Alvarez.
Using Spoetzl’s small batch brew system, the brewers created the two celebratory beers, Las Canarias Ale and Tenerife Ale.
Las Canarias Ale is a refreshing Belgian-style blonde ale using Gofio – a Canarian flour made from roasted wheat – Golding and Chinook hops and two-row malts resulting in an exceptionally balanced beer with Texas honey, a bit of spice hop character and a rich amber hue as brilliant as the San Antonio sun.
Tenerife Ale is a sessionable Red Canary Island Ale made with two-row malts, caramel, Carapils Copper malts and oats to magnify the amplitude of the beer. During the brew process, local honey is added to enhance the natural fermentation and sweetness as well as Cascade, Williamette and Mosaic hops for a lasting, memorable aroma.
The beers will be available in draught as well as in limited edition commemorative 750ml bottles. Each ale will initially be served at ‘Olé San Antonio’, a summer-long Pearl District program to honor San Antonio’s Spanish heritage in commemoration of the city’s historic 300th anniversary. ‘Las Canarias’ and ‘Tenerife’ Ales will debut at Dia Mundial de la Tapa on Thursday, June 21st at the Pearl Stable from 5:30pm-8:00pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.atpearl.com.
“We are thrilled to be working with the legendary Spoetzl Brewery team on this project,” said Elizabeth Fauerso, Chief Marketing Officer of the Pearl. “Being able to share these two incredibly special beers during our Olé event series is a true honor. We are so pleased to see our wonderful city thriving and excited to share its historic origins with San Antonians and now with our new Canary Island friends from Agüita.”
More About the Spoetzl Brewery:
The Spoetzl Brewery – named after brewmaster Kosmos Spoetzl – was founded in Shiner, Texas (population 2,069), in 1909, brewing beer with old-world traditions and recipes for the many German and Czech settlers in the state. Since then, the brewery has grown to be one of the leading independent craft brewers in the country. But every drop of the award-winning beer is still brewed right where it all started 109 years ago.
More About the Gambrinus Company:
The Gambrinus Company is a privately held craft beer company located in San Antonio, Texas. Gambrinus is best known as the owner and brewer of Shiner Beers, which are brewed at the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas. Gambrinus also owns the BridgePort Brewery in Portland, Oregon, and the Trumer Brewery in Berkeley, California.
More about Agüita Cerveza Artesanal:
Agüita Cerveza Artesanal is a craft brewery in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Agüita is an entrepreneurial partnership consisting of three brewers, Enrique Arocas, Aurelio Gutierrez, Pedro Baussou, who had been home-brewing together for several years before starting their brewery in late 2017. Agüita began brewing commercially just last year offering five styles – La Rubia (Belgian blonde ale), Dead Bully (American pale ale), La Picona (Indian pale ale), La Morenita (Irish dry stout), and Hoppy Pilsen (seasonal IPA).