Shiner's Ruby Redbird

I haven't talked about a beer in a long time, and I think a holiday weekend is a good time to break that streak. The Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX is the home of my favorite beers. As a native Texan, I'm probably obligated to like Texas beer. That aside, though, I don't think that they make a single beer that I don't like.

Redbird pours a pale golden color with very little head. What head there will dissipate quickly, and you won't see any rings on the glass. It smells a lot like grapefruit and a little bit of ginger, and there's enough carbonation in the bottled version to make your tongue tickle even at the bottom of the bottle. I've read that if you get Redbird on tap (and you're lucky if you can) it is much less carbonated, but I can't tell you from experience. 

It's a very drinkable beer that tastes heavily of grapefruit balanced with ginger and some other notes of various spices that I can't name. The alcohol content (4.2%) isn't high enough to affect the taste and, with an IBU of 13, the hops aren't going to jump out at you. the tang you get in Redbird is all grapefruit and very little hops. I've read that some people think that the aftertaste is weird, but it's the same aftertaste that you get after biting into a grapefruit, so perhaps they just weren't expecting that from a beer.

Ruby Red Grapefruit is particular to Texas, and I never really liked them growing up. I'm not a big fan of sour or tart things, and this pucker-inducing citrus is way more popular with people who enjoy that kind of zing. The Ruby Red is certainly present in this beer, and it reminds me of home, while the ginger keeps me from wincing. I never hesitate to recommend Shiner beers to friends, and even people who like really hoppy IPAs have said that they enjoyed this one enough to buy a 6-pack after I've introduced them to my favorite seasonal. 

This is a seasonal brew, so you shouldn't wait to grab some if you can find it in your area. 

Mr. Nose helped me type up this blog today. He loves to sit on my desk while I work.