Shiner Seasonal Beers - Strawberry Blonde and Prickly Pear - Review

Shiner is well known throughout the country for their Bock beer and other traditional varieties, but they never fail to cool those suffering the summer heat with surprising seasonal beers.This week we’re taking a quick look at Shiner’s Strawberry Blonde and Prickly Pear seasonals.

Strawberry Blonde

Shiner calls this golden treat a “A farm-to-table favorite.” And being brewed with fresh strawberries from Poteet, Texas (the strawberry capital of Texas), we can’t help but agree. We live so close to Poteet we can nearly smell the strawberries when they are in season, and every year a festival is thrown in honor of the juicy berries grown there—and my, oh my, are they juicy. So, it was only natural for Shiner to add them into a beer alongside pale and wheat malt.

We certainly are not expert brewers, but we understand some of the challenges of adding a fruit as high in sugar as strawberries to a beer. But Shiner, being expert brewers, has done so with some pretty good results. This blonde ale is clear and golden, and the fresh strawberry aroma floats up through its effervescent body, truly getting the mouth watering. On first sip, the flavor is assertive while remaining light in a light body. The wheat malt adds an almost cereal-like characteristic that reminds us of a strawberry breakfast cereal, which is actually quite pleasant. It finishes dry, and prepares the drinker for another swallow.

Overall, Shiner’s Strawberry Blonde is pretty darn good, and a great beer to cool down with on a hot day, of which we have many in South Texas. It clocks in at a sessionable 4.3%, is not oversweet, and is easy to enjoy any time of the day.

Prickly Pear

Prickly pear is everywhere here in Texas, and it is as beautiful as it is formidable, setting the scene for many memorable sunrises and sunsets. What I’m trying to say is, We love it! So, naturally, it makes it into many of our drinks and meals.

Shiner first brewed their Prickly Pear lager in 2012, and since then it has been a huge hit, anticipated each year by the masses looking for a summer cooling agent. Shiner says “the fruit of the prickly pear, a cactus native to our brewery’s landscape, blends wonderfully with Citra and US Golding hops for a tart, citrusy flavor and floral aroma.”

Shiner’s Prickly Pear lager is clear and golden with little head formation, and the aroma is fragrant and sweet, inviting and mouth watering, as the Strawberry Blonde is but with just a touch of spice. It smells true to other prickly pear drinks we’ve had, and the flavor of the cactus is forward, but not too sweet, and provides a good bite on the tongue, keeping it fresh and light. It is light- to medium-bodied and weighs in at a sessionable 4.9% ABV and 20 IBUs. It is slightly dry at the finish and the absolute perfect drink to ease anyone melting in the heat.

Last Sip

Check out both of Shiner’s seasonal beers while you can. The Strawberry Blonde is fruity and light, and will appeal to those that like a sweeter, fruitier beer. The Prickly Pear is a taste of Texas and an absolute delight for a sweltering day. I can imagine drinking both under the shade of a big oak as the cicadas chirrup overhead and the prickly pear cactus catches the last light of the sun, and the heat of the day with it.

Cheers!

Mr. Brew