Dreaming of cocktails

Here are the 8 best food and drink events in San Antonio this week

Take a break from the grind at La Cantera Resort & Spa's summer pool party.

Imagine lying in a hammock, listening the sound of waves while a summer breeze slowly rocks you back and forth. While Texas beaches may be a few hours from San Antonio, take a mini vacation by enjoying the best of summer during this week’s best local food and drink events.

Tuesday, June 5

Majestic Theatre Happy Hour Tour
Get an insider's look at the stunning Majestic Theatre during this spirited tour, where you’ll learn about the institution’s 90-year history and sip signature “Queen of Houston Street” cocktails. Tickets are $25 and available online or at the box office. A note to those with limited mobility: the tour requires the use of stairs.

Wednesday, June 6

Negroni Cocktail Decontruction and Charcuterie Pairing at The Hoppy Monk
In celebration of Negroni Week — a seven-day affair where bars around San Antonio donate a portion of sales of the iconic Italian aperitif to local charities — the Hoppy Monk will offer a delicious charcuterie pairing to give back even more. The special treat will be offered until June 10 or until supplies run out. Proceeds benefit the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

Thursday, June 7

Evening on the Edge at La Cantera Resort & Spa
Sit poolside while enjoying warm weather cocktails at this swanky adults-only pool party. While taking in breathtaking Texas Hill Country views, attendees will enjoy a complimentary welcome cocktail, pop-up mini spa sessions, and a sunset toast provided by Moët & Chandon. Tickets are $30 and discounted room rates are available if you want to turn the evening into a staycation.

Gangsters & Hooch: A Cocktail Seminar at Houston St. Underground
Travel back to the glitz and glam of the 1920s at this ritzy seminar showcasing signature cocktails and spirits from the Prohibition era. Learn the history behind speakeasies and gin joints while participating in cocktail making demos. Extra points for wearing your best Gatsby gear.

Friday, June 8

Astronomy on Tap at Blue Star Brewing Co.
This stellar event lets you explore the cosmos while enjoying out-of-this-world brews. Blue Star’s monthly astronomy talks brings astronomers, physicists, and engineers to teach about everything space-related. This month’s topic is exoplanets — so expect interplanetary news, trivia, and activities.

Texas Folklife Festival at the Institute of Texan Cultures
Dive into Texas’ rich heritage at the largest cultural festival in the state. For three days, this beloved annual tradition takes you on a world tour of authentic food, drink, performances, and arts. Daily festivities take place Friday and Saturday until 11 pm and Sunday until 7 pm. Admission is $12 online and $15 at the gate.

Saturday, June 9

Tequila, Taco, and Cerveza Fest San Antonio at Venue Villita
Experience three of Texas’ greatest obsessions as this epic fest returns to San Antonio for a third year. The fiesta features 40-plus tequila brands and flavors, amazing tacos from the city’s best taco trucks, and of course, ice cold beer. For a $30 general admission, attendees can dance in the streets to sets from DJs and a roaming mariachi band, then root for their favorite luchadores during hourly wrestling matches.

Sunday, June 10

Breakfast Tacos, Beer, and Bourbon at Ranger Creek Brewing
Join Ranger Creek for a day of boozy brunch featuring drinks crafted on-site. A food truck will keep the breakfast tacos coming while you sip refreshing micheladas and beermosas. The entire family is welcome, including pets.

charity festivals breakfast brunch cocktails craft-beer tacos

Shining New Cocktails

Home of Shiner Bock breaks ground on cocktail lounge and restaurant

Spoetzl Brewery cocktail lounge restaurant

Rendering courtesy of Spoetzl Brewery

The new cocktail lounge and restaurant will add lots of space for trying the new distillery's products.

Although Spoetzl Brewery is best known for its regionally iconic beer Shiner Bock, its new distillery has opened up a whole new world of drinking possibilities. One of those is a new cocktail lounge and restaurant on the Spoetzl Brewery property, which will soon be drawing folks from both sides of the beer and spirits aisle. Construction started September 6 with a groundbreaking ceremony.

Shiner Bock is named for the town of Shiner, located roughly between San Antonio and Houston, and with a population of only 2,173 as of 2022. The brew is locally known for its accessibility and nostalgia factor, although plenty of people simply enjoy it for its earthy, lightly hoppy flavor.

Now on the independent Spoetzl spirits roster are a vodka, a gin, and a grain mash blend. As of September 2024, visitors can tour the distillery and speakeasy for 45 minutes which includes a flight of Shiner craft spirits — but the new build stands out proudly from the current offerings and expands the property's capacity for cocktail lovers.

Spoetzl Brewery cocktail lounge restaurant Renderings also calls this building a tasting room.Rendering courtesy of Spoetzl Brewery

This new space will be on the brewery's premises, and despite a different approach (call it a different spirit), it still looks like what most Texans would expect from a brewery or distillery. The 8,500-square-foot project includes a large, black barn in a very contemporary style, which flips the script from the brewery's white, Mission Revival style and industrial architecture.

Spanning the cocktail lounge, a restaurant with a full kitchen, a private event space, and a covered patio, it'll provide seating for more than 200 visitors, and standing room for more than 300. Like the rest of the property, it'll be available to tours and tastings, but it also has some cozy elements to inspire longer stays, like an indoor fireplace and outdoor fire pits.

A retail shop sets guests up with bottles to bring home, and an exclusive VIP area shows off barrel picks. (Those are bottles that come from a specific barrel, which may have flavor variations compared to other barrels or the regular product).

Spoetzl Brewery cocktail lounge restaurant Hey, look! Parking!Rendering courtesy of Spoetzl Brewery

Although somewhat more tangential to this announcement than news of the distillery's opening, that project in 2023 also included the addition of a new barbecue spot that's only open around lunchtime. Details about the forthcoming full-scale restaurant don't include what kind of food the restaurant would serve; but the existing dining already has brisket, pulled pork, sausage, chicken, pork ribs, and sides covered.

Rendering courtesy of Spoetzl Brewery

The new cocktail lounge and restaurant will add lots of space for trying the new distillery's products.

The team has not shared information yet on when the project is expected to be completed, but the groundbreaking did happen as scheduled — so things seem to be on track so far.

More information about Spoetzl Brewery and Distillery is available at shiner.com.

shiner beer openings cocktails