Shining New Cocktails

Home of Shiner Bock breaks ground on cocktail lounge and restaurant

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.

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In-slider knowledge

Well-known brunch eatery adds location at changing Riverwalk mall

Photo courtesy of Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia

Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is joining a growing list of businesses flocking to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The well-known San Antonio brunch spot Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is continuing its takeover of the city with a third location. The new eatery is expected to open in March 2025 at 849 E. Commerce St., adjacent to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The new restaurant will span a 7,000-square-foot space, including a 1,200-square-foot patio, which will host a total of 250 guests. San Antonians may remember the space from its days as Enrique Tomás, an upscale Spanish restaurant. Things will be different at the very casual Alamo Biscuit Co., which operates more like a diner.

Biscuits are, of course, the anchoring menu item, and are served in sweet and savory flights when they're not providing support for other dishes like Nashville hot chicken, eggs Benedict with various proteins, or a classic sausage, egg, and cheese. Other specialties include pancakes (sometimes with extravagant toppings), French toast, and tacos.

The new location comes with new menu items that haven't been announced with, plus a full bar and espresso bar, according to a release.

Alamo Biscuit Co. is hiring 80-100 team members starting in January, according to the release. That will include "management, servers, cooks, and dishwashers."

The Shops at Rivercenter are in the middle of a larger renaissance. The mall opened in 1988, and has weathered the coming and going trends of retail. Since 2005, it's been owned by Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, which also owns famous properties like Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace and New York City's Plaza Hotel.

Just in 2024, projects announced at the Shops at Rivercenter include an overhaul of dining by celebrity chef Jason Dady, as well as the San Antonio debut of the trendy Australian mini-golf chain Holey Moley.

“To be invited to open a location on the San Antonio River Walk is an incredible honor and a blessing,” said Alamo Biscuit Co. owner and UTSA graduate John Vale in the release. “In just five years, Alamo Biscuit Co. has become a part of San Antonio’s culinary fabric, and now, we’ve been given the opportunity to share our passion for great food and community in what I believe is the best location in Texas. This is a gift from God and a privilege we don’t take lightly.”

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