Raise a Cup of Cheer

How Shiner turned brewing heritage into Texas-made vodka, gin + more

Texans are an independent bunch, and Shiner has always celebrated that mindset with its one-of-a-kind beer, brewed right here in the Lone Star State.

Now, Shiner Texas Spirits is a natural next chapter in a legacy Texans already know and love.

Built on what the brand calls the Independent Spirit of Texas, Shiner Texas Spirits reflects a mindset of self-reliance, craftsmanship, and a commitment to doing things right — not fast, not easy. That philosophy runs through every bottle, every batch, and every decision made in the small town of Shiner, Texas.

From brewing legacy to distilling craft
For more than a century, the team behind K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery has honed its expertise crafting one of Texas’ most iconic beers: Shiner Bock. Generations of brewing experience taught the fundamentals of fermentation, patience, and flavor balance long before distilling entered the picture.

Today, that 100-plus years of technical knowledge carries forward into spirits production, bringing experience and passion to a brand-new portfolio. While Shiner Texas Spirits officially launched statewide in 2025, the hands behind them are anything but new to craft.

Made in Shiner, shaped by water and place
At the heart of the operation is place. Every drop of Shiner Texas Spirits is made in Shiner, Texas, using the same artesian well water that has defined Shiner beers for generations. From grain to glass, it reinforces a distinctly Texan story rooted in consistency, quality, and authenticity. In an era when many spirits brands outsource production, Shiner’s commitment to making spirits where the brand was born sets it apart.

Shiner Cinnamon 'Shine is perfect for winter.Photo courtesy of Shiner

Photo courtesy of Shiner

The Shiner Texas Spirits portfolio.

A spirits portfolio with a sense of soul
The inaugural portfolio introduces three distinct expressions, each showcasing a different side of Shiner’s distilling approach.

Shiner Texas Vodka is distilled more than ten times in a towering copper column still, resulting in a spirit that’s exceptionally clean and smooth. Light and subtly sweet on the nose, with hints of malted barley and warm grain, it delivers bright citrus notes and a silky finish designed for both sipping and cocktail versatility.

Proprietary yeast and artesian well water elevate the vodka beyond neutrality, creating a refined profile that has already proven itself in consumer taste tests.

Shiner Texas Gin leans into the landscape, capturing Texas through native botanicals and layered flavor. Batch-distilled in small runs, the gin features Hill Country Ashe juniper, ruby red grapefruit peel from the Rio Grande Valley, and San Saba pecans.

The result is bright and invigorating, balancing citrus and pine with a velvety texture and a clean, refreshing finish. It’s equally at home in a classic cocktail or with a modern Texas twist.

Completing the main trio is Shiner ’Shine, a four-grain spirit that respects tradition while remaining approachable.

Crafted with yellow dent corn, winter rye, malted wheat, and two-row barley, and double pot distilled in copper, it offers warm notes of corn sweetness, vanilla, caramel, and gentle spice. Full-bodied yet smooth, it’s bottled at 90 proof for balance and versatility.

Perfect for the holiday and winter season, Shiner Cinnamon 'Shine is infused with real cinnamon sticks and a touch of pure cane sugar. It's warm and spicy, with the fiery heat balanced by hints of caramel and toasted malt.

Rickhouse: Where Shiner’s spirit meets the Texas table
Beyond the bottles, the Shiner experience extends to the distillery grounds with Rickhouse, the on-site restaurant and bar.

Shiner Distillery Rickhouse lets you taste Shiner Texas Spirits at the source.Photo courtesy of Shiner

Rickhouse brings the same spirit of craftsmanship to the table, pairing house-made spirits and infusions with thoughtfully sourced Texas ingredients. It’s an immersive way to experience Shiner Texas Spirits at the source, and where cocktails, food, and place intersect.

Looking ahead
The distillery is already laying the groundwork for its next milestone: the launch of Shiner Texas Bourbon in 2026. Shaped by Texas heat, time, and tradition, the bourbon represents a highly anticipated evolution of the portfolio.

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Uptown News

Canadian upscale restaurant Joey to open location in Uptown Dallas

Joey Dallas

Steak and sushi at Joey Dallas

An upscale restaurant chain from Canada is coming to Uptown Dallas. Joey, the chain known for its global food and art-lined walls, is opening a location at 2508 Maple Ave., next door to the Old Warsaw.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in September. If all goes according to plan, they will soft-open with limited hours over Labor Day weekend, then celebrate a grand opening on September 10.

"Joey Maple will offer a unique culinary journey and exceptional mixology, led by Executive Chef and Top Chef Canada winner Matthew Stowe; Bar Development Leader Jay Jones, a Restaurant Hall of Fame inductee; and Group Sommelier Jason Yamasaki," their statement says.

Joey Restaurants is a "premium casual" restaurant group founded in 1992 in Calgary by Jeff Fuller, who came from a restaurant family. He started Joey out as a pasta place but the concept has since evolved into a globally-themed concept with fusion dishes such as truffle udon carbonara.

There are now 36 locations in various Canadian cities plus Seattle, California, Miami, and Houston, where it opened at the Galleria in 2021. Joey Restaurant Group also encompasses a sports bar-gastropub concept called Local Public Eatery, which opened a location in Dallas at 2323 Henderson Ave. in 2024.

Food
The menu at Joey features "a fusion of flavors," including fire-torched sushi, steak, bowls, tacos, and burgers. Signature dishes include top sirloin steak with their "famous" fully loaded crispy mashed potatoes (which are actually mashed potatoes with garlic, cheese, and green onions wrapped in a spring roll and fried); plus hummus, seared salmon sushi, and sake-glazed sea bass.

Joey crispy mashed potatoes Crispy mashed potatoes at Joey.Photo courtesy of Joey

There are: Japanese pork dumplings, Korean fried cauliflower, fajitas, and lobster spaghetti with prawns, shallots, and cherry tomatoes in a lobster-lemon butter sauce. There's a tuna poke bowl and a tofu bowl with Korean chili spiced tofu, wontons, coconut jasmine rice, and green papaya slaw in carrot miso dressing. There's sushi including a sushi cone with tempura shrimp.

The bar menu has beer on tap and a wine list featuring notable by-the-glass selections such as Taittinger Champagne and Pahlmeyer Chardonnay from Napa Valley ($50 per glass, but it's an iconic wine). Cocktails include not one but three spritzes — Aperol, Rosé, and Hugo with St. Germain — plus martinis, margaritas, and slush cocktails like frozen Irish coffee.

Location
This will be the second Joey in Dallas and will be a stand-alone location; the first opened at NorthPark Center, in the former Seasons 52 space, in January 2024. According to their statement, the warm reception they've received in Dallas convinced them to expand.

Every Joey is custom built to match its surroundings, often from the ground up, and no two restaurants are alike. The restaurant is going into a space that was previously home to a restaurant called Crab House, and before that Sisu, a bar with the pool, and before that, Matthew Trent Jewelry. It'll feature a "thoughtfully curated" art collection — a Joey trademark — as well as a private dining space. Other details on the space are still to come.

Is it deliberate or merely kismet that they landed on Maple Avenue, given the fact that the maple is Canada's national tree, and that Canada is frequently called "The Land of Maple," and the maple leaf is their national symbol as well as the central image on their national flag?

It'll be neighbors with another Canadian import: Moxie's, the casual concept founded in Canada and co-owned by Dallas Stars proprietor Tom Gaglardi, which opened across the street at 100 Crescent Court in 2016.

Maple Avenue is becoming Dallas' buzziest street, with openings such as Elephanté, the Italian restaurant opening at the 23Springs office tower in September, joining already-buzzy restaurants such as Catch Dallas, the Houston seafood chain which opened at the Maple Terrace development in 2024, and Uchi Dallas, a Maple Avenue pioneer that opened in 2015 — all teed up to feed the traders at The New York Stock Exchange Texas opening at 3819 Maple Ave. just a mile down the road.

uptown openings