All this beer drinking talk has got me both thirsty and thinking about beer a lot lately...

I really love Shiner and Abita beer both, I think they both make a great product, and honestly both (get ya drunk)...but which one do you like better? My favorite Shiner Beer is Shiner Bock, while my favorite Abita Beer is Abita Strawberry Harvest. Comparing those two is really comparing apples to oranges. I've never visited either brewery, but plan to some day.

I know I know, its sacrilegious to compare a Texas product to a Louisiana product, but try to remove your state pride from your thought process.


VS.



Founded: Shiner - 1909 Abita - 1986

Active Beers brewed at Shiner...
- Shiner Bock
- Shiner Light
- Shiner Blonde
- Shiner Hefeweizen
- Shiner Bohemian Black Lager
- Shiner Kosmos

Seasonal Beers at Shiner...
- Holiday Cheer
- Smokehaus
- Fröst

Active Beers at Abita...
- Abita Amber
- Abita Light
- Abita Golden
- Abita Jockamo
- Abita Purple Haze
- Abita Restoration
- Abita Turbodog

Seasonal Beers at Abita...
- Abita Bock
- Abita Red Ale
- Abita Wheat
- Abita Fall Fest
- Abita Christmas Ale
- Abita Strawberry
- Abita Grape
- Abita Satsuma


[This message has been edited by easttexasaggie04 (edited 8/24/2010 11:04a).]

I've only had a few Abita beers and I don't remember being uber-impressed. But I could be wrong.

So my vote is Shiner... Frost or Cheer if I had my pick.

i'm a fan of abita and have been to the brewery. you start out in the "courtesy room" where they have all beers on tap for free. the tour gets progressively farther from this room, so about half way through my friends and i, tired of leaving the tour to go back to the courtesy room then catch back up to the tour decided, the hell with it and just stayed in the courtesy room.

abita andygator is serious business.

+1 to what IsleAg said.

I had a six pack of Frost this year, absolutely loved it, and then it was gone. Not to be found anywhere. Just the thought of it makes me yearn for the day I will again see it sitting on an ice-cold shelf.

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abita andygator is serious business

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FTMFW

the jockamo ipa is good.. abita has a 12 pack sampler at specs.. great way to try several.

Purple Haze is garbage. That alone is enough to swing my vote to Shiner.

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Purple Haze is garbage

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I just tried it over the weekend and thought it was pretty good...different strokes for different folks I guess.

until shiner makes an amber, a pale ale or an IPA (or hell even a stout).. they really have no place for my top 10 list. (or any beer knurd's for that matter)

can't believe as big as they are all they make are those dang lagers. very un-microbrew-ish.. but i guess they just don't want to stray away from german styles..

[This message has been edited by 62strat (edited 8/24/2010 1:40p).]

Their oktoberfest is an ale isn't it?

Abita Amber is very good. Shiner Bock beats it.

Oktoberfest user a lager style yeast.

okay. The label says it's an ale, but I just learned yesterday that TABC has inexplicable laws regarding lagers and ales.

For some strange reason, I find purple haze to be better out of the bottle than draft.

I wouldn't pass either up if offered, but I think I'd prefer the Abita, just because I don't get it as much.

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I find purple haze to be better out of the bottle than draft.

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some years ago they changed the formula because the previous one was unable to be bottled. something about the fermentation process settling and breaking the bottles.

Abita Strawberry lasts only a few days on the shelves when it does come out, amazing beer, if you see it, buy it.

meh to Shiner, all their beers are boring as hell.

[This message has been edited by WC87 (edited 8/24/2010 3:52p).]

Ditto to what 313 said.

i like abita, but to me it all has a distinctive taste probably because of the spring water they use to brew it.

so i'd go with shiner

I went to high school about 15 miles from Abita Springs and remember my dad discovering Abita - it was only available at select restaurants in the Covington-Mandeville area. TurboDog rocks!

Drinking a Shiner Oktoberfest currently and unimpressed so far. Smells a bit light bud light at the first drink, and the taste isn't too far off. Not much body to this, so I will have to go with Abita as well...Love that Amber! Shiner is drinkable, but IMHO it's not really that great. Not really sure why as a small brewery like that should be able to make good beer, and some of theirs are better than others, but I think they've gone too commercial. Or maybe I've been on one too many St Arnolds tours and realized what is good beer and what isn't.

Or you could even stay in Texas and compare Shiner to Real Ale in Blanco. I would vote Real Ale hands down.

One of my friends brewed an Oktoberfest and we are planning a tasteoff between Shiner, Real Ale and St. Arnolds. Can't wait.

The more varieties of beer I try, the less I like Shiner. RealAle is my favorite in-state brewery.

The new Real Ale Pils is very good...right there with Live Oaks Pils.

abita

As far as quality and variety of beer, you pretty much have to give it to Abita... but in the "Not located in Louisiana" category, shiner kicks ass.