Shiner Bock is the flagship brand of The Spoetzl Brewery. The dark lager gets its name from the city of Shiner, Texas where the brewery is located. Shiner Bock is affectionately referred to as “the blood of Texas” by fans for its deep amber color and origin in Texas.
Consumers are known to have stronger bonding with brands that are locally produced on a relatively modest scale and free from major corporate ownership. Shiner Bock was a Texan beer until about the 2000s after which the brand was introduced to other states with an expansion in its distribution base.
With the growing exposure to different segments grew the curiosity of the customers to learn more about the brand. Many people soon started asking, “Does Shiner Bock Support LGBTQ.”
The question is rather a difficult one to answer. Nevertheless, let us try to find out what’s brewing.
This article is second in a series about Beer Brands and their association with LGBTQ+. The maiden article was about Modelo LGBTQ connection.
Does Shiner Bock support LGBTQ – Elusive Evidence
The acute lack of information on the Internet about the stance of Shiner Bock or its owners on LGBTQ+ issues is startling. However, we were able to gather some information that will give you an indication on the brand’s sentiment about the LGBTQ+ community.
Sponsorship of Drag Event
On October 19, 2022, the Villa at Gruene, a wedding and event venue in New Braunfels (Texas) posted on its Facebook page inviting last minute tickets purchases for its event DRAG QUEEN HALLOWEEN.
The organizer proudly declared in the post that Shiner Beer Orale! was the sponsor of the event. All drag queens may not identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, but many do, and the drag culture has been closely associated with the LGBTQ+ community.
It is quite obvious that the marketing of a small event such as this would have been confined to the local community. Home-grown brands, such as Shiner Bock are happy to associate with such events.
Therefore, Shiner sponsoring an event like Drag Queen Halloween would be for making its presence felt in the community rather than expressing its support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Nonetheless, it does show that Shiner beer is not averse to associate itself with LGBTQ+ events.
Shiner Bock and the World Gay Rodeo Finals 2018
On October 8, 2018, the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) posted a banner on Facebook and Instagram (and tweeted the Instagram Post) welcoming fans and contestants to the World Gay Rodeo Finals 2018. A massive branding space on this banner was occupied by Shiner Bock.
The poster featured the name of Shiner Bock towards the middle and a huge bottle of the beer on the right. In addition, the poster featured a slogan – “Our Pride-Enjoy!” and the catchline of Shiner Beer – “Every Drop of Shiner is Brewed in Shiner”.
What’s more, the poster was placed outside The Round Up Saloon in Dallas, TX as per the IGRA. The Round-Up Saloon is renowned as one of the largest LGBTQ+ country-western dance halls and gay bars in the US.
Further, the poster inviting fans and contestants did not contain much information about the organizer of the event, except “IGRA Rodeo”. Therefore, in all likelihood the poster may have been put up by Shiner Bock as the entire poster contains its own branding.
Now just ask yourself, “Does Shiner Bock Support LGBTQ”. Well, do you think a brand that does not support LGBTQ would be comfortable with such posters? Though it may seem like nothing at all, it does tell you that Shiner Beer is not disinclined to the idea of support to LGBTQ+.
Any other Information in Public Domain on Shiner Bock’s Views on LGBTQ+ issues?
The evidence that has been produced above is clearly inconclusive and, mind you, none of it has come directly from Shiner or its owners. Therefore, we must have this caveat in mind before arriving at any conclusion.
Apart from the minuscule evidence of association between Shiner Bock with the LGBTQ+ community, there seems to be no public communication from the brand on the LGBTQ+ issue.
The silence of Shiner Beer on the issue of LGBTQ+ is conspicuous and can lead people into believing that the brand does not care for the cause. However, it is a long shot.
Why is it difficult to establish a Shiner Bock LGBTQ link?
The difficulty in establishing Shiner Bock LGBTQ connection can be explained and understood from the nature of ownership of the brand and its brand positioning.
Nature of Ownership
The Spoetzl Brewery that brews Shiner Bock is owned by the Gambrinus Company. The brewery has been a family-owned business ever since it was established in 1909 by Kosmos Spoetzl, an immigrant of German and Czech descent, and later passed on to its present owners.
The marketing strategy of family-owned businesses focuses on the long-term and building a legacy for future generations. This translates to a sort of permanence in their brand positioning which makes them stick to their heritage and preserve the founding values over the long-term.
Contrast this with large corporations that focus on meeting quarterly financial targets and shareholder expectations. In pursuit of this, they keep targeting and pandering to new customer segments without any firm commitment.
Brand Positioning Strategies
Shiner Bock is proud of its origin in the place from where the brand gets its name. The brand emphasizes its heritage as a local Texas product in many of its brand communications.
Shiner Bock utilizes nostalgia and storytelling to evoke its heritage to reinforce the emotional bond with its customers. The success of its positioning strategy is evident from the beer being called “the blood of Texas” by fans.
Another key strategy adopted by the brand is going to the community to connect with the local culture and instill a sense of belongingness with the brand in its consumers.
Shiner Bock has been relying on a mix of these core strategies for positioning itself in the customer psyche for decades without much change.
This brand inertia compels the owners to maintain Shiner Bock’s current positioning and messaging probably with a desire to preserve brand recognition and for the fear of alienating loyal customers.
Therefore, a combination of these factors holds back the brand from assuming new avatars, such as that of a champion supporting the LGBTQ+ community, however relevant the cause may be in the present context.
“Does Shiner Bock Support LGBTQ” is indeed a question that people will keep asking in the days to come especially after the Bud Light-Mulvaney controversy.
“Bock” – The Animal on Shiner Bock Label
In German, “Bock” refers to a type of strong, bottom-fermented lager and it also means a male sheep or goat. It may come as a surprise to you that the species is well-known for its homosexual behavior. In fact, homosexual behavior in rams has been scientifically studied and documented.
So, Shiner Bock has a gay icon from the animal kingdom on its label. Is that an indication of Shiner Bock’s support for the LGBTQ+ community? Just playing around!
Conclusion
Shiner Bock’s brand positioning requires it to engage with its customers by evoking its Texan heritage and pedigree. Being more than a century old Brand, its identity and character is well established in its customers’ minds. It probably feels comfortable carrying-on without too many changes, as change is always disruptive.
From the analysis, it is clear that though Shiner Bock is not openly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, there is no reason to believe that Shiner Bock does not support LGBTQ+. In fact, from the evidence that we could find it seems that Shiner Bock is comfortable with the LGBTQ cause.
It can be safely concluded that Shiner Bock is neutral in its stance with a slight positive disposition towards the LGBTQ+ community and its cause.
Read our series of articles on Pride Flags: