The Classic Texas Beer Label That Changed From A Goat To A Sheep

Drinking beer entails more than simply achieving a buzz; there are added experiential factors at play. Pick up a classic pilsner or lager, and both the bottle's label and contents can bring back memories. For Texans, one such classic package is Shiner Bock, crafted by Spoetzl Brewery for more than a century. Cans adorned with the iconic horned ram have long appeared at country shows and barbecues.

Yet the precisely depicted animal sparks confusion. Although Shiner ran a 2020s ad campaign titled "The Original Texas G.O.A.T.," the animal on the beer label is technically a sheep — of the bighorn species, to be precise. A wild animal that lives throughout the Rockies, the Texas-native Desert Bighorn Sheep subspecies appears on Shiner cans. Curiously, the switchover from a billy goat to the endemic mammal on the label occurred during the 1970s.

It's a legacy that alludes to Shiner's German and Czech roots. Spoetzl Brewery has crafted a bock — originally a German style — since 1913. Bock also means goat in German, hence the European tradition of using the animal on beer labels. Throughout the 20th century, Shiner beer evolved into a definitively American beer style, characterized by a drier flavor and less malt body than its German counterpart. Right as Shiner developed its own Texan identity, the brand shifted to using an animal from the Lone Star State. Akin to the hidden meanings of Budweiser's beer label, it's a small detail that evinces the brand's European influences.

Although Texas is now home to abundant craft breweries, Spoetzl remains the state's oldest independent operation. Still brewing exclusively out of the small town of Shiner — population just over 2,000 — the brand has forged legendary status in the Lone Star State. Texas continues to comprise the majority of sales, despite the fact that the unique bock beer is distributed nearly nationwide.

Accordingly, the brand's image comprises not only a Texan sheep, but also a deeper connection to the state. "Born in Texas, brewed in Texas, every drop from Shiner, Texas," says Texas-born actor Jesse Plemons in a Shiner beer commercial (via YouTube). The brewery site is a local tourist attraction, complete with a Texas-style barbecue restaurant operating on-site. Not to mention, Shiner has partnered with Texas sports teams like the San Antonio Spurs and FC Dallas, and the brewery also frequently throws a country music festival. In the Lone Star State, you'll often catch sight of the curved-horn ram; it's all part of Shiner's carefully curated Texan image.