Shiner beer maker donates $500K to Hurricane Harvey relief

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A Texas brewery located less than 90 miles from the Gulf Coast has pledged half a million bucks to Hurricane Harvey relief funds.

The Spoetzl Brewery brews beers under the brand Shiner, named for its hometown. Ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Harvey on August 25, Spoetzl shut down production and closed up shop to make sure its employees were safe, the brewery said. It reopened on Monday with minimal damage.

The storm and catastrophic flooding have affected all of its workers in some way or another, Spoetzl's brewmaster said.

"Nearly all of us have family or loved ones in Houston and along the Texas coast where the impact has been most devastating," brewmaster Jimmy Mauric said. "We are praying for all those affected."

Shiner Beers is splitting its $500,000 pledge among donations to the American Red Cross, Greater Houston Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Houston, Coastal Bend Community Foundation, United Way of the Coastal Bend, Feeding, and Team Rubicon.

The brewery was founded in the tiny community of Shiner in 1909. Its beers are based on traditions and recipes popular with the German and Czech immigrants who settled in central Texas, the company said.