Shiner Bock ice cream

New York has changed a lot since I moved here. While the city will always have its challenges, the living has become a bit easier in the past year with a surge in the availability of certain favorites.

For instance, when I visit the grocery store I can now add a few bottles of Topo Chico to my cart. If I have a craving for tender smoked brisket, there are several places within walking distance to find it. While breakfast tacos and pillow-soft kolaches may still be a train ride away for me, just the fact that they now exist in New York is cause for celebration. And for many, perhaps the most welcome addition has been Shiner Bock.

Shiner’s ubiquity in Texas reflects just how beloved it is, and it’s the rare place that doesn’t offer it. So it was always something of a shock to Texans who’d just moved to New York to discover it wasn’t here. “Where is the Shiner?” they’d often ask. Because of this, its arrival a couple of months ago was met with much fanfare and excitement. Not only did the news make headlines but also when you’d go to the grocery store, you’d see Texans taking pictures of the bottles just because it was so novel to see it on shelves.



Its appearance couldn’t have come at a better time, as nothing beats a cold beverage during the hot summer. Though I’m also partial to frozen treats to help me stay cool, which is why I took a bottle of Shiner and instead of drinking it, made a batch of ice cream with it instead.
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Chipotle shrimp coleslaw

Well, my plan had been to tell you about the epic road trip I just took, where I spent almost two weeks driving around West and South Texas (with a quick detour to North Texas), and did nothing but look at the sky, read books, and eat whatever I wanted. I also turned off my computer, stayed away from social media, and refused to check my email.

As I visited with friends in San Antonio, one was incredulous I’d stayed away from the Internet for so long. She then filled me in on all that had happened on social media and a host of other places online. “It’s been so exciting,” she said. “You’ve missed everything!” But I didn’t mind a bit. My time away was glorious and I highly recommend it.



That said, the other night as I was making my new summertime staple—a chipotle shrimp coleslaw that requires little effort, save for a quick boil on the shrimp and some chopping of cabbage and such—I remembered I’d been silent on the blog for a while.
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