Carlos Alvarez, the San Antonio beer importer behind Shiner’s success, has died

Carlos Alvarez, the San Antonio businessman and philanthropist who launched Corona Extra beer in the U.S. and expanded Shiner Beer beyond its humble South Texas roots, died on Tuesday. Mexico-born Alvarez, 73, leveraged an upbringing in the south-of-the-border beer industry to launch Alamo City’s Gambrinus Co. in 1986 and grow it into one the nation’s most successful beer importing and marketing enterprises. More recently, Alvarez emerged as a high-profile donor to education and the arts in the Alamo City.