Pearl Brewing Company
Encyclopedia
The Pearl Brewing Company (also known as the Pearl Brewery or just Pearl) was an American brewery, established in 1883 in San Antonio, Texas
. In 1985, Pearl's parent company purchased the Pabst Brewing Company
and assumed the Pabst name. In 1999, the Pabst Brewing Company began transferring its production to Miller Brewing
, on a contract basis, and closing all of its breweries. Pearl beer is still in production at Miller's Ft. Worth, Texas facility, but the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio was closed in 2001. Since then, the former brewery was purchased by Silver Ventures, Inc., which has made the property the crown jewel in revitalization efforts of northern downtown San Antonio.
The site owned and operated by the Pearl Brewing Company was originally known as both the J. B. Behloradsky Brewery (1881–1883) and the City Brewery. Privately held and poorly run for two years, the City Brewery was purchased by an investment group in 1883. The investment group was composed of local businessmen and several moguls already involved in brewing at San Antonio's other major brewery, the Lone Star Brewing Company. Together they formed the San Antonio Brewing Company (1883–1888), and began to raise capital to fully restart and improve operations at the brewery. In 1886, after three long years, the company had secured the necessary capital and began full-time operations at the brewery again. The name San Antonio Brewing Association was used as a parent to the brewing company, since it also managed some of the founding members' other business interests. Functionally, the business structure worked, but it caused confusion with city officials, customers, and business partners; therefore, in the end, the investment group dissolved the San Antonio Brewing Company and used the San Antonio Brewing Association (1888–1918) name for all operations and business transactions. Thus, in a short seven years, the same brewery had three different names. In addition, the name City Brewery was used frequently used as well. The first logos used for the San Antonio Brewing Company/Association even featured the name City Brewery in the logo. City Brewery was carried over from the Behloradsky days and was used up till the beginning of Prohibition
in 1918.
During these name changes, the brewery found the product that would become their signature brew. Pearl Beer was formulated and first brewed in Bremen, Germany, by the Kaiser–Beck Brewery, which produces Beck's
beer. Pearl beer's name came from Kaiser–Beck Brewery's brewmaster, who thought the foamy bubbles in a freshly poured glass of the brew resembled sparkling pearls. In Germany, the brew was called "Perle", which is the German word for pearl. When brought to the United States, the spelling was changed to the English version: pearl. In 1886, the first bottles and wooden kegs of American Pearl beer rolled off the line and into local tap rooms.
In 1902, Otto Koehler took the helm of the brewery, leaving his position as manager at the Lone Star Brewing Company to become president and manager of the San Antonio Brewing Association. Under Otto's leadership, the brewery set in motion strategic plans to grow in physical size as well as beer output. The San Antonio Brewing Association went from a micro-brewery that produced enough output for local residents and businesses to a strong competitor to the much larger Lone Star Brewing Company. Koehler was one of the first residents to build in the newly opened Laurel Heights section of San Antonio. The hill on which Koehler built his home, now known as the Koehler Cultural Center
, provided a clear view of the city skyline and, of course, included an unobstructed view of the San Antonio Brewing Association's City Brewery. Legend has it that by sitting on his porch, Koehler could determine whether his employees were hard at work by the smoke color rising up from the brewery’s stacks.
After Koehler's death, his wife, Emma, succeeded him as the chief executive. Under Emma Koehler's direction, many of her husband’s strategic plans were either started or fulfilled. Namely, she modernized the original brew house, and by 1916 beer production capacity had significantly increased from 6000 barrels (953.9 m³) per year in the early 20th century to over 110000 barrels (17,488.6 m³) per year. With the tremendous production increase, the San Antonio Brewing Association was able to out pace the Lone Star Brewing Company to become the largest Texas brewery and the beer America most widely associated with Texas and the West.
During the early 20th century, Pearl used advertisement campaigns that featured Judge Roy Bean
- one of the more colorful and popular law enforcement personalities of the wild, wild West.
Prior to Prohibition
, Texas was a hot spot for beer production. With a strong German and European influence, small and regional breweries littered the state. San Antonio enjoyed the distinction of having two of Texas’ largest breweries: Lone Star Brewery and the San Antonio Brewing Association. Prohibition, though, changed the face of brewing and forced almost every brewery out of business. When the Volstead Act
and Prohibition went into effect on January 16, 1920, Lone Star Brewing Company ended sales, shut the brewery doors, and dissolved the company.
Emma Koehler vowed not to let the brewery go under. In late 1919, the San Antonio Brewing Association changed its name to Alamo Industries (1919–1921) and began operations to comply with Prohibition laws. Times were tough for the brewery and its employees, but the facility stayed open by continuing to produce a Near Beer called "La Perla", bottling soft drinks, dry cleaning
, operating a small advertising sign division, running a small auto repair shop, and entering the commercial ice and creamery businesses. Being so diverse brought in cash for the company, but it also meant Alamo Industries wasn't particularly good in any one area. As a result, Alamo Industries reorganized their product lines. The company changed their name to the Alamo Foods Company (1921–1933) and shifted their products toward the food specialty. The sections for auto repair, dry cleaning, and advertising were closed or sold off to third parties.
Although no solid proof exists, rumors abound that Alamo Foods used the old brewery equipment for more than "La Perla", and that, in fact, the brewery still bottled a tiny amount of the real Pearl and Texas Pride for close friends and sale on the black market. One thing is certain, though: when the Blaine Act
ended Prohibition at midnight on September 15, 1933, within minutes, 100 trucks and 25 railroad boxcars loaded with beer rolled out of the brewery grounds.
With the end of Prohibition, so too came the end of the Alamo Foods Company. The company went back to their prior name: San Antonio Brewing Association (1933–1952). Most believed beer production would quickly return to the levels before the 1920 ban. However, Pearl's hard times were not over yet. In 1933, the nation was still deep in the grips of the Great Depression
. Although most of the public would have loved to enjoy a Pearl, the financial situation of most made buying beer an unaffordable luxury. Through her skillful management, Emma Koehler kept the brewery afloat through the depression, selling beer to those who could afford it and continuing many of the business ventures that had carried the brewery through Prohibition.
As the Great Depression ended in the United States, world affairs worsened and spun the globe toward World War II
. After almost 26 years at the helm of the San Antonio Brewing Association, Emma Koehler decided it was time to relinquish the official title. With her “retirement,” so closed an amazing chapter in the brewery's history. While it may not seem much these days, Emma’s successful management role at Pearl was a breakthrough for its day. At a time when women’s suffrage was still in its infancy and women did not yet have the right to vote, Emma Koehler led Texas’ largest brewery and one of the larger breweries in the nation.
Emma did not fade quietly into the history books, however. For years after her retirement she remained an important part of brewery operations. While she did not have voting powers with the San Antonio Brewing Association, she typically had the final word on all large deals or changes. Emma’s successor depended on her heavily after the transition and during the brewery's changes to meet the effort of World War II.
One family the Koehlers helped was Otto's twin brother, Karl Koehler. Karl and his wife moved to Pennsylvania, where they had two boys. The oldest of the two boys was named after Otto. Born on July 24, 1893, as a youngster Otto A. and his younger brother were taken to Europe by their parents for what was supposed to be a short trip. On the trip however, Karl became seriously ill and decided to stay in Germany. In 1908, when Otto A. was just 15, his father finally succumbed to his illnesses and passed away. Otto A. returned to America and became a ward of his uncle Otto and aunt Emma. Otto A. developed a special bond with Otto and Emma, who treated him as a son. In 1921, Otto A. left his other jobs to came to the brewery to assist Emma in daily operations.
When Emma decided it was time to step aside of her post, the board members and Emma picked Otto A. to be her successor. Emma served as Otto's advisor during the transition and his first years as head of the brewery, a position she held until her death on April 26, 1943. Although the Koehlers did not own the brewery, after the first Otto, his wife Emma, and now Otto A., the family was very much considered the owners not only by the community, but the brewery board members and workers alike. Otto A. was a strong leader and businessman who had learned much from his aunt and uncle. It was this strength that he would have to draw on as turbulent times lay ahead for the brewery and beer brewing industry as a whole.
beer for the troops abroad. At the end of the war, Pearl reestablished its aggressive growth drive and shifted marketing to focus on the emerging power buyer, the post-war housewife.
Production and market-wise, the 1950s was similar to the late 1940s. In the early 50s the San Antonio Brewing Association felt they needed to increase the association of their number one product, Pearl lager beer, with the company itself. In marketing research, the association found that most consumers believed the San Antonio Brewing Association encompassed more than a single brewery; in fact, the public thought San Antonio Brewing Association referred to all brewing in San Antonio in general. Therefore, in 1952 the San Antonio Brewing Association changed its name to the Pearl Brewing Company (1952–present).
Pearl was successful, not only in Texas but on a national level as well. Larger companies saw this success and made many attempts to buy out Pearl and their beers. Almost all offers were never even considered. In what would turn out later to be ironic, one company came very, very close to buying out the Pearl Brewing Company in the 1950s: Pabst Brewing Company
. B.B. McGimsey, who was Pearl’s plant manager, shareholder, and the face of Pearl at most events, began gaining support to sell the brewery off. McGimsey was a charismatic leader who most of the employees liked and respected. McGimsey’s influence also reached other board members, and when the offer came from Pabst, it wasn’t as easily dismissed. Details of the offer have long been lost, but one can surmise it was a good deal given the consideration given to it by Pearl. McGimsey believed that Pearl’s stance as an independent Texas brewer would never allow them to truly compete on a national level with brewers from St. Louis
and Milwaukee. Ultimately the sale to Pabst was defeated by Otto A. and the other shareholders, but only by the slimmest of margins. Pearl maintained its independence, for now.
Otto A. and the board began studying other companies to try and see what innovations or organizational structure
s were working, and if those changes could be applied to Pearl. Pearl’s board noticed that the larger brewers such as Anheuser-Busch were not attempting to push more and more products out of a single brewery; instead they had several breweries spread out to distribute their products. Pearl seized on the idea of a second brewery and began to explore the options. Location was a huge factor in the considerations. San Antonio’s location allowed Pearl to reach both the east coast and west coast equally well. However, San Antonio’s southern position wasn't ideal for reaching places like Maine
or Washington state.
One idea was to build a second brewery somewhere in the northern Mid-West. Initial studies of this idea proved too costly to be feasible. The price tag of land, permits, zoning, construction, equipment, manpower, and initial operations proved to be too large for Pearl to afford. Pearl could have raised the cash need for the project, but doing so would have extended the company a little too thin, and one misstep or hiccup in sales could force Pearl into bankruptcy
.
Rather than building a second brewery and potentially putting the company at risk, Pearl decided to purchase an existing brewery to increase production and the distribution network. Overall, buying out another brewery meant a larger initial investment, but the new brewery would be able to output Pearl beer almost immediately and therefore help recoup costs quicker. From a shortlist of potentials, the M. K. Goetz Brewing Company in St. Joseph, Missouri
, seemed the perfect fit for Pearl’s plans. Goetz’s historic brewery would allow increased production levels and the ability to utilize the well established distribution network to help Pearl reach untapped markets. In addition, Pearl gained access to the Goetz line of beers, everything from pilsners to malt liquor
s.
In 1961 the Pearl Brewing Company officially purchased the M. K. Goetz Brewing Company. Overall the merger of the two companies was a success. Beers from both companies began to see production at the two facilities. Goetz brewed all of the Pearl beers for easier distribution in the north, and Pearl produced Goetz’s Country Club malt liquor. Country Club proved very successful for Pearl, and in fact is the only Goetz beer still in production by Pabst today under the Pearl Brewing Company name. The merger wasn’t without its hiccups, but overall the transition occurred smoothly. Pearl took over as the corporate headquarters and some duplicate jobs were eliminated. Overall the production side of Goetz remained intact, with Pearl treating Goetz employees just as they did the employees in San Antonio, like family.
, each company would sponsor as many floats and events as possible in an attempt to get their name out the most in the public eye. During the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
, Lone Star and Pearl would get into bidding wars over the blue ribbon
winner of each show-animal category. The two breweries would drive the prices up sometimes triple the animal's worth, all in an attempt to best their rival.
The strangest twist to the seamlessly endless rivalry involved a small candy company in San Antonio, called Judson Candies. In 1965 the Pearl Brewing Company bought Judson Candies from the three sons whose father had helped found the business. On its own, Judson was a profitable company that had an established name in the candy industry. Judson wasn't on the level of Hershey
or Mars
, but Judson did have strong sales in the Southwest. Pearl simply made the Judson sons an offer they could not refuse. So, in 1965 Judson Candies joined the Pearl and Goetz families under the umbrella of the Pearl Brewing Company.
Judson was part of the company, but in many ways it was still very independent. Financial backing came down from Pearl, but Judson still made decisions on their own, setting their own strategic goals independently of Pearl. Whatever the decisions were at Judson, they obviously worked. From the day Pearl acquired them, up until they were sold off to members of the Atkinson's Candy
family in 1983, Judson remained a profitable business. When the Atkinsons bought Judson, the only real evidence of ownership by a larger company, and one in a completely different industry, was the office furniture and supplies. Everything in the Judson offices were labeled with "Property of the Pearl Brewing Company" and items such as pencils, pens, ashtrays, notepads, and even first aid kit
s were branded with the Pearl logos.
Although profitable and requiring little oversight, there was never an official statement on why Pearl purchased Judson. Other than support for Judson, Pearl never branded their name on any of the candy products, even in an era when it was completely acceptable for celebrities and popular cartoon characters to push adult-oriented items such as alcohol
and cigarettes. From the surface, it makes no sense that a major brewery would enter a completely foreign market to buy a company and support it, yet not use the purchased company in the larger company's goals. It makes no sense at all, that is until you look at the purchase in the context of the feud between Pearl and Lone Star that is.
In 1949 Mr. Harry Jersig became president of Lone Star, and effectively the nemesis to Otto A. Koehler. Through the 50s and 60s, competition between the two was fierce and generated a no-holds-barred mentality. Mr. Jersig had not always been in the brewing industry, and in fact got his start doing something completely different. Mr. Jersig learned the ropes of business while working in the Judson Candies Company for many years. In fact, Jersig worked at Judson so long, that he considered the owners and workers at Judson Candies like family. Decades later in 1965, Jersig's adopted family was purchased by his biggest competitor. Pearl's purchase of Judson might not have made any sense in the form of black-and-white business strategy, but it was pure gold in the propaganda
and mental war against Lone Star.
did not bring a change in luck for Pearl or Pabst as a whole. Changes instituted in the 1990s saved money, but did not solve the company's larger problems. To stay alive, Pabst needed a change, a huge one. As our calendars and clocks turned to celebrate 2000, Pabst's new strategic plan was well underway. In order to save even more money, they had devised a bold idea to save the company, closing all of their breweries and ending their own beer production. The Pearl Brewery's days as a full blown brewery were numbered.
After 118 years of brewing along the San Antonio River
, the doors to the Pearl Brewery closed. The community felt betrayed by Pabst, resulting in countless less-than-pleasant articles in the local papers and on the Internet. The public only saw that Pabst had closed a historic part of San Antonio and forced over 150 workers into unemployment. In truth though, the resulting situation wasn't completely Pabst's own doing. Consumers had moved on, following the media and promotional blitz of Anheuser-Busch and Miller. A domino effect had occurred that most just could not see that had forced Pabst to make the decisions they did. Pearl's sales had been slipping for decades, resulting in less capital to maintain Pearl's quality, which resulted in even more people turning against the brew. With a lack of cash, no foreseeable increase in sales, and faced with sub-par equipment in an aging facility, Pabst made the only business decision they possibly could and shut the brewery doors.
is a virtual brewery. Pabst no longer owns or operates any of their former breweries. Every brewery Pabst either built or bought has been shut down, the Pearl Brewery being one of them. Instead, Pabst contracts out the brewing of all of their beers to other brewers. By far, Pabst's largest agreement is with Miller Brewing Company
, which produces Pabst's major brands as well as Pearl and Lone Star. Although Pabst’s more popular beers such as Colt 45
, Stroh’s
, and Pabst Blue Ribbon
are produced at just about every Miller facility, Pearl is only brewed at the Ft. Worth, Texas
location.
Pearl, Pearl Light, and Country Club are still available to this day, but only in small volumes and in select markets such as Texas and Oklahoma
. Today's distribution is a far cry from the 47-state coverage Pearl's beers once enjoyed. In addition, the variety Pearl's beers were available in has also decreased. Although previously produced and sold in every form, such as bottles, cans, and kegs, the current iteration of Pearl is only available in 12-packs of 12-oz. cans. Likewise Country Club has been reduced to only 40-oz. bottles. Many who have tasted Pearl before and after the Pabst merger claim the formula has changed, customers say today’s Pearl tastes like a weaker version of Budweiser
. Officially though, Pabst claims the formula used for today's Pearl is the same that was originally bought by the San Antonio Brewing Association back in 1886.
It's hard to say what will become of the last three of the Pearl Brewing Company's once proud beer portfolio. Pabst seems to have no intentions of working to bring Pearl, Pearl Light, or Country Club back into the mainstream like they have done with Lone Star beer. Pearl's three brews receive little or no marketing dollars, thus the lack of any advertising campaigns. However, in the summer of 2008, Pabst did launch an independent Pearl website which features several pictures, history, and a state distributor locater.
When operations ceased at the Pearl Brewery in 2001, many thought it would be the end for the brewery's buildings. The brewery's proximity to downtown San Antonio and the easy access to several highways led many to believe it would be a prime target to be razed and replaced. However, the two attributes, along with another surprise development, actually saved the brewery facilities and helped to ensure its architecture would survive. San Antonio has begun work to expand the River Walk
north to where the river meets U.S. Route 281
. As luck would have it, the Pearl Brewery is mere feet from a section of the river expansion, thus making it an attractive location and eligible for incentives by the city to assist business development.
Toward the end of 2002, Silver Ventures, a San Antonio-based investment firm, purchased the 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) brewery site. Fortunately, the company has big plans for many of the current structures on the brewery property, with the hopes to attract businesses as well as River Walk tourists. The dream of Silver Ventures is that once completed, the former brewery will be a village within eyesight of downtown San Antonio. In a local article, Bill Shown, the development's managing director, described an area that would house an event hall, schools, retail, office and residential space. The idea is to create an area where people can live, shop, and work, yet a close-knit-enough community where residents know the shop owners.
The first phase of rehabilitation and restoration included the garage, a large brick storage shed, and the former hospitality room/stables. The brewery's garage, which was built in 1939, houses the Aveda Institute
, a global company focusing on environmentally friendly personal products. In the same building as Aveda, there's an excellent cafe named Texas Farm to Table, which only uses Texas-grown ingredients. The renovation updated the building to meet the current business needs, but still maintains the brewery feel to the exterior by reusing beer storage tanks as landscaping water tanks and a few of the garage's old red pumps. The garage was the first facility opened in Silver Ventures' new Pearl Brewery and gave the public a glimpse of what was to come.
The Center for Foods of the Americas (CFA), an upscale culinary institute developed by the Culinary Institute of America
, utilizes one of the brewery's large sheds. CFA was originally planned to occupy the former bottling shop, but a mysterious fire in November 2003 gutted the building and forced its demolition. CFA's current building's old garage doors have been removed and replaced by large windows to show off the lines of counters, sinks, and spotless shiny pots hanging from the ceiling. The school offers a 30-week Culinary Arts Certificate Program, geared to take students from the very basics of cooking to the masterpiece where students prepare their own graduation celebration. In January 2008, CFA transformed from a Culinary Institute of America supported program, to a full fledged campus and was renamed the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio.
The former Pearl Corral/Jersey Lilly has been completely remodeled and renamed. Now called the Pearl Stable, the new facility opened in May 2006 and serves as the showpiece of Phase 1 of the overall project. The building retained its oval shape, and architects rebuilt the glazed skylight cupola
and a recreation of the stable's false-front pediment
, which were originally on the stable. Above the main entrance, the pediment displays the stable’s construction date, 1894. The Pearl Stable is geared to compete with other event halls by offering a full commercial kitchen, easy loading access for caterers, and a state-of-the-art theatrical lighting and sound system. In addition, Pearl Stable will eventually house a museum section featuring the brewery's history through pictures, artifacts, and memorabilia. When Pearl Stable opened, Silver Ventures reached a milestone in the project, phase 1 was completed.
May 2006 also saw the return of another piece of history to the Pearl Brewery. As the new Pearl Stable opened its doors, Engine #2 of the Texas Transportation Company
returned from a complete restoration. Originally built 1909 as lot #758 by the St. Louis, Missouri
-based St. Louis Car Company, Engine #2 saw service with two Texas-based companies prior to coming to Pearl. The engine saw most of its career in use at the Pearl Brewery after the Texas Transportation Company purchased the engine in 1948. Today the engine's paint scheme is exactly the one used on the locomotive from the time it arrived at the brewery up through the early 1970s. Restored at the country's premier locomotive and passenger car restoration service, the Trans-Texas Rail Shop, Engine #2 is immaculate and one of the few examples of electric locomotives on display.
The Recycling Center, now known as the Can Recycle building, wrapped up construction in early December 2006. The old building itself is now gone, but the large silo that was decorated as a Lone Star beer can was retained. The new structure is close to the shape of the old building, but its interior layout and use is vastly different. The Lone Star logo has been re-skinned with a shiny new can depicting the brewery's retro logo, neon beer bubbles, and the phrase "Enjoy the Finer Life," all accentuated with night time lighting. The new facility contains three studio apartments along with two business spaces. The majority of the building is occupied by the Synergy Studio, which provides a full line of yoga
classes along with Nia
, pilates
, and numerous other movement based workouts. The smaller retail space along Avenue A houses Run Wild Sports which specializes in running supplies.
In late 2008 construction completed on the old shipping warehouse on the north end of the brewery, now called Full Goods. The building was partially demolished and the remaining front section stripped of its aluminum siding skin. New sections were added on to the building to expand its space and divide the floor plans into a variety of commercial offices and retail space. The north side, which runs along Grayson Street, will serve as two-story low cost live/work apartments for artists, where the artists can work in studio space on the ground floor and live on the second floor. In November 2008, tenants of Full Goods began moving in. The CE Group, an events hosting company responsible for all events at the brewery, were the first to move in to the building’s new office spaces. By the end of the year the building will house Silver Ventures, Rio Perla Properties, American Institute of Architects San Antonio
, and The Nature Conservancy
. Continuing with Silver Ventures' focus on food, Full Goods also houses Melissa Guerra, a Latin America food products and kitchen store as well as two restaurants: Il Sogno an Italian restaurant and La Gloria which will offer Mexican street food. Full Goods is also home to a $1.35 million solar energy project, Texas' largest, with the capacity to generate 200 kilowatts of electricity.
Restoration continues on the brew house, the centerpiece of the complex. Silver Ventures recently wrapped up 18 months of restoration on the building's exterior. Today the outside looks much like it did in 1894, especially with the return of the San Antonio Brewing Association company name back to the building plaque. The golden cupolas and white wash are gone from the building, instead the rooftops are charcoal, their original color, and the walls have been stripped down to show their natural stone. The brew house project is far from complete though, with plenty of work remaining on the middle and rear of the building, as well as the entire interior.
- one of the more colorful and popular law enforcement personalities of the wild, wild West. In Langtry
, Texas, Judge Roy Bean
declared himself the "Law West of the Pecos
" and ran his court in the town's tiny U.S. Post Office
and bar called the Jersey Lilly Saloon. Judge Roy Bean was as famous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as many of the motion picture stars are today. Judge Bean's favorite (and rumored only) beer in his saloon was Pearl. Seeing this as an opportunity, San Antonio Brewing Association for decades used the connection to Judge Bean and the Jersey Lilly as advertisement focal points. Later, in the 1950s, the brewery's old horse stables were converted into a hospitality room and given a Roy Bean feel to them in honor of Judge Roy Bean and his saloon. The old stables were renovated again in the 1970s with the main hall renamed the Lily Langtry Room and the whole building named the Jersey Lilly. In addition, and exactly replica of Bean's saloon was built and placed on the brewery ground for use in Pearl's "Wild West Shows" and as a gift shop. The ties to Bean's larger-than-life legacy lasted almost a century, weathering the waning popularity of Wild West caused by NASA
's 1960s space programs, and remained predominately visible in the brewery until its closing in 2001.
The Texas Transportation Company was a Class III
short-line railroad in San Antonio, Texas
, that serviced the Pearl Brewery. The company operated electric locomotives on their 1.3 miles (2.1 km) line for more than 113 years. TXTC was originally started as a private company in 1887 until it was chartered on September 24, 1897. In the early days when the Lone Star Brewing Company
was located on W. Jones Avenue, TXTC serviced both breweries. Service ended for the line when the Pearl Brewery closed in 2001.
The triple X logo has long been associated with Pearl. In fact, it was used at the brewery even before Pearl beer became synonymous with the company. When the San Antonio Brewing Association bought the City Brewery and opened it for business in the 1880s, they used the triple Xs in the brewery’s logo. Three large Xs were enclosed in a circle, with the words “City Brewery” on both sides or around the outside of the circle. This was the brewery’s first logo under the San Antonio Brewing Association and thus appeared on all of their advertising and the majority of their bottled and kegged beers.
With the start of Prohibition, the triple Xs disappeared as the company was forced to transform itself and try to survive. The brewery produced a wide variety of bottled drinks during the beer-less time, including Near beer and Root Beer
. Other companies picked up on the use of Xs on their near or root beers, the most famous of which being Triple XXX Root Beer, but Pearl (at that time Alamo Industries/Foods) never used the Xs on any of their products. The Xs were gone from the brewery during Prohibition, but not forgotten.
When the ban on beer ended in 1933, the brewery quickly began the production of beer once again. The bottles of Pearl and Texas Pride rolled off the supply chains and onto retail shelves and saloon bars once again. Along with their return, the triple Xs returned as well. The Xs were absent from advertising and the company logo for 15 years after Prohibition, but they held a prominent status on every single bottle. In the late 1940s the brewery launched an advertising campaign stating the brewery's beers were the “Three xXx of Texas.” The triple Xs took a renewed and increased role at the brewery, but their growth in prominence did not end there.
In 1952 when the San Antonio Brewing Association changed its name to the Pearl Brewing Company, the triple Xs joined the Pearl name as a dominant image on the product and the company as a whole. The triple Xs were back on the company logo and were used on almost all of Pearl's advertisements. The Xs held this significant role up to the very end of production at the brewery in 2001, when the brewery closed its doors and the company logo was abandoned. As production of Pearl beer and Pearl Light spun up at Miller Brewing Company
’s Fort Worth
facility, the product logos were redesigned. The updated label does not utilize the triple Xs, and thus a significant part of company identity has been virtually eliminated from the Pearl beers. However, Pearl's Country Club Malt liquor
still displays the XXXs in its logo.
Many people wonder where the Xs came from, and how were they ever used on beer. In truth, the three Xs are actually a quality rating system. The system was initially used in Europe during the 16th Century. As European royalty traveled their lands and visited neighboring counties, a royal courier
was sent ahead of the official party. The courier’s job was to sample beer at inns along the way. If the beer was only average, the courier would mark the inn’s sign or door with a single X. If the inn’s beer was deemed good, the sign or door would receive two Xs. A mark on an inn of three Xs meant that the beer inside was excellent, and a must-stop for the royal court as they passed through.
The triple Xs were adopted by the San Antonio Brewing Association to portray two things: the high quality of their beers, and the pride that workers put into every ounce of their products. As far as we can tell today, the triple X designation was never bestowed on the brewery by any member or associate of European royalty. The royal rating system is almost forgotten these days, yet it lived on for over a century in different forms at the brewery. The triple Xs may be gone from company and Pearl beer logos, but it has not completely vanished. In the 1960s Pearl absorbed the Goetz Brewing Company and made Country Club Malt Liquor one of Pearl’s key products. When Country Club received its only product makeover a few years after the buyout, Country Club gained the addition of the triple Xs in its logo. The Xs were situated in the top-center of the logo’s crown. Country Club is still produced today, and it still carries the “xXx” mark of Pearl even after all these years.
In 2006 the triple Xs made a huge comeback. When the old horse stables were converted from the Jersey Lilly into the Pearl Stable by Silver Ventures the “xXx” was a massive part of the building’s motif. The triple Xs were incorporated into areas such as the chandelier
s, the millwork above all the doors, massive bronze plagues above the stage and around the mezzanine
, in the custom carpet, and ever the rafter bracing. There are so many Xs that it defies logic. At almost every event the audience is dared to count all the sets of triple Xs. To date no one has put forth a serious effort, and it’s doubted that even Silver Ventures knows exactly how many Xs are in the Pearl Stable.
It's not uncommon to see beers named after the towns they were brewed in. For example, Texas' own Shiner
is of course brewed in Shiner, Texas
. Naming a beer after a local town or city accomplishes two things. First, it establishes name recognition. Second, it ensures that an increased number of people will at least try the beer, since it's local and they believe that either the beer will be fresher than a beer trucked in from somewhere else, or that the local beer might be more attuned to the area's general taste in beer.
So, seeing a local brewery name a beer after the town or city is pretty common. However, what is not common is a town named after a beer. That's exactly what happened though in Texas with Pearl. In a small community just west of Yoakum, Texas
, a small store had the highest Pearl beer single point of sales for a number of years prior to Prohibition. Walter G. Hagens' general store was the focal point of the community, and it had sold Pearl’s beers by the truck load and still sold a rather large volume of the Prohibition-era non-alcoholic Pearl. The idea to name the town after Pearl was concocted by Hagens and the local Pearl distributor, R. J. Eslinger. In 1942 the motion passed and the German
/Czech town became known as Pearl City.
theme, with a wide range of influences. The Corral contained a replica of Judge Roy Bean
's saloon, cactus decorations, ranching fence lines, and the center attraction — a massive mural depicting the days of the old West. Created by Southwest
artist James Buchanan “Buck” Winn, his work titled The History of Ranching measured 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and over 280 feet (85.3 m) wide. The mural wrapped completely around the Corral's main room and remained there for two decades.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In 1985, Pearl's parent company purchased the Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company is an American company that dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and by 1889 named after Frederick Pabst. It is currently the holding company contracting for the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and malt liquor from defunct companies...
and assumed the Pabst name. In 1999, the Pabst Brewing Company began transferring its production to Miller Brewing
Miller Brewing
The Miller Brewing Company is an American beer brewing company owned by the United Kingdom-based SABMiller. Its regional headquarters are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the company has brewing facilities in Albany, Georgia; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; Eden, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas;...
, on a contract basis, and closing all of its breweries. Pearl beer is still in production at Miller's Ft. Worth, Texas facility, but the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio was closed in 2001. Since then, the former brewery was purchased by Silver Ventures, Inc., which has made the property the crown jewel in revitalization efforts of northern downtown San Antonio.
Origin to Prohibition (1881-1920)
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
in 1918.
During these name changes, the brewery found the product that would become their signature brew. Pearl Beer was formulated and first brewed in Bremen, Germany, by the Kaiser–Beck Brewery, which produces Beck's
Beck's
Brauerei Beck & Co is a German brewery in the north German city of Bremen. Owned by local families until February 2002, it was then sold to Interbrew for 1.8 billion euros. The brewery was formed under the name Kaiserbrauerei Beck & May o.H.G. in 1873 by Lüder Rutenberg, Heinrich Beck and Thomas...
beer. Pearl beer's name came from Kaiser–Beck Brewery's brewmaster, who thought the foamy bubbles in a freshly poured glass of the brew resembled sparkling pearls. In Germany, the brew was called "Perle", which is the German word for pearl. When brought to the United States, the spelling was changed to the English version: pearl. In 1886, the first bottles and wooden kegs of American Pearl beer rolled off the line and into local tap rooms.
Koehler Cultural Center
The Koehler Cultural Center is located on the campus of San Antonio College. The Center was donated to San Antonio College and houses part of the school’s arts department. The center is also known as the Koehler house/mansion and is a focal point for the educational and social life of the college...
, provided a clear view of the city skyline and, of course, included an unobstructed view of the San Antonio Brewing Association's City Brewery. Legend has it that by sitting on his porch, Koehler could determine whether his employees were hard at work by the smoke color rising up from the brewery’s stacks.
After Koehler's death, his wife, Emma, succeeded him as the chief executive. Under Emma Koehler's direction, many of her husband’s strategic plans were either started or fulfilled. Namely, she modernized the original brew house, and by 1916 beer production capacity had significantly increased from 6000 barrels (953.9 m³) per year in the early 20th century to over 110000 barrels (17,488.6 m³) per year. With the tremendous production increase, the San Antonio Brewing Association was able to out pace the Lone Star Brewing Company to become the largest Texas brewery and the beer America most widely associated with Texas and the West.
During the early 20th century, Pearl used advertisement campaigns that featured Judge Roy Bean
Roy Bean
Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. was an eccentric U.S. saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, Judge Roy Bean held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande in a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of...
- one of the more colorful and popular law enforcement personalities of the wild, wild West.
Prohibition
Prior to Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, Texas was a hot spot for beer production. With a strong German and European influence, small and regional breweries littered the state. San Antonio enjoyed the distinction of having two of Texas’ largest breweries: Lone Star Brewery and the San Antonio Brewing Association. Prohibition, though, changed the face of brewing and forced almost every brewery out of business. When the Volstead Act
Volstead Act
The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was the enabling legislation for the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition in the United States...
and Prohibition went into effect on January 16, 1920, Lone Star Brewing Company ended sales, shut the brewery doors, and dissolved the company.
Emma Koehler vowed not to let the brewery go under. In late 1919, the San Antonio Brewing Association changed its name to Alamo Industries (1919–1921) and began operations to comply with Prohibition laws. Times were tough for the brewery and its employees, but the facility stayed open by continuing to produce a Near Beer called "La Perla", bottling soft drinks, dry cleaning
Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. The solvent used is typically tetrachloroethylene , abbreviated "perc" in the industry and "dry-cleaning fluid" by the public...
, operating a small advertising sign division, running a small auto repair shop, and entering the commercial ice and creamery businesses. Being so diverse brought in cash for the company, but it also meant Alamo Industries wasn't particularly good in any one area. As a result, Alamo Industries reorganized their product lines. The company changed their name to the Alamo Foods Company (1921–1933) and shifted their products toward the food specialty. The sections for auto repair, dry cleaning, and advertising were closed or sold off to third parties.
Although no solid proof exists, rumors abound that Alamo Foods used the old brewery equipment for more than "La Perla", and that, in fact, the brewery still bottled a tiny amount of the real Pearl and Texas Pride for close friends and sale on the black market. One thing is certain, though: when the Blaine Act
Blaine Act
The Blaine Act was sponsored by Wisconsin Senator John J. Blaine and passed by the United States Senate on February 17, 1933. It initiated the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established Prohibition in the United States. The repeal was formally adopted as...
ended Prohibition at midnight on September 15, 1933, within minutes, 100 trucks and 25 railroad boxcars loaded with beer rolled out of the brewery grounds.
Post-Prohibition
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Although most of the public would have loved to enjoy a Pearl, the financial situation of most made buying beer an unaffordable luxury. Through her skillful management, Emma Koehler kept the brewery afloat through the depression, selling beer to those who could afford it and continuing many of the business ventures that had carried the brewery through Prohibition.
As the Great Depression ended in the United States, world affairs worsened and spun the globe toward World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After almost 26 years at the helm of the San Antonio Brewing Association, Emma Koehler decided it was time to relinquish the official title. With her “retirement,” so closed an amazing chapter in the brewery's history. While it may not seem much these days, Emma’s successful management role at Pearl was a breakthrough for its day. At a time when women’s suffrage was still in its infancy and women did not yet have the right to vote, Emma Koehler led Texas’ largest brewery and one of the larger breweries in the nation.
Emma did not fade quietly into the history books, however. For years after her retirement she remained an important part of brewery operations. While she did not have voting powers with the San Antonio Brewing Association, she typically had the final word on all large deals or changes. Emma’s successor depended on her heavily after the transition and during the brewery's changes to meet the effort of World War II.
The return of Otto Koehler
Otto and Emma Koehler's lives were filled with helping others and improving the community through various organizations and corporations. Otto and Emma never had children in their long marriage, but their extended family was huge. A large portion of their substantial wealth was spent on helping their families immigrate to the United States from their homeland in Germany. The Koehlers paid for family members' passage to New York and travel expenses to their city of choice, which was usually San Antonio or close proximity. Once relocated, the Koehlers helped set them up with housing and a job at the brewery or one of the other Koehler-owned companies.One family the Koehlers helped was Otto's twin brother, Karl Koehler. Karl and his wife moved to Pennsylvania, where they had two boys. The oldest of the two boys was named after Otto. Born on July 24, 1893, as a youngster Otto A. and his younger brother were taken to Europe by their parents for what was supposed to be a short trip. On the trip however, Karl became seriously ill and decided to stay in Germany. In 1908, when Otto A. was just 15, his father finally succumbed to his illnesses and passed away. Otto A. returned to America and became a ward of his uncle Otto and aunt Emma. Otto A. developed a special bond with Otto and Emma, who treated him as a son. In 1921, Otto A. left his other jobs to came to the brewery to assist Emma in daily operations.
When Emma decided it was time to step aside of her post, the board members and Emma picked Otto A. to be her successor. Emma served as Otto's advisor during the transition and his first years as head of the brewery, a position she held until her death on April 26, 1943. Although the Koehlers did not own the brewery, after the first Otto, his wife Emma, and now Otto A., the family was very much considered the owners not only by the community, but the brewery board members and workers alike. Otto A. was a strong leader and businessman who had learned much from his aunt and uncle. It was this strength that he would have to draw on as turbulent times lay ahead for the brewery and beer brewing industry as a whole.
Power struggle
Through the 1940s, operations at Pearl continued at a steady pace. Pearl was well established as the largest brewer in Texas, even though Lone Star beers had adopted the slogan proclaiming Lone Star the national beer of Texas. Pearl, as a company, did its part in the war effort, reducing can production to save on metals and producing genericGeneric brand
Generic brands of consumer products are distinguished by the absence of a brand name. It is often inaccurate to describe these products as "lacking a brand name", as they usually are branded, albeit with either the brand of the store in which they are sold or a lesser-known brand name which may...
beer for the troops abroad. At the end of the war, Pearl reestablished its aggressive growth drive and shifted marketing to focus on the emerging power buyer, the post-war housewife.
Production and market-wise, the 1950s was similar to the late 1940s. In the early 50s the San Antonio Brewing Association felt they needed to increase the association of their number one product, Pearl lager beer, with the company itself. In marketing research, the association found that most consumers believed the San Antonio Brewing Association encompassed more than a single brewery; in fact, the public thought San Antonio Brewing Association referred to all brewing in San Antonio in general. Therefore, in 1952 the San Antonio Brewing Association changed its name to the Pearl Brewing Company (1952–present).
Pearl was successful, not only in Texas but on a national level as well. Larger companies saw this success and made many attempts to buy out Pearl and their beers. Almost all offers were never even considered. In what would turn out later to be ironic, one company came very, very close to buying out the Pearl Brewing Company in the 1950s: Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company is an American company that dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and by 1889 named after Frederick Pabst. It is currently the holding company contracting for the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and malt liquor from defunct companies...
. B.B. McGimsey, who was Pearl’s plant manager, shareholder, and the face of Pearl at most events, began gaining support to sell the brewery off. McGimsey was a charismatic leader who most of the employees liked and respected. McGimsey’s influence also reached other board members, and when the offer came from Pabst, it wasn’t as easily dismissed. Details of the offer have long been lost, but one can surmise it was a good deal given the consideration given to it by Pearl. McGimsey believed that Pearl’s stance as an independent Texas brewer would never allow them to truly compete on a national level with brewers from St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Milwaukee. Ultimately the sale to Pabst was defeated by Otto A. and the other shareholders, but only by the slimmest of margins. Pearl maintained its independence, for now.
Goetz Brewing Company
Although narrowly defeated in the vote to be acquired by Pabst, McGimsey and fellow members of Pearl’s board still pushed for change in the company. The predominating theme throughout was growth. The acquisition of Pearl by a larger company was no longer considered, but then how could the company really grow and hope to compete with industry leaders such as Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Pabst? Pearl considered expanding the San Antonio brewery to increase production, but after researching the idea Pearl realized expanding the brewery could only gain them a nominal production increase and ultimately would not be worth the overall investment.Organizational structure
An organizational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims. It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its...
s were working, and if those changes could be applied to Pearl. Pearl’s board noticed that the larger brewers such as Anheuser-Busch were not attempting to push more and more products out of a single brewery; instead they had several breweries spread out to distribute their products. Pearl seized on the idea of a second brewery and began to explore the options. Location was a huge factor in the considerations. San Antonio’s location allowed Pearl to reach both the east coast and west coast equally well. However, San Antonio’s southern position wasn't ideal for reaching places like Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
or Washington state.
One idea was to build a second brewery somewhere in the northern Mid-West. Initial studies of this idea proved too costly to be feasible. The price tag of land, permits, zoning, construction, equipment, manpower, and initial operations proved to be too large for Pearl to afford. Pearl could have raised the cash need for the project, but doing so would have extended the company a little too thin, and one misstep or hiccup in sales could force Pearl into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
Rather than building a second brewery and potentially putting the company at risk, Pearl decided to purchase an existing brewery to increase production and the distribution network. Overall, buying out another brewery meant a larger initial investment, but the new brewery would be able to output Pearl beer almost immediately and therefore help recoup costs quicker. From a shortlist of potentials, the M. K. Goetz Brewing Company in St. Joseph, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, seemed the perfect fit for Pearl’s plans. Goetz’s historic brewery would allow increased production levels and the ability to utilize the well established distribution network to help Pearl reach untapped markets. In addition, Pearl gained access to the Goetz line of beers, everything from pilsners to malt liquor
Malt liquor
Malt liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content. In legal statutes, the term often includes any alcoholic beverage above or equal to 5% alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common parlance, however, it is used for high-alcohol beers made with...
s.
In 1961 the Pearl Brewing Company officially purchased the M. K. Goetz Brewing Company. Overall the merger of the two companies was a success. Beers from both companies began to see production at the two facilities. Goetz brewed all of the Pearl beers for easier distribution in the north, and Pearl produced Goetz’s Country Club malt liquor. Country Club proved very successful for Pearl, and in fact is the only Goetz beer still in production by Pabst today under the Pearl Brewing Company name. The merger wasn’t without its hiccups, but overall the transition occurred smoothly. Pearl took over as the corporate headquarters and some duplicate jobs were eliminated. Overall the production side of Goetz remained intact, with Pearl treating Goetz employees just as they did the employees in San Antonio, like family.
Judson Candies: Pearl's sweet tooth
Although Pearl had long dominated the Texas market over Lone Star, that did not stop the rivalry between the two. Each brewery was intent on being known as the brewery of Texas. Competition in the community was fierce, with both companies doing all they could to be associated with any large event. In the 1950s and 60s the competition was at its highest. For San Antonio's week-long festival called FiestaFiesta San Antonio
"Fiesta San Antonio" is an annual spring festival held in San Antonio, Texas with origins dating to the late 19th century. The festival began as a single event to honor the memory of the battles of The Alamo and San Jacinto....
, each company would sponsor as many floats and events as possible in an attempt to get their name out the most in the public eye. During the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, USA is one of the largest livestock shows and rodeos in the country. Started in 1950, the annual event takes place over three weeks in February...
, Lone Star and Pearl would get into bidding wars over the blue ribbon
Blue ribbon
The blue ribbon is a term used to describe or symbolize something of high quality. The usage came from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners—and prior to that from Cordon Bleu which referred to the blue ribbon worn by a particular order...
winner of each show-animal category. The two breweries would drive the prices up sometimes triple the animal's worth, all in an attempt to best their rival.
The strangest twist to the seamlessly endless rivalry involved a small candy company in San Antonio, called Judson Candies. In 1965 the Pearl Brewing Company bought Judson Candies from the three sons whose father had helped found the business. On its own, Judson was a profitable company that had an established name in the candy industry. Judson wasn't on the level of Hershey
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
or Mars
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
, but Judson did have strong sales in the Southwest. Pearl simply made the Judson sons an offer they could not refuse. So, in 1965 Judson Candies joined the Pearl and Goetz families under the umbrella of the Pearl Brewing Company.
Judson was part of the company, but in many ways it was still very independent. Financial backing came down from Pearl, but Judson still made decisions on their own, setting their own strategic goals independently of Pearl. Whatever the decisions were at Judson, they obviously worked. From the day Pearl acquired them, up until they were sold off to members of the Atkinson's Candy
Atkinson Candy Company
Atkinson Candy Company is a candy company based in Lufkin, Texas, best known for producing the Chick-O-Stick.-History:Atkinson Candy Company was founded in 1932 by B.E. Atkinson, Sr., and his wife, Mabel C...
family in 1983, Judson remained a profitable business. When the Atkinsons bought Judson, the only real evidence of ownership by a larger company, and one in a completely different industry, was the office furniture and supplies. Everything in the Judson offices were labeled with "Property of the Pearl Brewing Company" and items such as pencils, pens, ashtrays, notepads, and even first aid kit
First aid kit
A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid, and can put together for the purpose , or purchased complete...
s were branded with the Pearl logos.
Although profitable and requiring little oversight, there was never an official statement on why Pearl purchased Judson. Other than support for Judson, Pearl never branded their name on any of the candy products, even in an era when it was completely acceptable for celebrities and popular cartoon characters to push adult-oriented items such as alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
and cigarettes. From the surface, it makes no sense that a major brewery would enter a completely foreign market to buy a company and support it, yet not use the purchased company in the larger company's goals. It makes no sense at all, that is until you look at the purchase in the context of the feud between Pearl and Lone Star that is.
In 1949 Mr. Harry Jersig became president of Lone Star, and effectively the nemesis to Otto A. Koehler. Through the 50s and 60s, competition between the two was fierce and generated a no-holds-barred mentality. Mr. Jersig had not always been in the brewing industry, and in fact got his start doing something completely different. Mr. Jersig learned the ropes of business while working in the Judson Candies Company for many years. In fact, Jersig worked at Judson so long, that he considered the owners and workers at Judson Candies like family. Decades later in 1965, Jersig's adopted family was purchased by his biggest competitor. Pearl's purchase of Judson might not have made any sense in the form of black-and-white business strategy, but it was pure gold in the propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
and mental war against Lone Star.
2000s
The new millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
did not bring a change in luck for Pearl or Pabst as a whole. Changes instituted in the 1990s saved money, but did not solve the company's larger problems. To stay alive, Pabst needed a change, a huge one. As our calendars and clocks turned to celebrate 2000, Pabst's new strategic plan was well underway. In order to save even more money, they had devised a bold idea to save the company, closing all of their breweries and ending their own beer production. The Pearl Brewery's days as a full blown brewery were numbered.
After 118 years of brewing along the San Antonio River
San Antonio River
The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in north central San Antonio, approximately four miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the Guadalupe River about ten miles from...
, the doors to the Pearl Brewery closed. The community felt betrayed by Pabst, resulting in countless less-than-pleasant articles in the local papers and on the Internet. The public only saw that Pabst had closed a historic part of San Antonio and forced over 150 workers into unemployment. In truth though, the resulting situation wasn't completely Pabst's own doing. Consumers had moved on, following the media and promotional blitz of Anheuser-Busch and Miller. A domino effect had occurred that most just could not see that had forced Pabst to make the decisions they did. Pearl's sales had been slipping for decades, resulting in less capital to maintain Pearl's quality, which resulted in even more people turning against the brew. With a lack of cash, no foreseeable increase in sales, and faced with sub-par equipment in an aging facility, Pabst made the only business decision they possibly could and shut the brewery doors.
Pearl today
In January 2001 the doors to the brewery were closed. The paths of the Pearl Brewing Company split, one path following the beers themselves as they left San Antonio along with Pabst, and the other staying with the abandoned facilities.Brands
Today, the Pabst Brewing CompanyPabst Brewing Company
Pabst Brewing Company is an American company that dates its origins to a brewing company founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and by 1889 named after Frederick Pabst. It is currently the holding company contracting for the brewing of over two dozen brands of beer and malt liquor from defunct companies...
is a virtual brewery. Pabst no longer owns or operates any of their former breweries. Every brewery Pabst either built or bought has been shut down, the Pearl Brewery being one of them. Instead, Pabst contracts out the brewing of all of their beers to other brewers. By far, Pabst's largest agreement is with Miller Brewing Company
Miller Brewing Company
The Miller Brewing Company is an American beer brewing company owned by the United Kingdom-based SABMiller. Its regional headquarters are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the company has brewing facilities in Albany, Georgia; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; Eden, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas;...
, which produces Pabst's major brands as well as Pearl and Lone Star. Although Pabst’s more popular beers such as Colt 45
Colt 45 (malt liquor)
Colt 45 is a brand of malt liquor introduced by National Brewing Company in the spring of 1963. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, the National Brewing Company and its brands are today owned by the Pabst Brewing Company....
, Stroh’s
Stroh Brewery Company
The Stroh Brewery Company was a beer brewery located in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to their own Stroh's brand, they produced or bought the rights to several other brands including Goebel, Schaefer, Schlitz, Augsburger, Erlanger, Lone Star, Old Milwaukee, Red River, and Signature, as well as...
, and Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon is a brand of beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, originally established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now based in Los Angeles. Pabst Blue Ribbon is contract-brewed in six different breweries around the U.S...
are produced at just about every Miller facility, Pearl is only brewed at the Ft. Worth, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
location.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Today's distribution is a far cry from the 47-state coverage Pearl's beers once enjoyed. In addition, the variety Pearl's beers were available in has also decreased. Although previously produced and sold in every form, such as bottles, cans, and kegs, the current iteration of Pearl is only available in 12-packs of 12-oz. cans. Likewise Country Club has been reduced to only 40-oz. bottles. Many who have tasted Pearl before and after the Pabst merger claim the formula has changed, customers say today’s Pearl tastes like a weaker version of Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
. Officially though, Pabst claims the formula used for today's Pearl is the same that was originally bought by the San Antonio Brewing Association back in 1886.
It's hard to say what will become of the last three of the Pearl Brewing Company's once proud beer portfolio. Pabst seems to have no intentions of working to bring Pearl, Pearl Light, or Country Club back into the mainstream like they have done with Lone Star beer. Pearl's three brews receive little or no marketing dollars, thus the lack of any advertising campaigns. However, in the summer of 2008, Pabst did launch an independent Pearl website which features several pictures, history, and a state distributor locater.
The brewery
San Antonio River Walk
The San Antonio River Walk is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath downtown San Antonio, Texas...
north to where the river meets U.S. Route 281
U.S. Route 281
U.S. Route 281 is a north–south United States highway. At 1,872 miles long it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route....
. As luck would have it, the Pearl Brewery is mere feet from a section of the river expansion, thus making it an attractive location and eligible for incentives by the city to assist business development.
Toward the end of 2002, Silver Ventures, a San Antonio-based investment firm, purchased the 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) brewery site. Fortunately, the company has big plans for many of the current structures on the brewery property, with the hopes to attract businesses as well as River Walk tourists. The dream of Silver Ventures is that once completed, the former brewery will be a village within eyesight of downtown San Antonio. In a local article, Bill Shown, the development's managing director, described an area that would house an event hall, schools, retail, office and residential space. The idea is to create an area where people can live, shop, and work, yet a close-knit-enough community where residents know the shop owners.
Aveda Institute
Aveda Institute is a beauty school which trains students in cosmetology and massage, owned by Aveda. The Institute, which has over 50 schools throughout the United States and internationally, trains students to work in Aveda salons.-History:...
, a global company focusing on environmentally friendly personal products. In the same building as Aveda, there's an excellent cafe named Texas Farm to Table, which only uses Texas-grown ingredients. The renovation updated the building to meet the current business needs, but still maintains the brewery feel to the exterior by reusing beer storage tanks as landscaping water tanks and a few of the garage's old red pumps. The garage was the first facility opened in Silver Ventures' new Pearl Brewery and gave the public a glimpse of what was to come.
The Center for Foods of the Americas (CFA), an upscale culinary institute developed by the Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is a non-profit culinary college located in Hyde Park USA, founded in 1946. The CIA also has branch campuses in St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as a campus in Singapore. It is a not-for-profit academic institution of higher learning...
, utilizes one of the brewery's large sheds. CFA was originally planned to occupy the former bottling shop, but a mysterious fire in November 2003 gutted the building and forced its demolition. CFA's current building's old garage doors have been removed and replaced by large windows to show off the lines of counters, sinks, and spotless shiny pots hanging from the ceiling. The school offers a 30-week Culinary Arts Certificate Program, geared to take students from the very basics of cooking to the masterpiece where students prepare their own graduation celebration. In January 2008, CFA transformed from a Culinary Institute of America supported program, to a full fledged campus and was renamed the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio.
The former Pearl Corral/Jersey Lilly has been completely remodeled and renamed. Now called the Pearl Stable, the new facility opened in May 2006 and serves as the showpiece of Phase 1 of the overall project. The building retained its oval shape, and architects rebuilt the glazed skylight cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and a recreation of the stable's false-front pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
, which were originally on the stable. Above the main entrance, the pediment displays the stable’s construction date, 1894. The Pearl Stable is geared to compete with other event halls by offering a full commercial kitchen, easy loading access for caterers, and a state-of-the-art theatrical lighting and sound system. In addition, Pearl Stable will eventually house a museum section featuring the brewery's history through pictures, artifacts, and memorabilia. When Pearl Stable opened, Silver Ventures reached a milestone in the project, phase 1 was completed.
Texas Transportation Company
The Texas Transportation Company was a Class III short-line railroad in San Antonio, Texas that serviced the Pearl Brewery and several other businesses. The company operated for more than 113 years, starting as a private company in 1887. It was chartered on 24 September 1897...
returned from a complete restoration. Originally built 1909 as lot #758 by the St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
-based St. Louis Car Company, Engine #2 saw service with two Texas-based companies prior to coming to Pearl. The engine saw most of its career in use at the Pearl Brewery after the Texas Transportation Company purchased the engine in 1948. Today the engine's paint scheme is exactly the one used on the locomotive from the time it arrived at the brewery up through the early 1970s. Restored at the country's premier locomotive and passenger car restoration service, the Trans-Texas Rail Shop, Engine #2 is immaculate and one of the few examples of electric locomotives on display.
The Recycling Center, now known as the Can Recycle building, wrapped up construction in early December 2006. The old building itself is now gone, but the large silo that was decorated as a Lone Star beer can was retained. The new structure is close to the shape of the old building, but its interior layout and use is vastly different. The Lone Star logo has been re-skinned with a shiny new can depicting the brewery's retro logo, neon beer bubbles, and the phrase "Enjoy the Finer Life," all accentuated with night time lighting. The new facility contains three studio apartments along with two business spaces. The majority of the building is occupied by the Synergy Studio, which provides a full line of yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
classes along with Nia
Nia
Nia is the debut full-length album by American hip hop duo Blackalicious, released in Europe in late 1999 by Mo' Wax and later released in the United States by Quannum Projects with a slightly altered track list.- Reception :...
, pilates
Pilates
Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates in Germany, the UK and the USA. As of 2005, there were 11 million people practicing the discipline regularly and 14,000 instructors in the United States....
, and numerous other movement based workouts. The smaller retail space along Avenue A houses Run Wild Sports which specializes in running supplies.
In late 2008 construction completed on the old shipping warehouse on the north end of the brewery, now called Full Goods. The building was partially demolished and the remaining front section stripped of its aluminum siding skin. New sections were added on to the building to expand its space and divide the floor plans into a variety of commercial offices and retail space. The north side, which runs along Grayson Street, will serve as two-story low cost live/work apartments for artists, where the artists can work in studio space on the ground floor and live on the second floor. In November 2008, tenants of Full Goods began moving in. The CE Group, an events hosting company responsible for all events at the brewery, were the first to move in to the building’s new office spaces. By the end of the year the building will house Silver Ventures, Rio Perla Properties, American Institute of Architects San Antonio
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, and The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
. Continuing with Silver Ventures' focus on food, Full Goods also houses Melissa Guerra, a Latin America food products and kitchen store as well as two restaurants: Il Sogno an Italian restaurant and La Gloria which will offer Mexican street food. Full Goods is also home to a $1.35 million solar energy project, Texas' largest, with the capacity to generate 200 kilowatts of electricity.
Restoration continues on the brew house, the centerpiece of the complex. Silver Ventures recently wrapped up 18 months of restoration on the building's exterior. Today the outside looks much like it did in 1894, especially with the return of the San Antonio Brewing Association company name back to the building plaque. The golden cupolas and white wash are gone from the building, instead the rooftops are charcoal, their original color, and the walls have been stripped down to show their natural stone. The brew house project is far from complete though, with plenty of work remaining on the middle and rear of the building, as well as the entire interior.
Marketing
During the early 20th century, Pearl used advertisement campaigns that featured Judge Roy BeanRoy Bean
Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. was an eccentric U.S. saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, Judge Roy Bean held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande in a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of...
- one of the more colorful and popular law enforcement personalities of the wild, wild West. In Langtry
Langtry, Texas
Langtry is an unincorporated community in Val Verde County, Texas, United States. The community is notable as the place where "Judge" Roy Bean, the "Law West of the Pecos", had his saloon and practiced a kind of law.-History:...
, Texas, Judge Roy Bean
Roy Bean
Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. was an eccentric U.S. saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, Judge Roy Bean held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande in a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of...
declared himself the "Law West of the Pecos
Pecos
Pecos may refer to:* Pecos Bill, a mythical American cowboy, immortalized in numerous tall tales* Pecos Classification, a division of all known Ancient Pueblo Peoples culture into chronological phases...
" and ran his court in the town's tiny U.S. Post Office
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
and bar called the Jersey Lilly Saloon. Judge Roy Bean was as famous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as many of the motion picture stars are today. Judge Bean's favorite (and rumored only) beer in his saloon was Pearl. Seeing this as an opportunity, San Antonio Brewing Association for decades used the connection to Judge Bean and the Jersey Lilly as advertisement focal points. Later, in the 1950s, the brewery's old horse stables were converted into a hospitality room and given a Roy Bean feel to them in honor of Judge Roy Bean and his saloon. The old stables were renovated again in the 1970s with the main hall renamed the Lily Langtry Room and the whole building named the Jersey Lilly. In addition, and exactly replica of Bean's saloon was built and placed on the brewery ground for use in Pearl's "Wild West Shows" and as a gift shop. The ties to Bean's larger-than-life legacy lasted almost a century, weathering the waning popularity of Wild West caused by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's 1960s space programs, and remained predominately visible in the brewery until its closing in 2001.
Texas Transportation Company
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
short-line railroad in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, that serviced the Pearl Brewery. The company operated electric locomotives on their 1.3 miles (2.1 km) line for more than 113 years. TXTC was originally started as a private company in 1887 until it was chartered on September 24, 1897. In the early days when the Lone Star Brewing Company
Lone Star Brewing Company
The Lone Star Brewery, built in 1884, was the first large, mechanized brewery in Texas. Adolphus Busch, of Anheuser-Busch, founded it along with a group of San Antonio businessmen. The castle-like building now houses the San Antonio Museum of Art. Lone Star beer was the company's main brand. It was...
was located on W. Jones Avenue, TXTC serviced both breweries. Service ended for the line when the Pearl Brewery closed in 2001.
Texas Transportation Museum
The Texas Transportation Museum (TTM) is a registered 501(c) nonprofit organization. Although no longer associated with Pearl, TTM's roots can be traced back to the brewery when TTM began operations in 1964. TTM was never officially owned by Pearl or Pearl's Texas Transportation Company. However, Pearl did provide the museum with various support and backing, primarily though the use of Texas Transportation Company's track and storage areas. In 1969 TTM left the brewery, purchasing its own land and tracks north of San Antonio. Today, the association has been forgotten by most. The only remnants of this partnership are the numerous photos on TTM's website from the period, which show their locomotives in various areas of the brewery.Three xXx of Texas
The triple X logo has long been associated with Pearl. In fact, it was used at the brewery even before Pearl beer became synonymous with the company. When the San Antonio Brewing Association bought the City Brewery and opened it for business in the 1880s, they used the triple Xs in the brewery’s logo. Three large Xs were enclosed in a circle, with the words “City Brewery” on both sides or around the outside of the circle. This was the brewery’s first logo under the San Antonio Brewing Association and thus appeared on all of their advertising and the majority of their bottled and kegged beers.
With the start of Prohibition, the triple Xs disappeared as the company was forced to transform itself and try to survive. The brewery produced a wide variety of bottled drinks during the beer-less time, including Near beer and Root Beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
. Other companies picked up on the use of Xs on their near or root beers, the most famous of which being Triple XXX Root Beer, but Pearl (at that time Alamo Industries/Foods) never used the Xs on any of their products. The Xs were gone from the brewery during Prohibition, but not forgotten.
When the ban on beer ended in 1933, the brewery quickly began the production of beer once again. The bottles of Pearl and Texas Pride rolled off the supply chains and onto retail shelves and saloon bars once again. Along with their return, the triple Xs returned as well. The Xs were absent from advertising and the company logo for 15 years after Prohibition, but they held a prominent status on every single bottle. In the late 1940s the brewery launched an advertising campaign stating the brewery's beers were the “Three xXx of Texas.” The triple Xs took a renewed and increased role at the brewery, but their growth in prominence did not end there.
In 1952 when the San Antonio Brewing Association changed its name to the Pearl Brewing Company, the triple Xs joined the Pearl name as a dominant image on the product and the company as a whole. The triple Xs were back on the company logo and were used on almost all of Pearl's advertisements. The Xs held this significant role up to the very end of production at the brewery in 2001, when the brewery closed its doors and the company logo was abandoned. As production of Pearl beer and Pearl Light spun up at Miller Brewing Company
Miller Brewing Company
The Miller Brewing Company is an American beer brewing company owned by the United Kingdom-based SABMiller. Its regional headquarters are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the company has brewing facilities in Albany, Georgia; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; Eden, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas;...
’s Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
facility, the product logos were redesigned. The updated label does not utilize the triple Xs, and thus a significant part of company identity has been virtually eliminated from the Pearl beers. However, Pearl's Country Club Malt liquor
Malt liquor
Malt liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content. In legal statutes, the term often includes any alcoholic beverage above or equal to 5% alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common parlance, however, it is used for high-alcohol beers made with...
still displays the XXXs in its logo.
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
was sent ahead of the official party. The courier’s job was to sample beer at inns along the way. If the beer was only average, the courier would mark the inn’s sign or door with a single X. If the inn’s beer was deemed good, the sign or door would receive two Xs. A mark on an inn of three Xs meant that the beer inside was excellent, and a must-stop for the royal court as they passed through.
The triple Xs were adopted by the San Antonio Brewing Association to portray two things: the high quality of their beers, and the pride that workers put into every ounce of their products. As far as we can tell today, the triple X designation was never bestowed on the brewery by any member or associate of European royalty. The royal rating system is almost forgotten these days, yet it lived on for over a century in different forms at the brewery. The triple Xs may be gone from company and Pearl beer logos, but it has not completely vanished. In the 1960s Pearl absorbed the Goetz Brewing Company and made Country Club Malt Liquor one of Pearl’s key products. When Country Club received its only product makeover a few years after the buyout, Country Club gained the addition of the triple Xs in its logo. The Xs were situated in the top-center of the logo’s crown. Country Club is still produced today, and it still carries the “xXx” mark of Pearl even after all these years.
In 2006 the triple Xs made a huge comeback. When the old horse stables were converted from the Jersey Lilly into the Pearl Stable by Silver Ventures the “xXx” was a massive part of the building’s motif. The triple Xs were incorporated into areas such as the chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s, the millwork above all the doors, massive bronze plagues above the stage and around the mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
, in the custom carpet, and ever the rafter bracing. There are so many Xs that it defies logic. At almost every event the audience is dared to count all the sets of triple Xs. To date no one has put forth a serious effort, and it’s doubted that even Silver Ventures knows exactly how many Xs are in the Pearl Stable.
Pearl City, Texas
Spoetzl Brewery
Spoetzl Brewery is a brewery located in Shiner, Texas, USA. Also known as the "little brewery in Shiner", the brewery produces Shiner Bock, a dark beer that is now distributed in 41 states. The brewery is owned by The Gambrinus Company.-History:...
is of course brewed in Shiner, Texas
Shiner, Texas
Shiner is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. The town was named after Henry B. Shiner who donated for railroad right of way. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 2,070....
. Naming a beer after a local town or city accomplishes two things. First, it establishes name recognition. Second, it ensures that an increased number of people will at least try the beer, since it's local and they believe that either the beer will be fresher than a beer trucked in from somewhere else, or that the local beer might be more attuned to the area's general taste in beer.
So, seeing a local brewery name a beer after the town or city is pretty common. However, what is not common is a town named after a beer. That's exactly what happened though in Texas with Pearl. In a small community just west of Yoakum, Texas
Yoakum, Texas
Yoakum is a city in DeWitt and Lavaca Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 5,731 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Yoakum is located at ....
, a small store had the highest Pearl beer single point of sales for a number of years prior to Prohibition. Walter G. Hagens' general store was the focal point of the community, and it had sold Pearl’s beers by the truck load and still sold a rather large volume of the Prohibition-era non-alcoholic Pearl. The idea to name the town after Pearl was concocted by Hagens and the local Pearl distributor, R. J. Eslinger. In 1942 the motion passed and the German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
/Czech town became known as Pearl City.
The History of Ranching mural
When the Pearl Brewery, then the San Antonio Brewing Association, remodeled their stables into a new meeting/hospitality facility, they had no idea of the importance of some of their decorating choices. The remodeled stables, dubbed the Pearl Corral, focused on a WesternAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
theme, with a wide range of influences. The Corral contained a replica of Judge Roy Bean
Roy Bean
Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. was an eccentric U.S. saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, Judge Roy Bean held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande in a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of...
's saloon, cactus decorations, ranching fence lines, and the center attraction — a massive mural depicting the days of the old West. Created by Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
artist James Buchanan “Buck” Winn, his work titled The History of Ranching measured 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and over 280 feet (85.3 m) wide. The mural wrapped completely around the Corral's main room and remained there for two decades.
Official sites
- Pearl Brewery - Silver Venture's official site for the former brewery's urban village.
- Pearl Brewery's Site Map - Full listing of the proposed buildings and spaces.
- Pearl Brewery's Public Spaces - Plan showing all the public areas in the new redevelopment.
- Pabst Brewing Company - Official site for the current owner of the Pearl beer brands.
- Pearl Beer - Pabst's official site for Pearl beer.
Brewery tenants
- AIA San Antonio - The Center for Architecture is home to American Institute of Architects San Antonio chapter and the Architecture Foundation of San Antonio
- Aveda Institute San Antonio - Company renowned in the hair and skin industry which trains students in cosmetology and esthiology.
- CE Group - Host company for all of Pearl's events & the first tenants in the Full Goods building.
- Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio - Institute which features a 30 week culinary arts program and numerous food enthusiast classes.
- Il Sogno - Local chef Andrew Weissman's Italian bistro.
- Melissa Guerra - Retail store specializing in top quality Mexican kitchenware and ingredients.
- Pearl Farmer's Market - Weekly farmer's market featuring variety of goods as well as cooking demonstrations.
- Pearl Stable - State of the art meeting and event venue.
- Run Wild Sports - Retail store geared toward various physical fitness activities.
- The Nature Conservancy, Texas - The Texas office for a global conservation organization focused on protecting ecologically important lands and waters.
- Sandbar Fish House & Market - Local chef Andrew Weissman's second restaurant at Pearl, this one focusing on seafood and shellfish.
- The Synergy Studio - Yoga and multi-study studio housed in Pearl's former Can Recycling Building.
- Texas Farm to Table - The brewery's original cafe and light catering service specializing in local produce.
- The Twig Book Shop - Independent book shop with a variety of books from each genre.