The Pearl Brewing Company (also known as the Pearl Brewery or just Pearl ) was an American brewery established in 1883 in downtown San Antonio , Texas , United States . In 1985, Pearl's parent company purchased the Pabst Brewing Company and assumed the Pabst name.
109-676: In 1999, the Pabst Brewing Company began transferring its production to Miller Brewing on a contract basis and closed all of its own breweries. Pearl beer is still in production at Miller's Fort 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 used the property as part of the revitalization efforts of southern Midtown and northern downtown San Antonio. The site owned and operated by
218-532: A gringo ". To escape being charged with murder by Mexican authorities, Roy and Sam Bean fled west to Sonora , Mexico. By the spring of 1849, Roy Bean had moved to San Diego , California, to live with his elder brother Joshua Bean . The latter was elected the first mayor of San Diego the following year, after California became part of the Union. Considered handsome, Bean competed for the attentions of various local women. A Scotsman named John Collins challenged Bean to
327-501: A Latin American 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
436-421: A Mexican officer. Bean challenged the groom to a duel and killed him. Six of the dead man's friends put Bean on a horse and tied a noose around his neck, leaving him to hang when the horse moved. When he was hanged, the rope stretched and Bean was able to stay alive. The bride, who had been hiding behind a tree, cut the rope, freeing him and saving his life. This experience left Bean with a permanent rope burn and
545-624: 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
654-429: A century, and remained predominantly visible in the brewery until its closing in 2001. The Texas Transportation Company (TXTC) was a class III short-line railroad in San Antonio that serviced the Pearl Brewery. The company operated electric locomotives on their 1.3-mile (2.1 km) line for more than 113 years. TXTC was started as a private company in 1887 until it was chartered on September 24, 1897. Volunteers from
763-609: 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, an exact replica of Bean's saloon was built and placed on the brewery grounds for use in Pearl's "Wild West Shows" and as a gift shop. The ties to Bean's larger-than-life legacy lasted almost
872-595: A local law jurisdiction be set up in Vinegaroon, and on August 2, 1882, Bean was appointed justice of the peace for the new Precinct 6 in Pecos County . His first case, however, had been heard earlier, on 25 July 1882, when Texas Rangers brought in Joe Bell to be tried. One of his first acts as a justice of the peace was to "shoot [...] up the saloon shack of a Jewish competitor". Bean then turned his tent saloon into
981-429: 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 one looks at the purchase in the context of the feud between Pearl and Lone Star. 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
1090-489: A microbrewery that produced enough output for 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
1199-508: A part-time courtroom and began calling himself the "Only Law West of the Pecos". As a judge, Bean relied on a single law book, the 1879 edition of the Revised Statutes of Texas , and when newer law books showed up he used them as kindling . Bean did not allow hung juries or appeals. Jurors, who were chosen from his best bar customers, were expected to buy a drink during every court recess. He
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#17330854744321308-485: A pistol-shooting match on horseback. Bean was left to choose the targets and decided that they would shoot at each other. The duel was fought on February 24, 1852, and ended with Collins receiving a wound to his right arm. Both men were arrested and charged with assault with intent to murder. In the two months that he was in jail, Bean received many gifts of flowers, food, wine and cigars from women in San Diego. Hidden in
1417-495: A short list 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 use the well-established distribution network to help Pearl reach untapped markets. In addition, Pearl gained access to the Goetz line of beers, from pilsners to malt liquors . In 1961,
1526-730: 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 close to buying out
1635-655: 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, which meant Alamo Industries did not acquire expertise in any area. As a result, Alamo Industries reorganized its product lines. The company changed its name to the Alamo Foods Company (1921–1933) and shifted its products toward food speciality. 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
1744-450: A state distributor locator. This website has been canned since ca. 2016. 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 the core of 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, these two attributes, along with another surprise development, actually saved
1853-426: 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 generic beer for the troops abroad. At the end of the war, Pearl reestablished its aggressive growth drive and shifted marketing to focus on
1962-592: A stiff neck for the rest of his life. Shortly thereafter, Bean chose to leave California and migrated to New Mexico to live with Sam, who had been elected the first sheriff of Doña Ana County . In 1861 Samuel G. and Roy Bean operated a store and saloon on Main Street in Pinos Altos (just north of Silver City ) in present-day Grant County, New Mexico . It advertised liquor and "a fine billiard table". Roy's cannon , which had been used to repel an Apache assault on
2071-493: A takeover in St. Louis, brewery employees there flew the American flag at half-staff and upside down. Kalmanovitz in 1985 acquired the Pabst breweries, which itself originated in 1844, and proceeded to unite his holdings under the name Pabst Brewing Company rather than that of Lucky Lager. The new millennium did not bring a change in luck for Pearl or Pabst as a whole. Changes instituted in
2180-451: A world championship boxing title bout between Bob Fitzsimmons and Peter Maher on an island in the Rio Grande because boxing matches were illegal in both Texas and Mexico. The fight , won by Fitzsimmons, lasted only 1 minute and 35 seconds, but the resulting sport reports spread Bean's fame throughout the United States. As he aged, Bean spent much of his profits helping the poor of
2289-442: A year after being married, he was arrested for aggravated assault and threatening his wife's life. Despite the tumultuous marriage, they had four children together: Roy Jr., Laura, Zulema and Sam. The family lived in what was described as "a poverty-stricken Mexican slum area called Beanville". Beanville would have been centered near the present-day corner of South Flores Street and Glenn Avenue not far from Burbank High School . By
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#17330854744322398-408: 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 one
2507-428: Is greatly reduced from the 47-state coverage Pearl's beers once enjoyed. In addition, the variety in which Pearl's beers were available 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
2616-514: Is strongest, but the companies had equal voting power. In September 2015, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced it had reached a full agreement to acquire SABMiller for $ 107 billion. As part of the agreement with the U.S. Justice Department , SABMiller divested itself of the Miller brands in the U.S. by selling its stake in MillerCoors to Molson Coors. Consequently, on October 11, 2016, SABMiller in
2725-483: Is to create an area where people can live, shop, and work, yet a community close-knit enough 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
2834-505: 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 virtually every Miller facility, Pearl is only brewed at the Ft. Worth 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
2943-590: 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 kits were branded with
3052-535: The Hamm's brand from Pabst . In 2002, South African Breweries bought Miller from Philip Morris for $ 3.6 billion worth of stock and $ 2 billion in debt to form SABMiller , with Philip Morris retaining a 36% ownership share and 24.99% voting rights. In 2006, SABMiller purchased the Sparks and Steel Reserve brands from McKenzie River Corporation for $ 215 million. Miller had been producing both brands prior to
3161-648: The Miller High Life 500 , Miller 500 , Miller High Life 400 , Miller 400 , Miller 300 , Miller 200 , and Miller 150 races. In the NHRA , Miller sponsored Larry Dixon for 11 years until 2007. From its opening in 2001 until the end of 2020, Miller owned the naming rights to Miller Park , home of the Milwaukee Brewers when the naming rights were bought by American Family Insurance in 2019. Roy Bean Phantly Roy Bean Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903)
3270-545: The Texas Transportation Museum operated a steam locomotive a caboose on TXTC trackage on Pearl property from 1964 to 1977 giving train rides to the public. 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
3379-469: The 1990s saved money, but did not solve the company's larger problems. As of 2000, Pabst's new strategic plan was well underway. To save even more money, they had devised an idea to save the company, closing all of their breweries and ending their own beer production. After 118 years of brewing along the San Antonio River , the doors to the Pearl Brewery closed. In 2001, Silver Ventures, Inc. acquired
Pearl Brewing Company - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-539: The 23-acre (93,000 m) 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 the skyscrapers 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, and retail, office, and residential space. The idea
3597-467: The Can Recycle building, wrapped up construction in early December 2006. The old building is now gone, but the large silo that was decorated as a beer can was retained. The new structure is close to the shape of the old building, but its interior layout and use are vastly different. The surface has been reskinned with a shiny new can depicting the brewery's retro logo, neon beer bubbles, and the phrase "Enjoy
3706-598: The Center for Foods of the Americas (CFA), an upscale culinary institute developed by the CIA, it 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 cookware hanging from
3815-552: The Finer Life", all accentuated with -ime lighting. The new facility contains three studio apartments and 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
3924-507: 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 advertising focal points. Later, in the 1950s, the brewery's old horse stables were converted into
4033-476: 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. Pearl's three brews receive little or no marketing dollars, thus lack advertising campaigns. However, Pabst did launch an independent Pearl website which featured several pictures, history, and
4142-456: 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 was not on the level of Hershey or Mars , but 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
4251-424: 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 whom most of the employees liked and respected. McGimsey's influence also reached other board members, and when the offer came from Pabst, it was not as easily dismissed. Details of
4360-434: The Pearl Brewing Company name. The merger was not without its problems, but overall the transition occurred smoothly. Pearl took over as the corporate headquarters and some duplicate jobs were eliminated. The production side of Goetz remained intact, with Pearl treating Goetz employees just as they did the employees in San Antonio, like family. Although Pearl had long dominated the Texas market over Lone Star, that did not stop
4469-455: 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 be produced 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
Pearl Brewing Company - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-537: 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 people in business and several moguls already brewing at San Antonio's other major brewery, the Lone Star Brewing Company . Together they formed
4687-505: The Pearl Stable, the new facility opened in May 2006 and serves as the showpiece of phase one 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
4796-438: 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, until they were sold off to members of
4905-433: The Pearl logos. Although profitable and requiring little oversight, an official statement was never given 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
5014-506: The San Antonio Brewing Association was able to outpace 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 famous law enforcement personalities of the Wild West. Prior to Prohibition , Texas
5123-443: 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 from the brewery's stacks. In 1902, Koehler purchased the property to re-open the since-closed Hot Wells hotel, spa , and bathhouse on the San Antonio River on the south side of San Antonio. After Koehler's death, his wife, Emma, succeeded him as
5232-498: The San Antonio Brewing Company (1883–1888) and began raising capital to restart and improve the brewery's operations fully. In 1886, after three 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,
5341-431: 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. Otto A. and the board began studying other companies to try to see what innovations or organizational structures were working, and if those changes could be applied to Pearl. Pearl's board noticed that
5450-520: The U.S. sold its interests in MillerCoors to Molson Coors for around US $ 12 billion. Molson Coors gained full ownership of the Miller brand portfolio outside the US, and retained the rights within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Brands with the Miller name, or historically sold by Miller Brewing company, include: Miller has been a large motorsport sponsor since the 1980s. In the CART World Series ,
5559-522: The United States, the spelling was changed to English: 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 strategic plans to grow in physical size and beer output in motion. The San Antonio Brewing Association went from
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#17330854744325668-614: The area and always made sure that the local schoolhouse had free firewood in the winter. In January 1901 Bean stated that a claim for damages of $ 13,000 from Apache depredations of his mules would certainly be allowed. Bean died peacefully in his bed on March 16, 1903, after a bout of heavy drinking in San Antonio . He and his son, Sam Bean (1874–1907), are interred at the Whitehead Memorial Museum in Del Rio . In 1965, as part of
5777-515: The area and moved to Eagle's Nest, 20 miles (32 km) west of the Pecos River, which was soon renamed Langtry . The original owner of the land, who ran a saloon, had sold 640 acres (2.59 km ) to the railroad on the condition that no part of the land could be sold or leased to Bean. O'Rourke, the Irishman whose case Bean had previously dismissed, told Bean to use the railroad right-of-way, which
5886-541: 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, was the first to move into 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',
5995-444: 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. However, the facility stayed open by continuing to produce a near beer called "La Perla," bottling soft drinks, dry cleaning , operating
6104-494: 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 . The Pearl Brewery is close to 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
6213-509: The brewery found the product that would become its 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'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 ." When brought to
6322-472: 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.,
6431-447: 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 work remaining on
6540-442: The business structure worked, but it confused 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 seven years, the same brewery had three different names; since then, the former brewery was purchased by Silver Ventures, Inc., which has used
6649-427: The case. By December 1882, railroad construction had moved farther westward and Bean moved his courtroom and saloon 70 miles (110 km) to Strawbridge (now Sanderson ). He sent for his children, who then lived with him at the saloon, with his youngest son Sam sleeping on a pool table. A competitor who was already established in the area laced Bean's whiskey with kerosene . Unable to attract customers, Bean left
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#17330854744326758-538: 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
6867-402: 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 6,000 US barrels (720 m) per year in the early 20th century to over 110,000 US barrels (13,000 m) per year. With the tremendous production increase,
6976-506: The coast at Matamoros and returning with needed supplies. For the next twenty years, Bean lived in San Antonio, working nominally as a teamster. During this time he attempted to run a firewood business by cutting down a neighbor's timber. He then tried to run a dairy business but was soon caught watering down the milk. Bean later worked as a butcher, rustling unbranded cattle from other area ranchers for his business. On October 28, 1866, he married eighteen-year-old Virginia Chavez. Within
7085-483: 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 put out Pearl beer almost immediately and therefore help recoup costs more quickly. From
7194-596: The company has sponsored drivers such as Al Unser (1984), Danny Sullivan (1985–1989, 1991), Roberto Guerrero (1990), Bobby Rahal (1992–1998) and Kenny Bräck (2003). It also sponsored the Miller 200 race at Mid-Ohio. In 1997, Miller Brewing Company, under its Miller Lite brand, sponsored a car in the Indy Racing League , specifically for the Indianapolis 500 . The car was driven by Arie Luyendyk . This sponsorship
7303-564: The effort of World War II. 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
7412-424: The emerging power buyer, the postwar housewife. Production and market-wise, the 1950s were 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
7521-477: The end of Prohibition, so too came the end of the Alamo Foods Company. The company went back to its 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
7630-535: The family until 1966. The company was one of six breweries affected by the 1953 Milwaukee brewery strike . In 1961, Miller purchased the smallest of the "Big Five" Milwaukee brewers, A. Gettelman Brewing Company . In 1966, the conglomerate W. R. Grace and Company bought Miller from Lorraine John Mulberger (Frederick Miller's granddaughter, who objected to alcohol) and her family. In 1969, Philip Morris (now Altria ) bought Miller from W. R. Grace for $ 130 million, outbidding PepsiCo . In 1999, Miller acquired
7739-400: 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. Through the 1940s, operations at Pearl continued at
7848-435: The final gifts he received there were knives that were encased in tamales . Bean used the knives to dig through the cell wall and escaped on April 17, 1852. He fled to San Gabriel, California , where he became a bartender in his elder brother Joshua's "Headquarters Saloon". After Joshua was murdered in November 1852, Bean inherited the saloon. In 1854 Bean courted a young woman who was subsequently kidnapped and forced to marry
7957-454: The helm of the San Antonio Brewing Association, Emma Koehler decided it was time to relinquish the official title. Her “retirement” 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
8066-428: 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
8175-501: 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 and West Coasts equally well. However, San Antonio's southern position
8284-551: The late 1870s Bean was operating a saloon in Beanville and had heard that many construction camps were opening as several railroad companies were working to extend the railroads west. A store owner in Beanville "was so anxious to have this unscrupulous character out of the neighborhood" that she bought all of Bean's possessions for $ 900 so that he could leave San Antonio. At the time, Bean and his wife were separated and he had left his children with friends as he prepared to go west. With
8393-539: The majority of their bottled and kegged beers. Miller Brewing The Miller Brewing Company is an American brewery and beer company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin . It was founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller . Molson Coors acquired the full global brand portfolio of Miller Brewing Company in 2016, and operates the Miller Brewery at the site of the original Miller Brewing Company complex. Miller Brewing Company
8502-457: The middle and rear of the building, as well as the entire interior. 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. In Langtry , Texas, Judge 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
8611-450: The money he received, Bean purchased a tent, some supplies to sell, and ten 55-gallon barrels of whiskey. By the spring of 1882, he had established a small saloon near the Pecos River in a tent city he named Vinegaroon. Within 20 miles (32 km) of the tent city were 8,000 railroad workers. The nearest court was 120 miles (190 km) away at Fort Stockton , and there were few means to stop illegal activity. A Texas Ranger requested that
8720-443: The most in the public eye. During the annual San Antonio Stock Show and 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 seemingly endless rivalry involved a small candy company in San Antonio, called Judson Candies. In 1965,
8829-448: 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
8938-459: 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 sure, 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
9047-482: The property and transitioned the brewery to the boutique hotel, Hotel Emma , which opened in 2015. The hotel is named after Emma Koehler, the wife of Pearl Brewery president Otto Koehler. In 2020, Pearl relaunched its beer and changed their formula. Today, the Pabst Brewing Company is a marketing company; Pabst no longer owns or operates any of their former breweries. Pabst contracts out the brewing of all of their beers to other brewers. By far, Pabst's largest agreement
9156-550: The property as part of the revitalization efforts of southern Midtown and northern Downtown San Antonio. In addition, the name City Brewery was frequently used. The first logos used for the San Antonio Brewing Company/Association even featured City Brewery in the logo. City Brewery was carried over from the Behloradsky days and was used until the beginning of Prohibition in 1918. During these name changes,
9265-483: The purchase. On July 1, 2008, SABMiller formed MillerCoors , a joint venture with rival Molson Coors , to consolidate the production and distribution of its products in the United States, with each parent company's corporate operations and international operations to remain separate and independent of the joint venture. SABMiller owned 58% of the unit, which operated in the United States but not in Canada, where Molson Coors
9374-426: 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 Fiesta , each company would sponsor as many floats and events as possible in an attempt to get their name out
9483-438: The same building as Aveda is a 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 Culinary Institute of America (CIA) uses one of the brewery's large sheds. Originally created there as
9592-437: The time being. 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 predominant 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
9701-710: The town, was displayed in front of the store. During the Civil War , the Confederate Army had invaded New Mexico . During the Battle of Glorieta Pass in March 1862, the Confederates lost their supply wagons and were forced to retreat to San Antonio. After taking money from his brother's safe, Bean joined the retreating army. For the remainder of the war, he ran the naval blockade by hauling cotton from San Antonio to British ships off
9810-501: The two was fierce and generated a no-holds-barred mentality. Jersig had not always been in the brewing industry, and in fact got his start doing something completely different. 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
9919-518: Was a teamster and bullwhacker . He hauled freight to Santa Fe and then on to Chihuahua , Mexico. After Sam fought in the Mexican–American War , he moved out of San Antonio, where his younger brother Roy had joined him. In 1848 the two brothers opened a trading post in the Mexican state of Chihuahua . Soon after, Roy Bean shot and killed a Mexican desperado who had threatened "to kill
10028-535: Was a hot spot for beer production. With a strong German and European influence, small and regional breweries were found throughout the state. San Antonio enjoyed 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
10137-440: Was a large oak tree with a heavy log chain that served as a "jail" for those unable to pay their fines; all cases were settled by fines. Bean refused to send the state any part of the fines, and kept all of the money. In most cases the fines were made for the exact amount the accused person was carrying. Bean was noted for his unusual verdicts, some of which are reported to have been: Bean won re-election to his post in 1884, but
10246-430: Was also known for his unusual rulings. In one case, an Irishman named Paddy O'Rourke shot a Chinese laborer. During the trial, a mob of 200 angry Irishmen surrounded the courtroom and saloon, threatening to lynch Bean if O'Rourke was not freed. After looking through his law book, Bean ruled that "homicide was the killing of a human being; however, he could find no law against killing a Chinaman " and subsequently dismissed
10355-624: Was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas , who called himself "The Only Law West of the Pecos ". According to legend, he held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande on a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest Texas. After his death, fictional Western films and books cast him as a hanging judge , although he is known to have sentenced only two men to hang, one of whom escaped. Roy Bean
10464-604: Was 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 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
10573-654: Was born circa 1825 in Mason County, Kentucky , and was the namesake and youngest of five children (four sons and a daughter) of Phantly Roy Bean Sr. (November 21, 1804 – June 13, 1844) and the former Anna Henderson Gore. The family was extremely poor; at age sixteen Bean left home to ride a flatboat to New Orleans , hoping to find work. After getting into trouble in New Orleans, Bean fled to San Antonio, Texas , to join his elder brother Sam. Samuel Gore "Sam" Bean (1819–1903), who had earlier migrated to Independence, Missouri ,
10682-470: Was 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 . New sections were added onto 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
10791-471: Was completed. May 2006 also had 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 in 1909 as lot #758 by the St. Louis-based St. Louis Car Company, Engine #2 served two Texas-based companies prior to coming to Pearl. Most of its career in use
10900-415: Was defeated in 1886. The following year, the commissioner's court created a new precinct in the county and appointed Bean to be the new justice of the peace. He continued to be re-elected until 1896. Even after the election defeat, he "refused to surrender his seal and law book and continued to try all cases north of the tracks". In 1890, Bean received word that railroad developer and speculator Jay Gould
11009-550: Was founded in Milwaukee in 1855 by Frederick Miller after his emigration from Hohenzollern, Germany , in 1854 with a unique brewer's yeast . Initially, he purchased the small Plank Road Brewery for $ 2,300 ($ 82,280 in 2024). The brewery's location in what is now the Miller Valley provided easy access to raw materials produced on nearby farms. In 1855, Miller changed its name to Miller Brewing Company, Inc. The enterprise remained in
11118-425: Was not covered by the contract, and for the next 20 years Bean squatted on land he had no legal right to use. Bean named his new saloon The Jersey Lilly in honor of Lillie Langtry , who recounted in her autobiography that she had visited the area after Bean's death. She did, however, send to Bean a pair of Colt .45 pistols. Langtry did not have a jail – although it is reported that outside The Jersey Lilly
11227-437: Was not ideal for reaching places such as Maine or Washington . One idea was to build a second brewery somewhere in the northern Midwest . 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
11336-499: Was planning to pass through Langtry on a special train. Bean flagged down the train using a danger signal. Thinking the bridge was out, the train engineer stopped the train. Bean then invited Gould and his daughter to visit the saloon as his guests. The Goulds visited for two hours, causing a brief panic on the New York Stock Exchange when it was reported that Gould had been killed in a train crash. In 1896, Bean organized
11445-572: 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. In 1969, Pearl was acquired by Southdown, a conglomerate that started out in the sugar industry. In 1977, Pearl was sold to General Brewing of San Francisco, owned by Paul Kalmanovitz . Kalmanovitz specialized in leveraged buy-outs , which take over businesses to sell off their parts for profit, closing plants and laying off employees. After
11554-467: Was significant as Luyendyk won the 1997 Indianapolis 500. In the NASCAR Cup Series , Miller has sponsored Bobby Allison from 1983 to 1988, Dick Trickle in 1989, Rusty Wallace from 1990 to 2005, Kurt Busch from 2006 to 2010, and Brad Keselowski from 2011 to 2020. Allison won the 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Series , and Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series . The company has sponsored
11663-408: 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 died. 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 come to
11772-484: 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, thus it appeared on all of their advertising and
11881-477: 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 older 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
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