Pearl Brewery, San Antonio

The historic Pearl, formally known as the Pearl Brewery District, is among the coolest places in San Antonio, well worth visiting. This former brewery, one of Texas's largest, was operational for 118 years, starting from 1883, producing the state's iconic libation, Pearl Beer.

Luckily, shortly after the brewery shut the doors forever in 2001, its rich history didn't end there and then courtesy of a San Antonio-based investment firm that purchased the 23-acre site with extensive plans to create a mixed-use development that would include restaurants, shops, and eventually, a boutique hotel.

Having weathered its share of storms over the course of the 20th century, among which there were The Prohibition, Great Depression, two world wars, and two pandemics, The Pearl is still going strong, transformed into a major culinary, shopping, and cultural destination – the crown jewel in revitalization of southern Midtown and northern Downtown San Antonio.

Today, this is a thriving multi-use space where you can eat, shop, learn, work and live – all at the same time. The brewery grounds have been repurposed into a vibrant micro-district with many of the original structures remaining. The bottling plant is now a food hall with the vintage equipment featured around public spaces. Green features include the use of brewery and ammonia tanks that are now rainwater collectors and herb-garden containers. Owing to this effort, The Pearl has quickly become the city's most desirable place to see and experience. Every Saturday, the Pearl plays host to an amazing Farmer's Market and has become a traditional weekend event for locals.