Along with the River Walk, San Antonio’s stellar craft beer scene is another draw to this Texas city. Both historic and modern, the options are many and varied. Writer Carrie Dow takes us on a tour of some of San Antonio’s breweries to tell us what to expect (and drink) when we go. 

Save this article about San Antonio’s craft beer scene to Pinterest.

Beers as unique as The Alamo City itself await your taste buds in San Antonio

San Antonio, Texas, is a wonderful place to visit for a variety of reasons – the food, the culture, the history. If sipping sudsy samples of craft beer is your favorite hobby, then San Antonio is an excellent place to take your taste buds. Not only does beer brewing have a long, storied history in San Antonio, the city’s current craft beer scene rivals that of any great beer city around the U.S. While only a small sample, this tour will help you navigate a SanAn beer tasting adventure.

San Antonio Craft Brewery Scene: Pearl Lager at The Pearl District

San Antonio’s history of commercial beer production begins in 1883 with the Pearl Brewery run by the San Antonio Brewing Association just north of downtown. Operating for over a century, the brewery made a classic German lager called “Pearl,” named by the company’s German brewer for the tiny, shiny bubbles that floated up after being poured into a glass. Through diversification the company survived Prohibition, but kept its brewing equipment ready. Rumor has it mere minutes after Prohibition ended at midnight in late 1933, railroad cars and trucks full of Pearl rolled out across the state and parts beyond. Growing to multiple buildings by mid-century, Pearl became the largest brewery in Texas before closing in 2001. Shortly after, Pabst Brewing purchased the Pearl recipe and began brewing it at their Fort Worth facility, while the area the old brewery occupied was re-developed into a residential and restaurant neighborhood call The Pearl District. Today condos, fine restaurants, and local shops fill the old brick warehouses and administration offices. Patrons will also find cans of Pearl at the district’s dining establishments including Chef Steve McHugh’s award-winning Cured. Although no longer brewed in San Antonio, today’s Pearl provides a taste of San Antonio beer history.

The Pearl District was once the site of the historic Pearl Brewery. Today it’s a neighborhood of residences, retail shops, and residences with family-friendly outdoor spaces.

Hungry for more? Read Carrie’s article about a unique spirit, Jeppson’s Malört

San Antonio Craft Brewery Scene: Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery

In the heart of The Pearl District, Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery occupies the same building that Pearl’s brewing equipment did for over 100 years. Helmed by Galveston-raised Chef Jeff Balfour, Southerleigh brings a sense of refinement to classic southern comfort foods while Head Brewer Les Locke offers 15 beers on tap. On warm days visitors can purchase draft beer and other drinks from an outdoor walk-up cart on the restaurant’s patio and relax and people watch in the district’s courtyard. Keep things light with Southerlite, a 4% ABV lager, or traditional Gold Export Lager at 5.5% ABV. The brewery also has some experimental sour beers for those wanting bold flavors.

Guests can enjoy Southerleigh brews from an outdoor drink cart and enjoy it anywhere in The Pearl District’s courtyard.

San Antonio Craft Brewery Scene: Blue Star Brewing

While historic San Antonio breweries like Lone Star and Spoetzel (maker of Shiner Bock) have been brewing for roughly a century, Blue Star Brewing founded in 1996 is considered San Antonio’s first modern craft brewery. Located in the Blue Star Arts District just south of downtown’s famous River Walk, Blue Star is located along the Mission Reach Hike and Bike Trail that runs 8-plus miles south with stops at the four Spanish missions that make up Missions National Historic Park. Blue Star is also San Antonio’s first true brew pub with classic pub food paired with house-brewed beers. Beers here cover a range of styles from light Mexican lagers to cask-conditioned ales and dark porters.

A mug of beer from Blue Star Brewing in the Blue Star Arts District.

Hungry for more? Use these tips from Carrie if you’re road tripping to San Antonio.

San Antonio Craft Brewery Scene: Alamo Beer Company

Like the famous fortress for which its named, Alamo Beer Company describes its beers as “fiercely independent.” Opened in 2014, Alamo is one of San Antonio’s larger craft breweries and their beers are found in cans and taps around town. However, it’s always fun to enjoy beer from the source at their tap house and production facility not far from downtown. The brewery has a large outdoor beer garden filled with picnic tables and featuring live music most evenings. Alamo is also host to one of the area’s largest Oktoberfest events. Enjoy flagship beers such as the Original Golden Ale at 4.7% ABV, Amber Lager at 5.5% ABV or the Alamosaic IPA at 7% ABV.

It’s a sign – for Alamo Beer, in their courtyard.

San Antonio Craft Brewery Scene: Back Unturned Brewing Company

Back Unturned is a micro-brewery founded and named by Ricardo Garcia because he didn’t want to turn his back on his dream of owning a brewery. The taproom serves IPAs, pale ales, and warm, toasty porters. While the taproom is tiny, the brewery’s equally small kitchen serves pizza baked over open flame with house-made dough using only four ingredients – flour, yeast, salt, and filtered water topped with house-made mozzarella and sauces. Back Unturned is located only a half block from the Lock & Dam on the scenic northern side of San Antonio River Trail, around a 25-minute walk from downtown. Pro tip – if they have the porter on nitro, get it. Nitrogen gas smooths out this already silky beer style turning it into a decadent treat.

A flight of beer from Back Unturned Brewery in San Antonio.

San Antonio Craft Brewery Scene: Roadmap Brewing Company

Roadmap is only a few blocks east of Back Unturned and is a lively place with a large indoor space big enough for indoor cornhole and giant Jenga. Floor to ceiling windows bring plenty of light into this family- and dog-friendly space and guests can bring their own food or get some grub from the daily food trucks parked out front. Opened in 2018, Roadmap began as a dream project of husband-and-wife team Dustin and Hannah Baker who believe that “all roads lead to beer.” With 12 taps, they have a variety of beers with clever names like Alright, Alright, Alright pilsner, WTHef hefeweizen, and Mini Van Dad IPA. They also have some limited-edition barrel aged beers that pack a big ABV punch and their most popular beer is a funky sour called Professor Plum’s Alibi, a kettle sour brewed with plums and lactose.

A flight of beer from Roadmap Brewing leaves no doubt what state you’re in.

San Antonio Craft Brewery Scene: Künstler Brewing

Named after the German word for artist, this brewery’s German-born owner and head brewer Vera Deckard uses Old World technics to make beers that are uniquely Texas. Visitors have three different sections to sit in such as the well-appointed taproom with a Bavarian lodge feel. There is also a separate sports and game area off the taproom with multiple TVs and out front is a covered patio. Enjoy food from the German-style menu while sipping beers such as Wolfie Vienna lager, Edelweiss pilsner, and Black Rose, a dark IPA. The residential area the brewery resides in may seem a bit off the beaten path, but it’s only a short Uber from downtown.

The covered patio at Kuntslter Brewing.

Note: If you go to the brewery’s website or visit them on social media, you’ll see the name spelled “Kuenstler.” That’s because the German spelling of the name is with an umlaut over the u (ü) thus the pronunciation for it is slightly different than a ‘u’ by itself. In the US, there is no ü  on the keyboard so Germans (the owner is German) spell out the sound by using the letters ‘ue’ to approximate the sound.

— Story and photos by Carrie Dow

To learn more about visiting San Antonio, check out their website.