Pearl Beer was introduced in Bremen, Germany in 1883 by the Kaiser-Beck company and brought to the United States in 1886. Pearl Brewing Company's brewery was located in San Antonio, and the name was changed from Perle to Pearl to appeal to English-speaking customers. Otto Koehler took over the company in 1902 and, after his death, his wife, Emma Koehler modernized the brewery's facilities, increasing production from 6,000 to over 110,000 barrels per year, and Pearl became the most famous and iconic Texas beer brand. Following Prohibition and World War II, stiff competition from national brands and the ruthless in-state rivalry with Lone Star Beer kept Pearl from being able to become a true national player, and they barely fended off a buyout attempt by Pabst Brewing in the 1950s, although the company did pull off an important acquisition of its own by purchasing Goetz Brewing of St. Joseph, Missouri in 1961. Pearl enjoyed much success with the Goetz brands, especially with the nationally-popular Country Club Malt Liquor, a brand which enjoys a cult following even today. Pearl also acquired the rights to the once-popular Jax Beer of New Orleans, but this beer faded out by the late 1990s.
Of course, the inevitable did occur, and Pabst bought up the operations of Pearl in their second acquisition attempt in 1985. Pabst was unable to revitalize the brand, however, and the Pearl brewery in San Antonio was closed in 2001. Pearl, formerly sold in 47 states is now available only in Texas and typically in 12 oz. cans. Production volume is very low. Pearl, at 4.7% alcohol, and Pearl Light, at 2.16% alcohol (a very low content), are the only beers sold under the brand. A beer fan may have difficulty locating Pearl even in Texas, and it is uncertain how long Pabst will continue to make it. This author has sampled Pearl on a number of occasions and was sorry to see it leave Louisiana store shelves in the late 1990s. I always found it to be an enjoyable and credible American-style lager beer.
