Question: What historic San Antonio hotel was once a brewhouse?
Answer: Hotel Emma. Opened in 2015, the 146-room boutique hotel was the brewery for the Pearl Brewing Company from 1894 to 2001. It is named after Emma Koehler, who took over leadership of the brewery after her husband Otto Koehler’s death in 1914. She kept the brewery open during Prohibition by diversifying its services, providing auto repair, soft drinks, ice cream and dry cleaning. Today, the hotel is the centerpiece of the historic Pearl District, a marketplace for small businesses and chef-led restaurants. The hotel preserves much of the original brewery’s architecture, including its machinery and iconic 134-foot tower, which was once the tallest structure in San Antonio.
