It’s almost too nice to be a brewery, but Southerleigh is fine food and beer at its best. I’ve never set foot inside a brewery quite like this in my life. Housed in the old Pearl Brewery building in San Antonio, the brewpub is the centerpiece of the Pearl complex with shopping and restaurants throughout. The day we visited, the Farmers’ Market was in full swing with vendors from across South and Central Texas selling their produce, honey, beef, and other products.
Southerleigh’s decor includes many of the original aspects of the pre-Prohibition brewery. The steam pipes that extend from floor to ceiling were kept as part of the design as well as the intricate designs that are at the top of the building. However, the brewery equipment, tables, chairs, and bar are very urban chic and modern.
For the normal beer nerd like myself, it can feel a little too fancy. The conventional brewery experience is not something you will get there. Sitting at the bar is like being at an upper echelon craft spirits public house, except with the craft being the in-house selection of beers. In addition, the food selection is fine dining at those prices. Fortunate for me, my wife and I visited when they were serving brunch, which came with more reasonable food prices.
With the beer selection having over 15 beers on tap, it was too difficult to choose one beer. They had three different options for flights with each including four (4) seven (7) ounce beers for different prices. Option one was their session flight with some lighter offerings for $12. Option two was the imperial flight with some higher ABV brews for $14. Option three, which was our choice, was a build-your-own flight for $16.
The build-your-own option was the one we wanted because there were two knockout beers that we needed to sample. One of them was the Sor-Bae Saison and the other was Don’t Fear the Dank Side West Coast IPA. Rounding out the flight was Fannie Porter and Dubbel Trubbel, a Belgian-style traditional Trappist-style Dubbel. The Sor-Bae Saison was the star of the list with a nice tart flavor coming from the South Texas raspberries infused in the brew. At 7% ABV, it’s a dangerous one since it drinks so light. The Don’t Fear the Dank Side IPA has an infusion of multiple American and New Zealand hop strains that make it bitter, full of citrus flavor, and dry. Dubbel Trubbel came across boozy and fruity, but seemed a bit too carbonated. Finally, the Fannie Porter was a coconut curry porter that had a bit of spice on the finish while coming across malty and roasty.
If you ever get a chance to visit the Pearl complex in San Antonio, stop by Southerleigh to grab a bite to eat and drink some of their beer. With an ever-changing rotation of beer, there’s no doubt you’ll find something that will be to your liking.