Eugene Simor started Alamo Beer Co. in 1997 and sold his first kegs in 2003. He opened his own brick-and-mortar brewery on the East Side in 2014.
The owner of Alamo Beer Co. is exploring options for the craft brewery, including selling part of the company, its brands or the near East Side property where its suds are made. Eugene Simor said he is seeking investors to recapitalize and reorganize the company, which started turning out kegs in 2003.
He could wind up selling and leasing back the 4.1 acres he owns next to the Hays Street Bridge, selling part of the company, selling its brands, merging with another operator or selling everything. Last year, Alamo Beer merged with Viva Beer, another local craft brewer, and acquired Austin-based ShotGun Seltzer. Along with brewing beer under the Alamo, Viva and ShotGun brands, Alamo Beer makes and packages a variety of beverages for other businesses, Simor said. But growth has lagged. “The real estate value has escalated much faster than the distribution side of business,” Simor said. “We are exploring options for other uses on the prime site next to downtown, the Hays Street Bridge and much more development.” RELATED: San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing appears to be for sale, according to a mysterious online listing A listing for the sale of 2.1 acres of Simor’s property at 202 Lamar St. touts its zoning, which allows multifamily, retail, entertainment, office and other uses, and its proximity to downtown and projects such as the Texas Research and Technology Foundation’s technology and bioscience hub. It does not include an asking price. Alamo Beer’s difficulties come as breweries across Texas are struggling with inflation that has driven up costs of ingredients and shipping, declining sales to restaurants and bars since the pandemic, competition from products such as canned seltzers and some people just drinking less. It’s led to a wave of consolidations and shutdowns across the state, including in San Antonio. This past winter, an online listing described an unidentified local brewery for sale that appeared to be San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing Co. That company has sought to expand its reach and struck a deal with Best Craft Distribution last year to sell its brews in Colorado. The listing has since been removed. Development controversy Simor developed a fondness for craft beer while attending California Polytechnic State University, visiting a pub near campus that served a variety of imported beers and brewing his own suds at home. He founded Alamo Beer in 1997 and shipped his first kegs of Alamo Golden Ale in 2003. RELATED: Despite plans to relaunch, Second Pitch Beer Co. says goodbye as new brewing concept moves in A years-long controversy led up to Simor’s construction of the East Side facility, which opened in 2014 and has been credited with helping to revitalize the area. It began in 2011 when he sought to buy city-owned land for the brewery and use nearby property he already owned for a parking lot. Some residents said the brewery would draw more investment to the area but others wanted a park on the land. Members of a collective called the Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group said the land had been donated to the city for a park and the city breached a memorandum of understanding regarding refurbishment of the bridge. But city officials said there were no stipulations placed on the gift, that it was not part of the bridge restoration project and they did not have the funds to develop a park. In 2012, City Council approved the sale of the land to Simor for $295,000 -- as well as nearly $800,000 worth of perks for his $8 million brewery. RELATED: Engineer who saved Hays Street Bridge will be remembered at long-sought park Court battle The restoration group sued the city, alleging it breached a contract that called for the property to be used for a park. Simor scrapped his plan to build the brewery on that parcel and instead decided to construct it on the adjacent property he owned, where he opened it in 2014. A Bexar County district court jury found in 2014 that the city failed to comply with the terms of the memorandum regarding the bridge’s rehabilitation by not turning the land into a park. After the verdict, state District Judge David Canales issued a ruling that the city interpreted to mean it could sell the land as long as the proceeds went toward the bridge. The city transferred the lot to Simor, who sold it to local developer Mitch Meyer. The city appealed the verdict, and in 2017, the 4th Court of Appeals held that the city could not be sued for breach of contract and dismissed the case. The restoration group asked the Supreme Court of Texas to overturn the ruling. RELATED: Funding for construction of embattled park near Hays Street Bridge approved by San Antonio council Meyer planned to build an apartment complex and retail space on the property formerly owned by the city — a proposal that became a lighting rod for concerns about gentrification, protection of historic monuments and the city’s dealings with developers. Many residents opposed the proposal and the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission rejected designs for it, but City Manager Sheryl Sculley administratively approved it in 2018 in a rare step. The state Supreme Court ruled against the city in 2019, sending the case back to a lower court, which dismissed the appeal. In an effort to end the long-running dispute, city officials pitched a land swap to give Meyer a site near the Alamodome for his planned development in exchange for the property next to the bridge. Council members approved that proposal in 2019 and designated the site’s use as a park. Those who fought for the park recently demanded that the city credit the late engineer Douglas Steadman in signage. Steadman rescued the bridge from demolition and spearheaded its rehabilitation.
Second Pitch Beer Co. Historic And Design Review Commission Freetail Brewing Freetail Brewing Co California Polytechnic State University Viva Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group City Council Texas Research And Technology Foundation Supreme Court Of Texas 4Th Court Of Appeals Eugene Simor Mitch Meyer Douglas Steadman Shotgun Seltzer Sheryl Sculley David Canales San Antonio Hays Street Bridge East Side Austin Texas Colorado 202 Lamar St. Alamodome Bexar County Best Craft Distribution Alamo Golden Ale Viva Beer Shotgun Alamo Beer Co.
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