Jax

    

   Named for Jackson Square and its namesake,

  Andrew Jackson, The Jackson Brewing Co. was   

  chartered in 1890 and housed in an industrial building on      Decatur Street. New Orleans was home to at least 30  

  breweries in the early part of the 1900s, but most of  

  them were small and distributed their beverages to only      one or two outlets. With its regional sales and  

  distribution, Jackson Brewery eventually became the

  largest independent brewery in the South and the

  10th largest single-plant brewery in the country.

  

   During Prohibition, when many breweries were forced    to close, Jackson Brewing stayed in operation by   

  manufacturing near beer and other beverages, such as  

  root beer.

  In 1956, the Jax Brewing Co., headquartered in  

  Jacksonville, Fla., (also named for Andrew Jackson)  

  sold the copyright to the brand name 

  "Jax" to the New Orleans operation, which also had  

  been producing a beer by that name.

  In 1974, the Jax Brewery closed and the rights to    

  Jax Beer were taken over by Pearl Brewing Co. in San 

  Antonio.

  During its tenure in New Orleans, however, Jax Beer  

  reached its height of popularity, and its brewhouse  

  became a local icon.

   Today the converted brewery holds exclusive and 

  distinctive New Orleans shops as well as nationally known

  stores. A museum devoted to the brewery is free and 

  open to the public. Stroll through the shops of Jax

  Brewery, grab a bite to eat or admire the view of the

  Mississippi River from the Museum or the building's

  beautiful patio.