Lion Brewery, Inc.

History

Lion Brewery, Inc. started as the Luzerne County Brewing Company with the acquisition of land from Delaware and Hudson Company in 1905. The land was purchased for one dollar on the terms that the company would build a brewery capable of producing 100,000 barrels per year in just the first year and sell each barrel for no less than a dollar a piece. If the terms were not met, the land would return to the Delaware and Hudson Company. The Luzerne County Brewery survived the terms of sale and was able to remain strong through the Prohibition years, 1920-1933, by brewing cereal beer. Cereal beer is more commonly known as “near-beer,” as it has an alcohol content of about 0.5%, which is about a tenth of most beers. Ted Smulowitz purchased the Luzerne County Brewery after Prohibition in 1933 and renamed it The Lion Brewing Company. The Smulowitz family privately owned and operated the brewery until 1993.

The Lion Brewing Company underwent many changes during the sixty-year Smulowitz ownership. Post-Prohibition, the beer brewing industry as a whole grew by leaps and bounds until around 1960, when the big breweries began to take control of the market. In an attempt to stay competitive, in 1974 the Lion Brewing Company bought the Stegmaier name, making it the only remaining brewery in Luzerne County and largest brewery in northeastern Pennsylvania. Stegmaier had been one of the largest independently owned breweries in North America as well as a gold-medal winning local brewery. In addition to brewing the Stegmaier beers, the Lion Brewing Company also diversified into making non-alcoholic beverages. Currently there are eight non-alcoholic beverages made by the Lion, seven of which are part of the Olde Philadelphia line.

In 1993, the Lion Brewing Company was purchased from the Smulowitz Family by the Quincy Partners. In 1996, the Quincy partners made the Lion Brewing Company public by selling shares on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. In 1999 Chuck Lawson spearheaded the purchase of the Lion Brewery for 18.5 million dollars, thereby transferring the company back into private hands.

On November 1, 2007, Chuck Lawson and Pat Belardi sold The Lion Brewery to private equity investors.

Recent events

The Lion Brewery hosted its first Oktoberfest celebration in 2005. This festival is designed to promote the brewery and German culture and to give people the chance to learn how beer is made, sample German food, and celebrate. Stegmaier Oktoberfest was brewed to be the official beer of the festival. Brewery tours are given on Saturday during the festival. Entertainment includes live bands, rides, games, wiener dog races and a fireworks display.

In November 2007, the Lion Brewery changed ownership. The brewery will be maintained as a private company.

The Stegmaier building

The 19th century Stegmaier Brewery building in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, a mammoth structure, has been reclaimed for productive use. Now, as the Stegmaier Federal Building, it offers office space for federal workers, keeping the federal presence centrally located in Wilkes-Barre's downtown area.

The Wilkes-Barre Information Systems Support Center is an information technology development facility for the United States Postal Service that is located in the Stegmaier Building. The Internal Revenue Service also maintains a satellite office within the building.

Lionshead

Lionshead is an economy brand 4.5% abv deluxe pilsner introduced in 1905, and made with American malts, corn and hops. It is primarily available in Pennsylvania, with limited distribution in other states. Lionshead bottle caps display rebus puzzles originally created by the Falstaff Brewing Corporation. The answer to 20 Lionshead's puzzles can be found here: and maybe here: The top of the Lionshead cap has a gold lion's paw on a maroon background and the words "claw off" on it. There is a Lionshead Light version and it has recently become available in cans, as opposed to the bottles used since 1905.

Stegmaier

Stegmaier products include Stegmaier Gold, Amber Lager, Midsummer White, Oktoberfest, Holiday Warmer, IPA, Porter and Liebotschaner Cream Ale. They also do contract brewing for Pabst Brewing Company brands. Their non-alcoholic brands include Lion Brewery Root Beer and Olde Philadelphia Gourmet Sodas. Their contract non-alcoholic beverages include Malta Goya, Vitarroz Malta, and Monster Energy.