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Nope, for those wondering in Chippewa WI, JLBC stands for Jersey Lager Brewing Co and here’s a blast form the past with One-Eyed Jack, the original Alcohol Lemon Brew. 12oz bottles and yes they were brewed at our very own Lion Brewery.
It’s been a while since we’ve added some new OLD labels from Lion Brewery. Up today we have Kobor & While Brewing Downtown Medium brewed Brown Ale (12oz bottles)
Am I the only one who didn’t know about SLO Brewing being contracted out of Lion Brewery? Here’s their Amber Ale, also 12oz bottles.
Looks like even more rare contract brews out of Lion Brewery. This time it’s Mill Mountain Brewing Star City Premium Lager (12oz bottle) and they appear to be out of Roanoke VA.
It just gets better and better. Another great contract brewed label from Lion Brewery called Alf n’ Alf (a beautiful communion of Cream Ale & Caramelized Malt Porter.) Looks like another 12oz bottle contracted for Braumeister Ltd.
The labels are rolling in today….up next is Lion Brewery contract brew Blue Hen Light (12oz bottles---and only 96 calories!)
It never gets old seeing these interesting contract brews from Lion Brewery. Up today we have another 12oz bottle package for Olde Cape Cod Smugglers Ale (premium hand crafted).
Another awful scan, but here’s yet another Lion Brewery 12oz bottle package, this time for Brimstone Handcrafted Amber Ale.
Not a great scan, but here’s a unique one from Lion Brewery for San Luis Obispo (SLO) Extra Pale Ale. No idea how recent this 12oz bottle package is, but I know I’ve never seen it before.
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Here are a few new old labels from Lion Brewery for Gibbons Ale. Both are 12oz bottles and both have the tax stamp.
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We were the first to show off the Liebotschaner Cream Ale release from Lion back in July (here’s the bottle label)…so it’s fun to see the 16oz CAN label for Liebotschaner. Looks like we’ll see this GABF winning brew in 12oz bottles & 16oz cans. We also brought you 12oz Stegmaier cans back in April (Here’s the label), so it was also exciting to see Stegmaier IPA in 16oz bottles approved today! Can’t wait to try them both in person!
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Here’s a really interesting historical beer label from Reichard & Weaver (Wilkes-Barre, PA). This 12oz bottle contains a “Non-Intoxicating Beverage…contains less than one half of one percent alcohol by volume.” Looks to be a Pilsner style that is “Perfectly Lagered” and somehow also “Dark.”
Here’s your first look at a new contract brew from our friends at Lion Brewery called FIX 1864 Special lager…”Traditional Beer of Greece (yes Greece) Since 1864 – "The Beer that Became a Legend. Fix the national beer of Greece, is now brewed under a special license by one of North America’s most honored regional brewers….FIX U.S.A., Wilkes-Barre, PA”
We’ve been bringing you all of the new Lion Brewery S
tegmaier Labels (clicky here)…and today we have the new Winter Warmer label. Looks like it will remain at 7.8% ABV and be packaged in 12oz bottles.
Thank you to Stashu Milski for sending another great photo. Today we have a photo from the first annual river regatta sponsored by Stegmaier Brewing, Sunday May 3rd 1970….Under the direction of the Business Administration Club of Kings College. Start West Pittston PA. End Nesbitt Park Kingston,PA.
OK buzzers….who can put some names on some faces in this photo???
Here’s the new packaging for Lion Brewery’s Stegmaier Gold 
Medal 12oz bottle. This is another in the line of new packaging we brought you already
(IPA and Amber HERE, pumpkin HERE and even Liebotschaner HERE)…and today the tradition continues for this 4.3% brew.
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I reported it back in 2009 and since that time you have asked (and asked…and asked…and asked….) and Lion Brewery appears to have finally answered. I’m excited to show off the NEW packaging for the new Lion Brewery Liebotschaner Cream Ale. This 12oz bottle label carries the same shape as the updated Stegmaier line of brews, a “product of American brewing” tagline and the 1994-95 and 1995-96 GABF Gold medals (American Lager / Cream Ale category). Lion was also nice enough to include the 5% ABV, 12.5 O.G and even 14 IBU descriptors as well. Welcome back Liebotschaner!!
Looks like today’s approval may confirm the upcoming fall release of Stegmaier Pumpkin Ale from our friends at Lion Brewery. We showed off the Bottle packaging back in May, so today’s keg packaging confirms we’re likely to see a seasonal release. It’s also worth noting that Stegmaier also received keg approval today for Summer Stock, Oktoberfest, Porter, Winter Warmer, Pale Ale, IPA, Belgian White, Gold and Amber Lager.
I’m excited to be the first to show you the new packaging for Lion Brewery Stegmaier Pumpkin Ale (ale brewed with pumpkin and spices)…the first new brew to come out of the Stegmaier line in over a year. We’ve been showing you the new Stegmaier packaging, but this is an actual new beer. Looks like it will be packaged in 12oz bottles and come in at 5.5% ABV. 
here’s your first look at the new Lion Brewery Stegmaier Oktoberfest packaging for 2011. I brought you the IPA & Amber and White Ale…so why not show off the new Stegmaier Brewing Oktoberfest packaging. Yep it’s still a 12oz bottle and 6.1% ABV (with a pretzel)…and here’s the neck label too. 
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With all of the new packaging Lion Brewery just completed for their Stegmaier Line (Summer Stock, IPA, Pale Ale, Oktoberfest, Winter Warmer…) it was a huge surprise to see this new label approval for Stegmaier IPA with radically different can packaging. This 12oz label carries the tag “Brewed in the honorable tradition of Charles Stegmaier” and the original Stegmaier initials logo. “When the Lion acquired the Stegmaier family of brews in 1974, we vowed to continue the rich brewing tradition started by Charles Stegmaier. Each of our lagers and ales are brewed in small batches with the finest hops and malts available to guarantee the highest quality and freshness. These original recipes were especially created to deliver a fuller flavor than ordinary beers. This a proud brewing history dating back to 1905, you can taste the difference that a century of brewing experience can make!”
![_321_Scranton_Police_Dumping_Beer_During_Prohibition_1920-33_PA.4[1]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Oki6Tg0i_EI/Ta8nCZqOdGI/AAAAAAAAIgw/QLOj9Xz42NM/s1600-h/_321_Scranton_Police_Dumping_Beer_During_Prohibition_1920-33_PA.4%5B1%5D%5B8%5D.jpg "_321_Scranton_Police_Dumping_Beer_During_Prohibition_1920-33_PA.4[1]")
No it’s not what you’re thinking based on my headline….but Thank you again to our old pal Stashu Milski for providing us with another local historical beer-photo. This one is labeled Scranton Police dumping Beer during prohibition, Scranton PA and it’s from the 1920 to 1933 timeframe according to the label.
A few weeks ago I brought you the first two labels from Cottonwood (Carolina Beer Co), and today I’m excited to bring you Frostbite Winter Ale. These beers are contract brewed out of our very own Lion Brewery and packaged in 12oz bottles. Frostbite is a “Winter Warmer” with a “hearty blend of six malts perfectly balanced with three hop varieties” and comes in at a warming 8% ABV.
Thank you to my pal Stashu Milski for sending in yet another cool local brewing history photo. Today’s photo shows the Stegmaier Brothers Inc. (Hanover Twp., Wilkes-Barre PA) fleet of 8 trucks. Looks like they’re lined up at the Burnaford Chevrolet Co, most likely as they were purchased new. Lots of cool details from the trolley tracks and brick paved streets to the Shell & Coca-Cola signs. If anyone has any additional details on the photo or location please feel free to comment in.
UPDATE: Thanks to my pal Tom for sending in this photo of the same street today. Burnaford Chevy was at 693 Hazel Ave (1933)—across the street from Lehman Funeral Home and next to Hanlon’s Drug Store.
Here’s a vintage 32oz Gibbons Premium Beer label that we haven’t shown off yet. “A special blend of finest barley malt and choicest hops assures the full, smooth flavor of this Premium Quality Beverage.”
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Today we have two new labels from Carolina Beer Co that are brewed and packaged at our very own Lion Brewery. These are licensed by SBT Corp and will both be packaged in 12oz bottles. The Endo is brewed and dry-hopped with Cascade & Chinook hops, and the Carolina Blonde (their flagship beer) uses 100% malted barley and American hops.
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Here’s an interesting and confusing packaging approval from this morning. This is the keg packaging for something called Lionshead IPA. The ABV certainly matches up to their regular Stegmaier IPA so I’m not sure what the Lionshead designation is doing on the packaging, but stay tuned for further details.
Here’s one that almost quietly snuck by today. This is the new 12oz can packaging for Rheingold Lager Beer This one will be brewed and canned by our very own Lion Brewery so stay tuned.
We haven’t added to our Lion Brewery label collection in some time, so thank you to Jess Kidden for passing on this great Gibbons 12oz returnable bottle labeling for Gibbons Famous Light Lager.
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Here’s your VERY first look at the new 12oz CAN packaging for Lancaster Brewing Co Rumspringa Golden Bock Beer Brewed with Honey. “Embrace your rebellious side! Our fiesty Golden Bock Lager is brewed with real Lancaster County honey and has a subtle malt flavor complimented by a flawless balance of domestic & European hops.” Apparently Rumspringa is an Amish term for when a young man is ready to head out on his own.
Sumspringa was released in June 2010 for Philly Beer Week as a tap only brew so it’s exciting to see it will now be canned and of course it will be brewed and packaged by our very own Lion Brewery.
From the Citizens Voice:
WILKES-BARRE - Inside the Lion Brewery, workers bustle around new equipment that has created more than 70 jobs over the last 18 months.
The Lion Brewery, one of the oldest breweries in Pennsylvania, has undergone a $15 million expansion and now has a new can production line and an automated racking system, which cleans and fills half-kegs of beer.
Cliff Risell, president and CEO of the Lion Brewery, Brewmaster Leo Orlandini and Tom Farina, senior vice president of sales and marketing, recently led a tour of the new equipment at the 106-year-old brewery on North Pennsylvania Avenue. The state, Luzerne County and the City of Wilkes-Barre assisted with funding the $15 million expansion, Risell said.
The state-of-the-art racking system cleans and fills 40 to 60 half-kegs of beer an hour. The new line produces about 800 16-ounce cans a minute and about 1,100 12-ounce cans a minute and packages them.
"We felt there was a large opportunity to get into the can business," Risell said. "A lot of our customers were asking for cans. We also needed to upgrade our racking system."
Risell and a group of investors purchased the Lion Brewery in November 2007. Together, they have facilitated the brewery's growth without sacrificing any of its work force, which consists of about 175 people. They have focused on restoring the roar of Lionshead and Stegmaier beer brands. They also pack for a number of customers, including other beer brands and soda.
"We thought it was a great opportunity for this area of the country, Northeastern Pennsylvania, to expand and to run a business and obviously, make a decent business return," Risell said. "That was the worst of times when the economy went south, but we stuck it out and we weathered the storm for the last couple years and we made a strategic decision that we were going to invest in our business."
When Risell and investors purchased the Lion Brewery in 2007, it had two bottle lines. Since then, the investment in new equipment has grown business by about 20 percent, Risell said.
"We've added a significant number of large customers on a national basis. Our business has grown quite well," Risell said. "At the same time, we've been able to maintain our profitability and we've also added jobs."
The 70 to 75 jobs added thanks to the investments have included supervisors, managers, brewers, bottlers, mechanics, forklift operators and quality control staff.
"Since Cliff took over, it has been magnificent what they're doing," said union President Clarence Gallagher. "They're hiring people. Before, they were laying off people."
The Lion Brewery is the only remaining brewery in Luzerne County and the second largest in the state after Yuengling.
Farina has assisted in the growth by expanding territory where brewery sells its products to 17 states. In 2007, its brands were sold only in Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and New York. Working with Scranton-based distributor LT Verrastro President Pat Verrastro, Farina also has assisted in expanding the Lion Brewery's brands to more bars and restaurants throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania as well.
The Lion Brewery got into the craft brewing business about a year ago and decided to revamp its Stegmaier brand, keeping the traditional Gold Medal label that has been around since 1857.
"We're going to continue focusing on the craft side because the craft side of this industry is where it's at today," Farina said.
The Lion Brewery bought the Stegmaier name in 1974. About a year ago, Risell said he and other officials at the Lion Brewery decided "we're going to make Stegmaier work or we won't have Stegmaier."
"Since that time, with Leo's help and Tom's help, we have fixed that brand from a quality standpoint and a recipe standpoint," Risell said. "With Tom's selling and marketing, we have had tremendous growth."
Among the other growth at the Lion Brewery, its offices have moved to Laird Street in Wilkes-Barre.
"We continue to invest every year in our business," Risell said. "We're investing in our brewhouse to make us more efficient and capable. We buy new cleaning equipment every year, including trucks and forklifts. We're spending a significant amount of money every year to make our business better. Our business is growing. Our customers are demanding more and we're spending more."
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