mybeerbuzz - lionbrewery

Boner - Beach Wheat

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:13:00 +0000

With Friday on the horizon, what would Thursday be with out a good Boner Beach Wheat? Coming out of Lion Brewery we brought you their Sun Kissed Wheat and even the funny news of their lawsuits…but here they are again today with Boner Beer Belgian-Style Beach Wheat. Despite this looking like a can label, it does appear to be a 12oz bottle…and it of course has a “touch” of coconut.

Lion Brewery – Hook & Ladder Ember Amber

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:01:00 +0000

I don’t know much about this specific beer, but it looks like our very own Lion Brewery will be contract brewing Hook & Ladder Brewing’s Ember Amber Ale. No real details yet so stay tuned.

Liebotschaner CANS & Stegmaier IPA !

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:09:00 +0000

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!

WILK Friday BeerBuzz–16 Sept 2011 (Stegmaier Pumpkin Ale w/Leo Orlandini)

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:19:00 +0000

I’ll admit it was hard to postpone last weeks Friday BeerBuzz, but given the magnitude of the flooding in our area, it was an easy decision. With so many friends and neighbors in harm’s way, it was the right thing to do.

To make up for last week I thought we’d do a special show today. I’m always happy when I can feature a local beer, from our local brewery and welcome the master brewer himself into the studio to sample it with us….and today we made that happen. Joining us to sample the new Stegmaier Pumpkin Ale was our very own Lion Brewery master brewer Leo Orlandini. Leo has been with us before to feature Oktoberfest, and we’ve also had a great time featuring Stegmaier Summer Stock & Holiday Warmer, but it was especially exciting today to feature a brand new beer in the Stegmaier lineup.

Pumpkin Ale was added to the latest lineup of Stegmaier Seasonal beers, and for me it also carries the distinction of being the first Stegmaier brew to carry the new label design that I’ve held in my hand. Recently the Lion Brewery did an overhaul on all of their Stegmaier labels, so I can honestly say it was fun to see one in person, and I think they look great.

Pumpkin Ale is a 5.5% fall beer, and it has a great subtle combination of pumpkin & spiced flavor. I like the balance Leo found in this brew between the distinct fall flavors you’d expect in a traditional fall beer and the subtle flavors that make it very drinkable. Not too much pumpkin, not too much fall spices, and just the right amount of flavor and body to carry you into cooler temperatures.

Thank you

to Leo Orlandini from Lion Brewery, Nancy, John, Joe, and Bosco for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.

Lion Brewery–FIX 1864 Special Lager

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:31:00 +0000

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”

Lion Brewery Stegmaier Winter Warmer

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:45:00 +0000

We’ve been bringing you all of the new Lion Brewery Stegmaier 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.

Stegmaier Brewing River Regatta - 1970

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:59:00 +0000

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???

Lion Brewery–Stegmaier Gold Medal NEW

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:12:00 +0000

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.

Lion Brewery–LIEBOTSCHANER Cream Ale!

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0000

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!!

Stegmaier–Pale Ale New Label

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:53:00 +0000

We’ve been showing off the new Packaging for the Lion Brewery Stegmaier packaging…Here, Here and even Here. And today we have the new 12oz bottle package for Stegmaier Pale Ale (4.3% ABV).

Stegmaier Pumpkin Ale…and Many More…

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 13:41:00 +0000

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.

Lion Brewery Stegmaier–NEW Pumpkin Ale !

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:36:00 +0000

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.

Lion Brewery–Stegmaier Oktoberfest 2011

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Sat, 21 May 2011 04:19:00 +0000

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.

Stegmaier–White Ale New Packaging

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Thu, 19 May 2011 13:43:00 +0000

We brought you the new packaging for Stegmaier IPA and Amber from Lion Brewery…so today it’s exciting to see the new/retro packaging for Stegmaier White Ale. This package follows the same theme as the previous releases (except for the refreshing orange image) and like the others will be a 12oz bottle package (5% ABV). This should also squelch any rumors that White Ale was being dropped from the lineup.

Lion Brewery–Stegmaier NEW Packaging IPA and Amber Lager

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:10:00 +0000

We were the first to show off the new can design for Stegmaier IPA…and at first I concluded it was only a radical change in the packaging that would be used on the specialty cans. Today we see approvals for 12oz bottles for Stegmaier IPA and Stegmaier Amber Lager. This new design uses a wood plank backing with the traditional and historical Stegmaier Brewing Company initials logo (SBC) with the tagline “Brewed in the Honorable Tradition of Charles Stegmaier.” Since the Lion Brewery recently re-designed all of it’s Stegmaier Packaging this was initially a surprise, however I can say there was some dissatisfaction at how recognizable the former packaging was. At 6.7% ABV for the IPA and 5.2% ABV for the Amber Lager, these appear to be the same recipes for these brews.

Lion Brewery–Stegmaier IPA NEW CAN Packaging

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:23:00 +0000

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!”

Lion Brewery - Lionshead IPA?

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:47:00 +0000

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.

Lion Brewery Hiring Brewing Manager!

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0000

JOB TITLE: Brewing Manager
DEPARTMENT: Brew House
SUMMARY:
Regional Brewery in Northeastern Pennsylvania is searching for a Brewing Manager. Salary is commensurate with experience. A competitive benefit package is included.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
•Individual will report directly to the Director of Brewing Operations.
•Responsible for managing a 500,000 barrel per year operation, producing alcoholic and non-alcoholic malt products, as well as brewed soft drinks and non-brewed soft drinks.
•Manage a team of 4 brewing supervisors, in addition to a staff of 22 union brew house personnel.
•Responsible for consistently producing the highest quality products in the most efficient manner possible.
•This position is not a hands-on position. This individual will not be brewing.
•Responsible for reducing losses and increasing throughput.
•Responsible for overseeing all TTB paperwork.
QUALIFICATIONS:
•Strong attention to detail with a high level of organization working in a fast paced environment.
•Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
•Experience in Microsoft Office with some knowledge of spreadsheets and database management.
•Knowledge of GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) and quality assurance requirements.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
College degree preferred.
High School Diploma / GED required.
To apply for this position, or for more detail on the role, please email: info@lionbrewery.com.

Lion Brewery–70 New Employees $15M Expansion

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:06:00 +0000

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."

WILK Friday BeerBuzz–10 Dec 2010 (Stegmaier Winter Warmer)

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:31:00 +0000

Today we welcomed Mike Simmons, brewing supervisor for Lion Brewery to help us sample their Stegmaier Winter Warmer. Winter Warmer is their re-labeled Holiday Warmer winter seasonal. Mike tells me the recipe is mostly unchanged, but the packaging was redone to extend the season of this beer beyond the holidays. I can tell you from personal experience that this beer is great right out of the box, but it gets even better as you age it. I personally have some 2009 Steg Holiday Warmer and it tastes great. It was also a lot of fun to have Shadoe Steel join us for the Friday BeerBuzz; so be sure to tune into Saturday Night Live at the Oldies on WILK every Saturday night with Shadoe.

Lion Brewery is always fun to have in the studio with us, especially because of the sheer size of the brewery and the multiple brews they now contract brew. Add to this the new canning line that’s up and running, and there are some really exciting things coming out of Lion Brewery.

AND you heard it here FIRST. Lion Brewery will be brewing some one-off beers to bridge the gaps between their seasonal Stegmaier offerings so Stay Tuned!!! You’ll find the details here First!

Be sure to TRY some Winter Warmer, BUY some Winter Warmer and even AGE some Winter Warmer for yourself!

Thanks

to Mike, Shadoe, John, Nancy, Joe & Bosco for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday Beerbuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday Beerbuzz page by clicking HERE

Stegmaier Winter Warmer

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:46:00 +0000

It’s been available for a week or two, but for those who haven't seen it yet, here’s the new label for Stegmaier Winter Warmer.

WILK Friday BeerBuzz – 10 Sept 2010 (Stegmaier Oktoberfest)

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:26:00 +0000

There’s a different energy in the studio when we have guests, and when we welcome two guests that I consider friends, it’s even more fun. Today we welcomed Leo Orlandini and Darel Matthews from Lion Brewery to taste their Stegmaier Oktoberfest. Now I know you may be thinking we’re pushing the season, but keep in mind the real Oktoberfest celebration in Munich Germany actually starts on Sept 18th and ends by Oct 3rd…so we’re right on.

Oktoberfest as we know it started as a wedding celebration in 1810. Prince Ludwig of Bavaria wanted his subjects to share in his wedding celebration so he organized a horse race and a pretty major party attended by over 40,000 guests. Today the 16-day celebration draws close to 7 million people, and perhaps even more this year as they celebrate the 200 year anniversary. It’s also fun to note that each year 5.5 million litres of beer are consumed in Munich and the tents can hold close to 100,000 people.

Lion Brewery produces a seasonal Oktoberfest beer every year in support of the Oktoberfest tradition. It’s a really interesting and tasty fall beer and a seasonal beer I look forward to every year. It’s fun to hear the brewing details of this beer from the guys that brew it, and really fun to taste Oktoberfest with Leo & Darel as well.

It was also interesting to hear the capacity that Lion Brewery has to brew beers. We’re all too used to talking to brewers with 100-gallon capacities so it’s an interesting contrast to compare that to Lion’s 45,000-gallon lagering tanks (see photo). Fortunately this makes Lion products available to more and more beer lovers.

I really enjoyed having two friends on as guests…and of course the Oktoberfest was yummy..

Thanks

to Leo, Darel, John, Nancy, Joe & Bosco for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday Beerbuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday Beerbuzz page by clicking HERE

Stegmaier Bottling Works – The Video

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:19:00 +0000

Thanks to Stashu Miller…and yes it’s Mellow Cool and Light!

Lion Brewery Canning Line is Running!

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:34:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let everyone know some fun news. Back in Nov I covered the end of the 16oz returnable production at Lion. For those that don’t remember, this was done to make room for a canning line…AND now the canning line is UP AND RUNNING!

Lion has had the canning line up and running for about 3 weeks. So far they’ve not only canned some contract brews, but also Lionshead and Lionshead Light in 12oz packaging as well as Lionshead, Lionshead Light and Stegmaier Gold in 16oz packaging too.

Congrats to everyone at Lion!

WILK Friday Beerbuzz - 21 May 2010 (Stegmaier Summer Stock Pilsner)

noreply@blogger.com (mybeerbuzz) — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:23:00 +0000

Week three of the Friday Beerbuzz and I’m starting to get the hang of things. Nancy and John make it all look so easy, but trust me…they are very good at what they do (thank god). I’ll admit it’s taken me three weeks to notice the “On Air” light in the studio, and with my back to board operator Bosco, I suspect I’m still missing quite a bit of what goes on behind the scene.

Last week the Friday Beerbuzz followed a live interview with Joe Biden, which was a lot of fun for me. Now granted I got to sit quietly in the studio while Joe was on, but it was still a really fun experience….thanks to Nancy for landing that interview.

I know as you read this you're already saying, “two paragraphs and no mention of the word beer?” Well here we go. Today we were lucky enough to have a real treat. Our beer of the week offered us all a sneak peek (or should I say sneak-taste) of a yet-to-be-released beer. Today we tasted the re-released Stegmaier Summer Stock Pilsner. This is a beer that was put out in 2006 as a summer seasonal following the spring addition of Stegmaier Bock.

Summer Stock Pilsner is the first lager-style beer we’ve tasted on the show, and I think a really solid choice in that it is not only a traditional northern-German lager but also a Pilsner style. Since most Pilsners have a little more hop-backbone to them, this fit nicely with our first two weeks of tasting hoppy-ale-style beers. This beer is a crisp, clean VERY slightly-lemony and VERY sessionable and drinkable Pils.

I’m not sure why so many people ask, but I think it is usually evident what everyone on the show thinks of the beers. I encourage people to taste them several times, but to also be honest about their preferences. Also many times after the show, we get a chance to talk and taste more and opinions many times do change in a positive way after a few more tastes. Needless to say this was a beer everyone enjoyed. Look for Stegmaier Summer Stock Pils to available very soon and look for it to be priced similarly to the other Stegmaier seasonals.

If you’d like to taste it NOW….there will be a special Meet The Brewer Night tonight (5/21) 5:30PM at Madisons in Nanticoke. Darel Matthews from the Lion brewery will be on hand with Summer Stock Pils and some of the other new Stegmaier brews like their Pale Ale and IPA. Stop in to Madison’s tonight and try today’s beer for yourself.

Thank you to Leo Orlandini, Bob Klinetob, Darel Matthews and everyone at the Lion Brewery for brewing some new and exciting beers, for seeking the input of our local beer community, for listening to our input AND for sharing their new beers with everyone on the show. A second thank you goes out to John, Nancy, Joe, Sue and Bosco for making this yet another fun Friday Beerbuzz……

Bringing good beers and good people together.

As always to check out the show video on WILK you can click HERE. We encourage your beer suggestions, input and opinions so please be sure to comment on WILK, or here on mybeerbuzz.com OR feel free to e-Mail Nancy, John or myself.