> Genessee in the Eastern US, Carling Red Cap, Old Vienna, > O'Keefe Ale, Formosa Springs Lager in Canada.
My favorite beer story regarding one of the now-defunct local Pennsylvania beers, Ortlieb's... The family-owned brewery had been in existence since long before the prohibition, but by the late 1970's was nearing the end of its heyday. Joe Ortlieb was under a lot of pressure from the marketing types to buoy the company's sagging sales by jumping on the "light beer" bandwagon. But he steadfastly refused, insisting that light beer was just watered down beer and that he wouldn't compromise his product that way. Eventually Ortlieb acquiesced, in his own unique way: Ortlieb's Do-It-Yourself Light Beer. It was a six pack containing three bottles of beer and three bottles of water. The Ortlieb name carried on until last year, fourth-generation Henry Ortlieb having resurrected it as a microbrewery/restaurant in Pottstown, PA (which brewed much better beer than the original, I might add). Visiting the microbrewery was a real step into brewing history, the walls covered with vintage Ortliebs ads, photos, memorabilia, newspaper articles, etc. Alas, Henry Ortlieb was killed in a water accident while vacationing in Costa Rica last year. The brewery was shuttered, and a century of Ortliebs brewing history came to an end. Fortunately our other "local" beer has fared much better - family-owned D.G. Yuengling and Son, the United States' oldest brewery, which has grown from its small roots in Pottsville, PA to become the nation's fifth largest brewer. In much of Pennsylvania, Yuengling lager is so much a part of the local culture that you don't even ask for it by name; it's referred to simply as "lager." If you walk into any corner bar and ask for a lager, the bartender pours you a Yuengling. Many locals don't even know that a lager is a brewing style; they think it's just a particular Yuengling beer. Mandatory Vanagon content: A friend of mine, a professional brewer, once modified his Westy by replacing the city water inlet on the side with a fully functional beer tap. Needless to say, it was a huge hit at festivals that summer ... although I can't say I'd want to drive past a cop with a beer tap protruding from the side of my Westy. ;-) - Ron Salmon The Bus Depot, Inc. www.busdepot.com (215) 234-VWVW _____________________________________________ Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT |
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