breweries and brewing Archives - Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine

Tun Tavern, Birthplace of the U.S. Marines

Posted by Alli Davis on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off The Tun Tavern in Philadelphia is best known as the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps, but its legacy extends far beyond military history. In its prime, the tavern served as a social and political hub, hosting early meetings of several prominent organizations that still exist today. Its influence on civic and fraternal life in Colonial America is a reminder of how essential taverns...
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“I Would Have a Brew House”

Posted by Clare Cavicchi on May 6, 2024 in | Comments Off Virtually from its founding, settlers and visitors to the Philadelphia area perceived possibilities for a thriving brewing industry there. Thomas Budd, in 1685, wrote, “I do not question but that we might make good strong sound Beer, Ale and Rum, that would keep well to Barbadoes . . . I question not but if it be well brewed in a seasonable time of the Year, and put up in good Casks, but...
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Trailheads

Posted by Amy Fox on Feb 25, 2020 in | Comments Off History never truly sleeps on the Pennsylvania Trails of History, but winter is generally a slower season with reduced schedules and fewer programs and events. Charter Day, the celebration of Pennsylvania’s founding (the second Sunday in March), is the traditional start to our spring season. As the weather warms, activity increases at the sites and museums. The landscape loses its dull winter...
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Editor’s Letter

Posted by Kyle Weaver on Dec 13, 2016 in | Comments Off America is experiencing a beer renaissance that began three decades ago, and Pennsylvania has been at its forefront from the start. New craft breweries have flooded the market with an amazing variety of styles, diversifying the taste buds of beer drinkers nationwide. The Brewers Association (BA) defines a craft brewer as independent, small (6 million barrels or less a year) and traditional...
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Craft Brewing: Another Revolution in Pennsylvania

Posted by Lew Bryson on Dec 13, 2016 in | Comments Off The history of brewing beer in Pennsylvania has seen heights of success and pits of disaster. The commonwealth grew from colonial home-brewing roots to become a recognized industrial center, home to some of the most notable brewers in America before the disaster of Prohibition. After bouncing back with Repeal, Pennsylvania clung to its established favorites longer than any other state, savoring...
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Henry F. Ortlieb Company Bottling House

Posted by April Frantz on Jun 19, 2015 in | Comments Off The Henry F. Ortlieb Company was once one of the largest beer brewers in Philadelphia. Founded by the Ortlieb family in 1869, the brewery grew considerably in the early 20th century as their market expanded. In 1948 the company’s final major building – the Bottling House – was completed to incorporate state-of-the-art bottling technology into the facility. Although most of the...
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America’s Oldest Brewery: A Pictorial History

Posted by Michael O'Malley on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off Touted as “America’s Oldest Brewery” by the family which originated and still owns the Pottsville brewing company, D. G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. is an unusual collection of mid-nineteenth century buildings which seem to cling precariously to the steep northern slope of the Sharp Mountain above this Schuylkill County seat. The brewery was founded by David G. Yuengling, a...
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Fayette at the Crossroads

Posted by Walter Storey on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off Fayette County has always been at the crossroads, both literally and figuratively, its destiny shaped by its location, the incredible riches of its natural resources and the vitality of a people descended from almost every nation of Europe. It has a son of dual personality, geographically divided between mountains and lowlands, historically divided into two almost equal eras of economic...
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Okie Speaks For Pennsbury, Part II

Posted by Nancy Kolb on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off In its attempt during the 1930s to re-create William Penn’s 1683 manor house in Bucks County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania inadvertently unleashed a storm of controversy over the way in which the site, its archeological evidence and its architecture should be interpreted. Long before reconstruction of the manor house was completed in 1938 (landscaping and furnishing occurred...
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Life in an Industrial Boom Town: Monessen, 1898-1923

Posted by Matthew Magda on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off In reading about our nation’s past, we often forget how different life was for our ancestors. We read about historical figures and movements, but rarely – except in excellent historical novels – do we gain a glimpse into the living environment. We also tend to forget that there are many past environments, each producing its own style and pace of living. During the late...
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