The Lion Brewery Tour and Oktoberfest
Hello fellow “brewskie” drinkers,its me again the infamous wife and I have a great Beer piece for you this week.
This weeks brewery tour is our famous hometown Brewing Company called Lion Brewing Co. of Wilkes-Barre, PA, recently Tour Guide (Jeremy) and I got to experience the cozy little brewery and had a grrrreat time!
Every October the brewery has Oktoberfest (held this year on Friday, October 3rd 2008 and Saturday, October 4th2008 ) on the grounds of the Brewery. This is not your average “drunk fest” but also a place to be able to take the family. The Brewery really has a family atmosphere event. They had games and rides for the kids and were really strict on public drunkenness you never seen one person throwing up, staggering around or speaking in “beer terms” at all. The Lion Brewery even offers Root Beer that is always on tap for visitors under 21.
We arrived mid morning with stomachs and taste buds ready for the taste of sweet sin and for Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton, Lion Brewery Union President Clarence Gallagher and the Brew Masters to tap the first keg of the fun filled weekend, then the fun began and we didn’t leave til well after the sun went down on both days
The Brewery really puts on a “fest” we saw everything from Weiner dog races, big expensive fireworks, Polka favorites by NEPA’s favorite Polka Band Joe Stanky, a strolling accordion player who had everyone singing “in heaven there is no beer , that’s why we drink it here…” but the best was not just that, it was what really surprised us…. the entrance fee being only $3.00and that price included a 16 oz commemorative Oktoberfest mug for the adults or a 12 oz Lion Brewery root beer mug for the kids.
On a Brewery note the Tours and Beer Tasting, was unbelievable! The volunteers poured a fresh, ice cold not heady beer . I preferred their famous Octoberfest beer which has a Smell of floral hops and very light sweet malts. I absolutely loved it! The tours were small in numbers, which were great you actually got to hear the tour guide and not have to worry if you were in someone else’s view. We can’t wait til next year!
* Tours when not celebrating their Annual Oktoberfest offered select Saturdays at 1pm. Reservations are needed to tour The Lion and are accepted via email (info@lionbrewery.com)
* All pictures used in this blog are courtesy of Lion Brewery Inc. website
