Craft‐Microbrewery in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania drinking has undergone a significant change in America. Craft or microbrewing is over 30 years old and growing steadily throughout the United States. According to the brewersassociation.org, there were only 44 companies in the United States by the late 1970s and the prediction, at that time, was that there would only be five in the coming decade. The change took place when homebrewers started opening their own companies. Flavor and local tradition were the drawing cards for the start‐ups and it caught on with the public. Thus, the 1980s became the “decade of microbrewing pioneers.” It started with small entries which found difficult marketing opportunities. However, the microbreweries and brewpubs began to spring up throughout the United States and it has not stopped since the late 1980s. In fact, according to brewersassociation.org, “the number of craft brewers has gone from eight in 1980, to 537 in 1994, to over 6,000 in 2018.” The acceleration for growth became more evident as draft brewers began to deliver “high levels of quality, consistency and innovation.” Thus, with a variety of flavors, bottle shapes and brew titles, the craft began to be found in bottle shops and restaurants throughout the country. So, when did the love of beer really begin? According to firstwefeast.com, the origin of beer dates to Mesopotamia, 2500‐3100 BCE, and the Sumerian goddess of beer, Ninkasi. Mesopotamia (modern‐day Iran) is the accepted origin of using grains cultivated for beer making. Women, according to the scientists, were initiators and cultivators which they believe began in a small village of Godin Tepe. There were varieties and strengths in their recipes for brewing and it was believed that laborers were provided beer in their daily rations because of the nutrients it contained. Even the commercialization of beer was noted when a brewer Alulu (2025 BCE) provided beer to citizens from the city of Ur. A more extensive background on Ninkasi () can be found in ancient.eu. Beer making in Pennsylvania by the English and Dutch settlers dates to the early to mid‐17th century. Malt, hops and clean water were well suited for Pennsylvania’s soils and aquafers. This photo program focuses on a specific beer which was once synonymous with the Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County, specifically Wilkes‐Barre, Pennsylvania, the Stegmaier Brewing Company. It was founded in 1857 by German immigrant Charles E Stegmaier, born in Gmund, Württemberg, Germany. The was built in 1894, and by the beginning of the 20th century, it was one of the largest in the United States. Conversely, the Lion Brewery was started in Luzerne County in 1905. In 1974, The Lion Brewing Company bought the Stegmaier name. Today’s Lion Brewery is not only brewing its own original brand, but also Stegmaier and other contract brewing for beer and non‐alcoholic beverage brands. It is the second largest brewery in Pennsylvania and 15th largest American‐owned brewery. The transition in 1974, according to kysela.com would later create a microbrewery called the Susquehanna Brewing Company that had its roots in the Stegmaier Brewing Company. When Edward R. Maier, the great‐great grandson of founder Charles Stegmaier closed the Stegmaier Brewing Company, the labels were sold to Lion, Incorporated of Wilkes‐Barre. In 1970, Maier and a partner purchased the local Miller Brewing Company, a distributor. In 2004, another merger formed United Beverage of Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) which is in Pittston, Pennsylvania. In November 2010, Maier and his son, along with another partner, formed the Susquehanna Brewing Company in Pittston. This brewery was designed and built by a German firm, therefore going back to Charles’ youthful experience in learning how to brew beer in Germany for 15 years before he emigrated to the United States.

acuri.net John R. Vincenti Craft‐Microbrewery in the Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania Sources: https://www.brewersassociation.org/brewers‐association/history/history‐of‐craft‐brewing/, https://firstwefeast.com/features/illustrated‐history‐of‐craft‐beer‐in‐america, https://www.ancient.eu/article/222/the‐hymn‐to‐ninkasi‐goddess‐ of‐beer/, http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/pa‐heritage/stegmaier‐brewed‐beer‐regional‐history.html, http://lionbrewery.com/, https://www.brewbound.com/news/lion‐brewery‐invests‐7‐million‐equipment‐upgrades, https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29196/, http://www.brewersofpa.org/about/, and https://www.kysela.com/producers/susquehanna‐brewing‐company.html.