Brewery Profile

Lion Brewery Inc, The

In Wilkes-Barre’s beer scene, this is a legacy name rather than a small newcomer. The facility traces its start to 1905, when it opened as the Luzerne County Brewing Company, and it took on The Lion Brewery name four years later. For a visitor, the point of interest is that continuity: this is a working regional brewery with more than a century of history in the city, not just a tasting stop built around recent trends. Its scale also sets it apart locally. The company is described as the second largest brewery in Pennsylvania by volume and the 15th largest American-owned brewery overall, giving it a different role from the smaller craft breweries travelers may also encounter in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Beer travelers in this part of Pennsylvania often look for a mix of local history, regional labels, and places connected to older industrial cities. A stop here fits that pattern because the brewery’s identity is tied closely to Wilkes-Barre and to brands with long regional recognition. Lionshead is its primary brand, with annual sales exceeding 750,000 cases, and the company also owns the Stegmaier brand, another name historically associated with Wilkes-Barre. That makes the brewery relevant not only to visitors seeking contemporary craft beer, but also to those interested in how older Pennsylvania breweries survived, changed names, acquired brands, and continued producing for a broader market.

Practical details should be checked directly before planning a visit, because public-facing amenities are not specified here. If there is a taproom or tasting area available, it is the place to confirm the day’s pours, current availability, and whether any brewery-only options are being served. Visitors should also verify hours, tour availability, parking, and whether the site accommodates walk-ins or requires reservations. The company distributes beer and soda products throughout the United States, so some of its products may be easier to find than those of a small local brewery, but an on-site visit can still provide useful context for the brands and their Wilkes-Barre connection. For travelers building a beer-focused route through northeastern Pennsylvania, this stop is best understood as a historic production brewery with regional importance and national distribution reach.

Located in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, The Lion Brewery traces its origins to 1905 when the facility was established as the Luzerne County Brewing Company. The operation adopted the name The Lion Brewery four years after its founding, becoming a significant regional producer in the Northeast region of the state. Currently, the brewery ranks as the second largest in Pennsylvania by volume and the 15th largest American-owned brewery overall. Its primary brand is Lionshead, which accounts for annual sales exceeding 750,000 cases; the company also acquired the Stegmaier brand, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, in 1974. The brewery distributes its portfolio of beer and soda products throughout the United States.

Website available

700 N Pennsylvania Ave, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, 18705-2451

Phone: 1-888-295-BEER

Website: http://www.lionbrewery.com