A historic Western Pennsylvania beer brand gets a spring revival connected to its roots, as the trademarks and licenses for Stoney’s beer are purchased by two partners who have formed the Stoney’s Brewing Co.
The beers were once brewed in Smithton, Westmoreland County, by the Jones Brewing Co.
One of the brands’ new owners is Jon King, great-grandson of William Benjamin “Stoney” Jones, who moved the Eureka Brewing Co. to Smithton in 1907. Jon King worked at the brewery at various times. The other partner is John LaCarte, president of LaCarte Enterprises (Model Cleaners), whose family owned a livery that supplied horses to deliver the beer by wagon and owned a hotel that served it. At least one of his relatives worked at the brewery, too.
Another granddaughter of Stoney Jones is Shirley Jones, the actress. One of her babysitters was Mr. LaCarte’s grandmother.
Recently, Stoney’s beers, still owned by the Podlucky family that owned Jones Brewing, have been contract brewed at City Brewing Co. in Latrobe.
A news release says the beer will continue to be brewed there, but says that Stoney’s new brewmaster will once again be Jon King’s brother Greg King, who previously brewed for the Podluckys. They bought Jones Brewing in 1988.
In the news release, Jon King said it is “moving to think about the generational connections of LaCarte and the King/Jones family members to the brewery” and said, “We are excited to begin the rebirth of Stoney’s and to reenergize the brand.”
Bob Batz Jr.: bbatz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1930 and on Twitter @bobbatzjr.
First Published: April 5, 2017, 8:03 p.m.