USA: Lion Brewery will introduces five seasonal beers to increase market share

Lion Brewery is planning to introduce five seasonal beers under the Stegmaier label. The announcement was made by Chuck Lawson, chief executive and president of the privately held company, according to The Times-Tribune’s statement on January 20.

First up is the February launch of Stegmaier Boch. This beer is being made from recipes found in the original Stegmaier Brewery’s archives. Stegmaier Summer Stock Lager is slated for summer release.

The brewery’s 100th Anniversary Stegmaier India Pale Ale will be re-released to coincide with Wilkes-Barre’s bicentennial celebration in July. Stegmaier Oktoberfest will be bottled this fall and the brewery will hold its second annual Oktoberfest celebration Oct. 6-7. A winter beer, called Stegmaier Frolicking Fest, also is planned.

Paul Gatza, director for the Colorado-based Brewer’s Association, said most growth in the industry is coming from craft brewing and seasonal beers, something that bodes well for the Lion. “Growth (in those sectors) was 7 percent in 2004 and I expect, once all the numbers are crunched, it will be at least that in 2005,” he said. “What we’re seeing is consumers really turning toward local beers,” he said.