Pennsylvania Breweries History: Jones Brewing Company
William B. "Stoney" Jones was a Welsh immigrant whose dream was to
brew the finest beer possible. He built, in 1907, what was then known as
the Eureka Brewing Company. Determined to produce a product of excellence,
he sought out and hired the finest brewers, coopers, and other brewery
personnel available.
His philosophy was that the beer should be pure, all-grain, and
devoid of any artificial materials and/or additives - a traditional brew
much like that of the "old world". This was, and still is, the philosophy
of Jones Brewing Company. The beer was first known as Eureka Gold Crown Beer.
The immigrants, attempting to master the difficult English language,
would have considerable trouble with the pronunciation of such a brand name
and, would instead, ask for one of "Stoney's" beers. Recognizing the
pronunciation problem and noting the manner in which his product was
asked for, "Stoney" changed the label to carry his nickname, and it has
stood to this day.
The brewery is located in Smithton, a small town in rural western
Pennsylvania approximately 30 miles from Pittsburgh. The original name of
the company was Eureka Brewing Company. The brewery continued to be owned
and managed by the next two generations of the Jones family with William B.
Jones III ultimately becoming President. In July 1988 Gabriel (Gabby)
Podlucky and his wife Sandy purchased Jones Brewing Company. The Podlucky's
continued to run Jones Brewing in the tradition established by the
Jones family.
After nearly 100 years of production, the brewery closed in
January of 2001. The production of the Jones Brewing brews was moved to
the Iron City Brewing company and the Lion Brewing Company.
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