Straub Brewery: Images of America

In my brewery travels, I have rarely been to a more friendly part of this country than St. Marys, PA, home of the Straub Brewery. This is the world-famous site of the “Eternal Tap,” which, since Prohibition, has never stopped flowing with beer.

Since 1872, this family-owned brewery has been a lifeline for Northwestern Pennsylvania. The 30,000 barrels they brew each year are consumed within a 300-mile radius of the brewery.

Any book describing the history of this brewery would have the feel it was written by a family member, and in the case of Images of America, that is literally true. Author John E. Schlimm II is the great-great-grandson of the brewery’s founder Peter Straub.

The book covers not just the history of the Straub Brewery but, necessarily, also the history of the town of Saint Marys and its residents. As you read on, you realize that this really is the epitome of small town America. The brewery, the town and its people are almost one and the same.

Schlimm conveys a great feel for Straub’s consumers with an assortment of photos from the past 114 years. Not only do I recommend adding this book to your beer library, but if you have not visited Straub in St. Marys, add it to the top of your list.