Mount Carbon Brewery
A historic Pennsylvania brewery that operated under several names and owners from approximately 1845 until 1976.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Mount Carbon Brewery was a historic American brewery associated with Pottsville and Mount Carbon, Pennsylvania. Its operating history extended from approximately 1845 to 1976, although the business changed names, ownership, and operating arrangements several times during that period. The enterprise began under George Lauer in the Orchard section of Pottsville and was initially known as Orchard Brewery. The early brewery was part of the area's nineteenth-century brewing economy, with later operations connected to facilities on or near Centre Street in Pottsville and Main Street in Mount Carbon. A significant development came in 1886, when G. Lorenz Schmidt built a new brewery in Mount Carbon. Some facilities of the earlier Orchard Brewery were incorporated into the newer operation. After Schmidt's death, the business was operated by his estate. In 1893 it was identified with the Mount Carbon Brewery name, and in 1906 it became associated with the Schmidt Estate Brewing Company while continuing to use the Mount Carbon Brewery designation. The brewery subsequently passed to Mellet & Nichter Brewing Company in 1908. The national Prohibition era interrupted brewing operations from 1920 through 1933. Following repeal, Matthew Kelley operated the business under the Mount Carbon Brewery name from 1933 to 1935. From 1935 onward, the brewery again operated as Mount Carbon Brewery and produced a broad range of regional beer and ale brands. Its portfolio included Mount Carbon Ale, Mount Carbon Beer, several bock and pilsner products, porter, lager, Bavarian-style beer, Old German Beer, Old Bohemian Beer, Franklin Ale and Beer, Lord Salisbury Ale, and other specialty or house-label brands. The product range reflected common American brewing styles of the period, including lager, pale ale, porter, pilsner, bock, Münchner-style beer, and seasonal or specialty offerings. The brewery remained in operation until 1976. Production then ceased, and licensing for a number of Mount Carbon brand names was sold to D. G. Yuengling & Son, another Pottsville-area brewer. Yuengling continued producing certain licensed brands, including Bavarian Type Premium Beer and Old German Beer, into 1994. This later licensing arrangement extended the commercial life of selected Mount Carbon names beyond the closure of the original brewery, but it did not represent a continuation of the Mount Carbon production site as an independent brewery. The brewery's historical identity is therefore best understood as a long-running regional Pennsylvania brewing enterprise rather than as a contemporary independent beer brand. Its changing corporate names, interruption during Prohibition, extensive mid-century brand portfolio, and subsequent licensing relationship with Yuengling are central to its history. Its documented motto was “A Mellow Brew from the Mountains.”
History
Mount Carbon Brewery developed from a brewing operation established by George Lauer around 1845 in the Orchard section of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The original business was known as Orchard Brewery, a name derived from its location. During the nineteenth century, the enterprise was associated with several Lauer family operators and later with G. Lorenz Schmidt. The brewery's identity changed as ownership and facilities evolved, but its operations remained connected to the Pottsville and Mount Carbon area. In 1886, G. Lorenz Schmidt constructed a new brewery in Mount Carbon. Facilities from the earlier Orchard Brewery were used in the new operation, linking the newer plant to the older Pottsville business. After Schmidt's death, the brewery was operated by his estate. By 1893 it was operating as Mount Carbon Brewery, and from 1906 to 1908 it was connected with the Schmidt Estate Brewing Company while retaining the Mount Carbon designation. In 1908, operation passed to Mellet & Nichter Brewing Company. Brewing was suspended during Prohibition, which lasted nationally from 1920 until 1933. Following repeal, Matthew Kelley operated the business as Mt. Carbon Brewery from 1933 to 1935. From 1935 through 1976, the brewery again used the Mount Carbon Brewery name. During this later period it produced numerous regional brands and beer styles, including ale, lager, pilsner, bock, porter, Bavarian-style beer, Münchner-style beer, and specialty labels. The range included Mount Carbon Ale and Beer, Double Pilsener, Mount Carbon Half & Half, Mount Carbon Bock, M.C. Ale, M.C. Bock, M.C. Porter, Franklin Ale, Franklin Beer, Old German Beer, Old Bohemian Beer, Lord Salisbury Ale, and Bavarian Type products. Production ended in 1976. Brand licensing was subsequently sold to D. G. Yuengling & Son. Yuengling continued producing selected licensed Mount Carbon-associated labels, including Bavarian Type Premium Beer and Old German Beer, until 1994. The licensing arrangement preserved some of the brand portfolio after the original brewery stopped operating, but the historic Mount Carbon Brewery itself was no longer an active producer. The brewery is consequently remembered as a defunct regional Pennsylvania brewer with a history spanning more than a century and several ownership identities.
- 1994
Licensed production ends
[1]D. G. Yuengling & Son's production of selected licensed Mount Carbon-associated brands, including Bavarian Type Premium Beer and Old German Beer, ended by this year.
- 1976
Production ends
[1]Mount Carbon Brewery ceased production after operating under the Mount Carbon name since 1935.
- 1933
Post-Prohibition reopening
[1]Matthew Kelley operated the business under the Mount Carbon Brewery name after Prohibition ended.
- 1920
Prohibition interruption
[1]Brewing operations were interrupted during the United States Prohibition period.
- 1908
Mellet & Nichter takes over operation
[1]Operation passed to Mellet & Nichter Brewing Company.
- 1906
Schmidt Estate Brewing Company period
[1]The business operated as Schmidt Estate Brewing Company while continuing to use the Mount Carbon Brewery designation.
- 1893
Mount Carbon Brewery name adopted
[1]Following Schmidt's death, the estate-operated business was identified as Mount Carbon Brewery.
- 1886
New Mount Carbon brewery built
[1]G. Lorenz Schmidt built a new brewery in Mount Carbon, using some facilities from the earlier Orchard Brewery.
- 1877
Schmidt-era operation begins
[1]G. Lorenz Schmidt became associated with operation of the Orchard Brewery.
- 1860
End of George Lauer period
[1]The period identified with George Lauer's operation ended, after which the brewery continued under other operators.
Products and positioning
A regional Pennsylvania brewery offering a broad traditional beer portfolio, marketed around its mountain-region identity and the motto “A Mellow Brew from the Mountains.”
Ale and beer · 1933
Mount Carbon Ale and Mount Carbon Beer
Core Mount Carbon labels produced from 1933 through 1951. They represented the brewery's principal post-Prohibition offerings and established the Mount Carbon name across both ale and general beer formats.
Bock beer · 1934
Mount Carbon Bock and Bavarian Type Bock
Bock-style products associated with the brewery's seasonal and specialty range. Mount Carbon Bock was produced from 1934 to 1941, while Bavarian Type Bock was produced from 1953 to 1977.
Pilsner · 1934
Double Pilsener Beer
A pilsner product made during the brewery's 1930s post-Prohibition expansion. Its documented production period ran from 1934 through 1938.
Porter · 1935
Mount Carbon Porter
A porter sold under the Mount Carbon name from 1935 through 1977 in the documented brand chronology. The label remained part of the brewery's dark-beer portfolio near and after the end of on-site production.
Lager beer · 1941
Bavarian Type Premium Beer
A Bavarian-style premium beer listed among Mount Carbon's later products. It was produced under the Mount Carbon portfolio through 1977 and was subsequently made by D. G. Yuengling & Son under license until 1994.
Lager beer · 1942
Old German Beer
A German-style beer introduced during the 1940s. It was associated with Mount Carbon from 1942 to 1949 and was later produced by D. G. Yuengling & Son under license until 1994.
Beer · 1942
Old Bohemian Beer
A Bohemian-style label produced from 1942 through 1977, forming part of the brewery's broad mid-century portfolio of European-inspired beer names.
Ale · 1945
Lord Salisbury Ale
A named ale brand produced from 1945 through 1975. It was one of the longer-running specialty labels in the later Mount Carbon range.
Brand decisions
1976
Brand licensing after brewery closureOtherBackground
The historic brewery ceased production after decades of operation under the Mount Carbon name.
Action taken
Licensing for Mount Carbon brand names was sold to D. G. Yuengling & Son.
Aftermath
Yuengling continued producing selected licensed products, including Bavarian Type Premium Beer and Old German Beer, until 1994.
1920
Suspension during ProhibitionOtherBackground
The national prohibition of alcoholic beverage production interrupted the brewery's normal operations.
Action taken
Brewing operations stopped during the Prohibition period.
Aftermath
The business resumed after repeal in 1933 under Matthew Kelley.
1886
Construction of a new Mount Carbon facilityStrategyBackground
The brewery's earlier Orchard Brewery facilities were supplemented by a new brewery built by G. Lorenz Schmidt in Mount Carbon.
Action taken
Schmidt constructed the new facility and incorporated some resources from the earlier brewery operation.
Aftermath
The new site became central to the later Mount Carbon Brewery identity.
Sources1 sources
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