Storied Stoney's brewing up plan to reinvent itself
Two Mon Valley families with century-old connections are crossing paths again, this time to reinvent a beer with deep historic ties to the region.
Jon King, great-grandson of Jones Brewing Co. founder William "Stoney" Jones, and developer John LaCarte have brewed up a plan to reinvent the Stoney's brand that has a storied place in the region's brewing history.
"There's so many people who have a connection to Stoney's. If you grew up in this area, it's like mother's milk," LaCarte said. "Everybody has a Stoney's story, so we're really excited about capturing that."
King and LaCarte have formed Stoney's Brewing Co. and acquired the trademarks and licenses to brew and sell Stoney's beer, effective March 31. Terms of the deal with former Jones Brewing Co. owner Sandy Podlucky were not disclosed.
The men began negotiating with Podlucky more than a year ago, although they said she was immediately receptive to the acquisition idea. The sale of the Stoney's Premium, Stoney's Light, Gold Crown and Esquire brands means the end of Jones Brewing, King said.
"She was excited that a family member of 'Stoney' Jones was taking it over," King said. "I want to rebrand this thing and watch it grow again."
Podlucky, of Ligonier, said she considered other offers but was worried that the Stoney's brand would get lost among the other brands of a new owner — especially one from out of state.
"These two gentlemen — they have very strong ties to the brand and to the Mon Valley," she said. "So I thought, hey, it's a perfect fit. I know these guys will keep the tradition going and I couldn't be happier."
King grew up around his great-grandfather's business and spent summers during high school and college working at the Smithton brewery. After a 30-year career in finance, King said he thought it was time to act on a dream he'd had since the 1988 sale of Jones Brewing — bringing Stoney's beer back under Jones family management.
His great-grandfather, "Stoney" Jones, moved the Eureka Brewing Co. from Sutersville to Smithton in 1907. After Prohibition, the company resumed brewing under the Jones Brewing Co. name in 1933. Brewing operations stayed in Smithton, under the Podlucky ownership, until 2001 and eventually moved to City Brewing Co. in Latrobe.
Brewing will continue in Latrobe under an alternating proprietorship that will allow Stoney's Brewing to craft Stoney's beer there at least six times a year, LaCarte said. Headquarters for the new company and a gift shop for Stoney's memorabilia will be based in Charleroi.
"We certainly hope to greatly expand and brew on a more frequent basis," LaCarte said. "We see ourselves maybe doing some special batches from time to time."
The Jones and LaCarte families have a mutual history that goes back four generations. John LaCarte's great-grandfather, Joseph Ferrando, owned a livery in Smithton that hauled Stoney's beer and a hotel that served Stoney's in its bar. LaCarte's grandmother, Emma, baby sat actress Shirley Jones, "Stoney" Jones' granddaughter, when she was a child growing up in Smithton.
King and LaCarte plan to invite the oldest living Jones descendant, Hugh Jones, 88, of Jacksonville, Fla., to a Stoney's Brewing kickoff event at the Meadows Casino in June — along with Shirley Jones, 83.
"She's excited about it coming back to the family," King said.
Although the business partners plan to continue the beer as an "all natural" product, with no added sugars or preservatives, they're working on all-new branding and packaging. Their marketing plan includes a social media outreach to millennials.
"Our focus is on our core area in Western Pennsylvania," King said, "and then we hope to circle out from there and expand our market."
King's brother, Greg, will once again be brewmaster, after working as brewmaster for Stoney's in the 1980s and '90s.
Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-1280 or shuba@tribweb.com.
