America’s Oldest Brewery is that of D.G. Yuengling and Sons of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. So what does this have to do with The Bent Page? Well, as readers know, I’m more of a whiskey drinker. However, in the course of story research for Bonk’s Bar, I spoke with dozens of people about their preferences among the multitude of beer brands available. Many of them commented that they liked Yuengling. Furthermore, Yuengling reaches out to its local community with a number of programs that keep a civil society together. They deserve a lot of credit for that.
I grew up one county away from Yuengling’s brewery and remember Yuengling Beer as a “local” brand. Over the years, Yuengling has expanded their reach to much of the Eastern Seaboard and continues to grow throughout the near south and so on. They’ve purchased a brewery in Florida, built another one in Pennsylvania and seemed poised to continue their expansion with quality products the beer-drinking community enjoys.
Furthermore, I have another book that I toy with from time to time, called Big Iron. It’s based on a short story I wrote called Big Iron Holiday. I mentioned it before, but here’s a recap: two friends reunite after the First World War. One is a wreck forman on the Pennsylvania Railroad, the other a car salesman turned pilot. The story follows their lives up to D-Day in World War II. Anyway, during the first half of the Twentieth Century there were many more “local” brands of everything from beer to potato chips to bread. This was before the biggest conglomerates took hold. So, Yuengling Beer would naturally be among the beverages consumed by these characters as much of the story happens in Schuylkill and Carbon Counties as well as in Philadelphia. Thus, that’s why Yuengling shows up here on The Bent Page. (Not to mention that American Eagle with his talons on the beer keg is flat out “cool.”)
My hat is off to any business than can not only survive but prosper for nearly 200 years. There aren’t many that can claim that title. Do you know of any? Post a comment if you do.
It’s amazing how well the designer captured many of the elements of the story in such a small place. Yes, there are spicy crabs and poker games in the story, not to mention Russian mobsters, live music, and a brawl or two. I love this cover. Let me know what you think. See my website for the first chapter. More info about the release of the book is coming soon.
It was quite startling to come across an American style diner in Spain. Of course, I couldn’t resist taking a look. This place might have been found along any rural highway in the United States. So, taking advantage of such a locale, I promptly sat down and got some writing done. As I’ve said before, one of the joys of travel is coming upon the unexpected. You just never know what’s around the next corner: more of the same, or something completely different. (There was also a McDonald’s there but there’s plenty of them around Spain so we’ll ignore that.)
The Bent Page 
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