Wheeling Heritage Celebrates Local Beer History with a Live Podcast Event
WHEELING, W.Va. – Aug. 11, 2021 – Wheeling Heritage will host Henry: Thirsty For More, a live podcast event, on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. at Brew Keepers. The event comes after a six-week rerelease of “Henry: Wheeling’s Most Notorious Brewer,” a podcast produced by Wheeling Heritage Media that explores many aspects of Wheeling brewer and businessman Henry Schmulbach.
The panel will be led by Hal Gorby, who was the host, writer, and researcher for the podcast. He will be joined by local history teacher Ryan Stanton and Brew Keepers owner Kevin Ayres. They will discuss the podcast, Schmulbach’s legacy, and answer questions from the audience.
“Henry: The Life and Legacy of Wheeling’s Most Notorious Brewer” tells the story of Schmulbach’s life, including his early years of entrepreneurship in Wheeling after he and his family immigrated from Germany, his purchase and ownership of Schmulbach Brewing Company, and his involvement in an altercation that led to Henry on trial for murder. It also explores the larger history and atmosphere of Wheeling during the Gilded Era into Prohibition, through themes like industry, immigration, and corruption, as well as the legacy of Henry Schmulbach in Wheeling today.
“Henry Schmulbach built his business during the height of industry in Wheeling, and his story touches on so many different facets of the culture at that time,” said Betsy Sweeney, Director of Heritage Programming at Wheeling Heritage. “We think it’s really important to reach people via the mediums they’re actually interested in, and Schmulbach’s story is a perfect one for a podcast.”
Wheeling Heritage Media produced “Henry” in 2018, and decided it was the right time to reshare the podcast with episode recaps and never-before-seen video footage that was collected during production. Every Tuesday leading up to the Aug. 19 event, an episode recap and video will continue to be shared on Weelunk, Wheeling Heritage’s digital storytelling publication.
Henry Live: Thirsty for More will be the perfect kickoff to Mountaineer Brewfest that is slated to take place that weekend. If you’re into local history, brewing beer, or just want to have a good time, then you won’t want to miss this event! Visit wheelingheritage.org to learn more.
About Wheeling Heritage:
Wheeling Heritage is a catalyst for the revitalization of Wheeling. Through historic preservation, community development, and the arts, we help to tell Wheeling’s story and shape its future. We seek to improve the quality of life in Wheeling by preserving and investing in our city, collaborating with others, and engaging the citizens of Wheeling in our work.
