Q:I've heard that Rolling Rock is no longer being made in Pennsylvania, but rather in New Jersey. What is the story there?

It's true. Rolling Rock, the self-proclaimed "Pride of PA", is no longer a product of Pennsylvania. Rolling Rock was introduced by the Tito brothers in Latrobe, Pa. in 1939, and the Tito family successfully owned and operated the brewery until 1985 when it was sold to Sundor, which then sold it to Labatt USA in 1987.

A series of mergers and acquisitions over the next decade left Latrobe Brewing, makers of Rolling Rock, in the hands of a Belgium-based brewing conglomerate called InBev. Latrobe Brewing was their only major brewery investment in the United States and made a decision to focus their attention on more profitable imports in their portfolio.

Anheuser-Busch (AB) paid $82 million for the Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light brands, trademarks and intellectual property -- more than any of the offers by local investors who wanted the brewery and the brands. However the brewery was not included in the purchase.

The end of July 2006 saw nearly 250 workers lose their jobs while production of the brands moved to AB's Newark, N.J. facility. The last bottles rolled off the line in Latrobe during the last week of July, ending the 67 years Rolling Rock legacy there.

Fortunately for the small town of Latrobe, City Brewing of Lacrosse, Wis., recently purchased the brewery. It will make some beer, but most of production will be malt beverages, energy drinks and specialty beverages. They plan to start some production by mid-February 2007.

Many have wondered if the taste of Rolling Rock will be noticeably different. Anheuser-Busch has an infinite number of resources at their fingertips in order to "get it right" so I believe they will. But take the challenge for yourself. Production at the Latrobe plant ended about nine weeks ago, so there is still some product from the old plant on the shelves. AB kept the packaging nearly identical. The way to distinguish where it was made is on the front at the bottom. If it says Latrobe Brewing Co., Latrobe, Pa.-- then it's from the old plant. If it says Latrobe Brewing Co., St. Louis, Mo.-- it's from the AB Newark brewery.

While we're on the Rolling Rock topic, I've also been asked to explain the significance of the "Glass Lined Tanks of Old Latrobe." Glass lining was used on tanks made from carbon steel in order to protect taste from rust and metallic contamination, a procedure not unique to the Latrobe brewery.

Modern breweries are now replacing these with stainless steel tanks, which do not carry this concern. The majority of the tanks at the Latrobe brewery are stainless steel and thus there is no need for the glass lining. The motto has been kept for traditional purposes.

Chris Straub is a senior majoring in chemical engineering and a Collegian Columnist. He is the great-great grandson of the founder of Straub Beer. His e-mail address is cts150@psu.edu.