Zeno's and Chumley's, State College Icons: Season 2, Episode 58

One interview, two absolutely iconic central PA bars: Zeno's, and Chumley's.

I got an interview with Ellen Braun, who is the general manager of Zeno's, the bar that brought great beer to State College; and also the general manager of Chumley's, the bar that has quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) provided a safe haven for gay folks from Penn State and the region around State College since the early 80's. We also talked with two of her lieutenants, Justin and Sofie. 

I already got the history of Zeno's from long-time manager Dave Staab way back in Episode 4, but things have changed a lot since then, so we needed an update. Chumley's, well, I've wanted to do a 'gay bars of central PA' episode for a long time, and the story is as fascinating and varied as I'd hoped, especially when you throw in the excellent cocktail program. 

This is a great interview. I enjoyed doing it, I enjoyed listening to it when I edited it, and I hope you enjoy it too.  (One small correction; Ellen contacted me to note that she misspoke when she said Chumley's new owners had purchased the building. They did not, they only purchased the business.)

It is also a long interview, and I didn't have a lot of room for much else, though I did squeeze in how we made a great blueberry cobbler out of our fresh Kiwanis Club blueberries. What I'm Drinking Today was two bourbons, the latest Larceny Barrel Proof release and the new Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond 7 Year Old, both Heaven Hill whiskeys with the same wheated bourbon mash bill; I taste and compare them. The Smack-Dab in the Centre sponsorship moment is about the upcoming Route 45 Getaways event which will be right in front of my house. Really! 

Next episode? I've got everything ready for a Gettysburg episode, which required a marathon pub crawl with my buddy Dave Dreese. But I'm also getting an interview with...well, with a major central PA food company, and there will be giveaways, folks, prizes for you! So maybe we'll do that one next week, because who doesn't like prizes?  

See you in two weeks!

Until then?

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Seen Through A Glass is sponsored by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. Come visit Centre County!

 

This episode uses these sounds under the following license:
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

"By the Lake" by Musinova at https://pixabay.com/users/musinova-47643763/

arrow-impact-87260 Sound Effect found on Pixabay (https://pixabay.com)

"Glow" by Scott Buckley | https://www.scottbuckley.com.au
Music promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.

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