Booze, Pickles, and a Giant Bear Named Lehigh George
Published in Nate’s Jim Thorpe Blog
Category: Food, Drink & Mascot Confusion
TL;DR:
- Nomad Distilling makes excellent cocktails
- The Country Pickle sells more pickles than anyone asked for (in a good way)
- Everything Nice Gift Shop is exactly what it sounds like
- There’s a bear named Lehigh George and we’re just going with it
- Jim Thorpe gets real chaotic on the weekends (popcorn, tents, hot dogs, etc.)
Nomad Distilling = 10/10
Stopped by Nomad Distilling for a drink. I tried ALL of the whisky. It was strong, cold, and tasted like it had a mission.
Then It Got Weird (In a Good Way)
Very close is The Country Cottage.
They sell pickles. That’s it. Well, not just that. But the pickles are the star.
Garlic pickles. Spicy pickles. Dill pickles. Weird flavors that shouldn’t work but do.
You walk in, and it's just jars on jars of briny, crunchy joy.
Then right next to that is Everything Nice Gift Shop — and yeah, the name fits.
It’s cozy, colorful, and has the kind of energy that makes you want to stop rushing.
So Who is Lehigh George?
I learned that apparently Jim Thorpe has a town mascot named Lehigh George.
He’s a bear. Not a real one — a person in a bear suit that just shows up sometimes.
Zero explanation. Zero consistency. And yet, somehow, it makes sense here.
You might see him on weekends. You might not. He’s like Bigfoot but with branding.
Weekend Food Tents = Culinary ADHD
On Saturdays and Sundays, the sidewalks get real loud. You’ve got:
- Kettle corn
- Lemonade stands
- Hot dogs
- Popcorn
- Homemade pastries
- Probably a dog in a stroller
You don’t even need to plan lunch. Just walk five steps and eat whatever someone’s yelling about.
Where All This Is
Downtown Jim Thorpe
You can hit all of these in one walk.