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Happy Birthday, Yuengling! 180 Years and Still Counting

If you walk into any bar around these parts and ask for a lager, expect a pint of Yuengling Traditional Amber Lager to slide your way. After 180 years D. G. Yuengling & Son is firmly ensconced in the local culture so asking a bartender for a lager can only mean one thing . . . a Yuengling Lager. That’s Lager with a capitol “L”. The beer isn’t just culturally relevant, the Yuengling family and their beers are a part of history. After all, this six-generation family business has been brewing beer since Andrew Johnson was president.

Poised to commemorate its 180th Anniversary, the brewery and its current owner, Dick Yuengling, have a lot to celebrate. With sales approaching 2 million barrels annually, the brewery may soon be the largest American-owned producer of beer in the United States.

Success for Yuengling didn’t come easy. His brewery is one of only a few regional breweries to survive Prohibition. It remained in operation by producing near beer and dairy products. The Yuengling Dairy built across the street from the original brewery, made ice cream for local customers until 1985. After World War II national breweries began encroaching upon regional markets. The 1950s and 1960s were also tough decades for the local producers as customers’ palates adapted to the lighter beers sold by the big, national companies. Dick Yuengling credits the company’s survival to the determination and hard work of his father and uncle. “We do feel lucky and fortunate,” he said. “In my life time, I’ve seen us go from competition

Despite the odds, Yuengling bought the brewery from his father. Purchasing the brewery from the previous generation is a family tradition. The year was 1985 and he vowed not to be the one to preside over the demise of the family’s brewing legacy. Yuengling knew instinctively that he had to be innovative to survive. He expanded the company’s portfolio. Original Black & Tan was produced by combining the Yuengling’s Porter and Premium brands. Then in 1987, he came across an old, historic recipe found in the brewery and Yuengling Traditional Amber Lager was reborn. “Lager”, as it is affectionately known, received almost instant national attention. The beer-drinking public was ready for a full flavored, American lager. Demand surged and Yuengling realized that he needed to brew more beer. Two new breweries were constructed – one in Tampa, Florida and the other in Pottsville near the old facility.

But man cannot live on Lager alone. While the success of Yuengling Lager garnered the brewery many accolades, their other craft beers deserve some attention too. Yuengling Porter and Chesterfield Ale have been produced by the family since 1829. The Porter is made with generous amounts of caramel and dark roasted malts, which give the beer its rich flavor and creamy taste. The Ale is made in a classic European brewing style which enhances the mild bitterness giving Lord Chesterfield a dry, sharp finish. In 1986, Dick blended his Porter and Premium beer creating and traditional English-style Half & Half.

This year America’s Oldest Brewery introduced a limited-production Bock beer to celebrate Yuengling’s 180th Anniversary. The beer was released just before Easter and it was only available on tap. The beer is quintessential Yuengling - dark brown in color with notes of caramel and malt. Its exceptional flavor lives up to the quality Yuengling drinkers have grown to expect. From your very first sip, you know why Yuengling has been around for 180 years.

Dick Yuengling