Yuengling is Back in Town!

Founded in 1829 by David G. Yuengling in Pottsville, PA, Yuengling is officially America’s oldest brewery.

However, the lager has been impossible to find in New England for a long time. After leaving the market two decades ago, Yuengling has decided to distribute and heavily advertise its brand in New England once again. Yuengling lovers used to have to drive all the way to New York just to acquire a six-pack, but now it’s available in their own back yards.

The beer comes from humble beginnings. David Gottlob Jüngling immigrated to the United States from Wurttenberg, Germany in 1823. Soon after, he changed his last name from “Jüngling” to “Yuengling” and opened Eagle Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1829. Sadly, during a fire in 1831, the brewery burned to the ground. The company then relocated to its current location at W. Mahantongo Street at 5th Street in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

To survive Prohibition, the Yuengling Brewery produced beverages with 0.5% alcohol by volume referred to as “near beers”, including “Yuengling Special”, “Yuengling Por-Tor”, and “Yuengling Juvo.” The company also opened a dairy across the street to diversify their revenue. To celebrate the end of prohibition, the company released their “Winner Beer.” In order to show their appreciation, the brewery sent a truckload of their beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1996, the demand for Yuengling started to exceed the brewery’s capacity. In response, the company began to withdraw from certain markets. To combat this trend, they acquired a plant in Tampa, Florida in 1999 and opened a new location in Mill Creek, Pennsylvania in 2001, which was expanded in 2011 to increase capacity.

For years, New Englanders have not had a venue to purchase Yuengling. A Facebook group was created five years ago in order to bring Yuengling back to area now has almost 17 thousand fans. The same group also created a petition which was sent to the company with their request.

These efforts among others seem to have worked. Yuengling was made available to purchase in the New England area as of March 2014.

This is good news. Want to hear even better news? Julio’s Liquors in Westborough has plenty of Yuengling in stock and will now be receiving regular shipments! Pay us a visit and pick up some of America’s oldest beer today.

Have you tried Yuenling before? What were your thoughts on this long sought-after beer?