Every story has history. Ours just has more than the rest.
The story of Yuengling is the story of the American Spirit. It’s a tale of shared dreams, individual tenacity and an unwavering dedication to standards of quality. Like many American stories it starts amid the dreams of countless young immigrants looking for opportunity and emerges from the strength and will of one family determined to build their legacy in a new country. The story of America’s Oldest Brewery began when David G. Yuengling arrived from Wuerttemberg Germany to settle in the sleepy, coal-mining town of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
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1829
David G. Yuengling establishes the Eagle Brewery on Centre Street in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
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1829
A future tradition is born.
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1829
Lord Chesterfield Ale and Porter are introduced and continue to be brewed to this day.
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1831
Fire completely destroys the plant and a new brewery is built on Mahantongo Street, Pottsville, site of the current brewery.
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1873
Brewery name is changed to D.G. Yuengling & Son after David’s son, Frederick, joins his father as partner.
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1877
David Yuengling dies at the age of seventy.
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1895
Fredrick Yuengling adds the bottling line to the plant.
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1899
Frederick Yuengling dies at the age of 51. His only son, Frank, assumes the brewery’s management.
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1919
The eighteenth amendment is ratified, enacting a call for the national prohibition of alcohol. To survive, Yuengling switches to production of near beer products.
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1920
Yuengling constructs a dairy directly opposite the brewery to help survive Prohibition.
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1929
The 100th anniversary of the brewery. Near beer remains the only product being produced.
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1933
Prohibition ends. The brewery celebrates by producing “Winner Beer” and ships a truckload to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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1936
The brewery Rathskeller is built.
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1954
The brewery celebrates 125 years of existence.
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1960
Ray Norbert becomes Brewmaster, a position he held for 40 years.
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1963
Frank D. Yuengling dies at the age of 86. He managed the brewery as president and chairman of the board for a remarkable period of 64 years. Upon his death, his sons, Richard L. and F. Dohrman, assume management of the brewery.
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1976
The brewery is placed on the national and state registers as America’s Oldest Brewery.
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1979
The brewery celebrates its 150th anniversary.
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1985
Richard L. “Dick” Yuengling, Jr. buys the company from his father and becomes president.
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1987
Dick Yuengling makes the decision to reintroduce Yuengling Traditional Amber Lager, a product that would later become the flagship brand.
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1996
Demand for Yuengling actually begins to exceed the brewery’s capacity. The decision is made to withdraw from markets outside of the local area.
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1998
To meet demand, Dick Yuengling announces plans to build a second brewery at Mill Creek, three miles from the site of the original brewery.
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1999
A plant in Tampa, Florida, is purchased from the former Stroh’s brewery early in the year, and beer production begins by summer.
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2001
Production begins at the Mill Creek facility, greatly increasing the overall brewing capacity.
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2009
Yuengling introduces its line of seasonal offerings.
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2009
Yuengling surpasses 2 million barrels.
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2011
Mill Creek facility expands, adding capacity to help satisfy consumer demand.
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2012
24/7 Wall St names Yuengling Traditional Lager America’s #1 Favorite Beer.
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2014
All four Yuengling daughters are working at the brewery.
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2015
Dick Yuengling celebrates 30 years of owning the brewery.
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2015
Yuengling tops the Brewer’s Association annual list of largest sellers of craft beer.
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2016
Yuengling continues to expand.
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2017
Yuengling introduces new iconic eagle packaging.
Yuengling believes in leading the way with responsible brewing.
Sustainability
D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., is a 6th-generation family owned and operated business built on strong heritage and tradition. Established in 1829, Yuengling has been committed to supporting local communities and preserving the natural ingredients that make our quality products. Not only do we adhere to the belief that good water makes good beer, as a part of our long term commitment to the communities we operate in, Yuengling makes it a priority to protect the environment for generations to come. As America’s Oldest Brewery, we strive to reduce our carbon footprint, recycling and reusing materials whenever possible as well as conserving water and energy.
What We Do
- To brew more efficiently for both our company and the environment, we recycle our brewing byproducts
- Our spent grain is sent to local dairy farms for use as animal feed and soil fertilizer
- Our spent yeast is used as a protein supplement by food processors
- Our remaining byproducts are converted into methane gas to generate on-site power and heat
- Conserve water and reuse it when possible
- Recycle glass, aluminum, plastics, cardboard and paper
- Purchase materials and ingredients locally to reduce transportation
- Use fuel-efficient rail delivery of materials
- Use energy-efficient lighting and equipment
- Maintain a continuous focus on increased efficiencies and waste reduction
Enhancements for Responsible Brewing
During Prohibition, we built a dairy across the street from the brewery. Take a look at how we renovated this piece of history to include our museum, gift shop and green technology.