In 1829, perhaps in a moment that would come to define the city of Pottsville, Pennsylvania more than any other, a German immigrant named David G. Yuengling opened the Eagle Brewery. Two years later, he lost it all to a fire. Soon after, however, the brewery would find a new home, its permanent home, on W. Mahantango Street.

Decades later, as the brewery passed into the next generation’s hands its name would also change — giving rise to what would soon become one of the most recognizable, enduring craft beer brands in America. They came to call it D.G. Yuengling & Son. You’d know it today simply as Yuengling.

A Family Legacy

“Fortunately all through the years of this business, somebody stepped forward and ran the business and kept it alive.” – Dick Yuengling, Owner

If ever there was a brand that so uniquely encapsulated the place where it was born and the character of its people, it would be Yuengling. For 195 years, with its simple lineup of staple beers, the Yuengling family has grown, perfected and fostered a brand reputation synonymous with Pennsylvania itself.

Throughout the 20th century, almost every coal town and railroad outpost from Susquehanna to Tamaqua had its own brewery. At least 12 existed within 35 miles of the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville. As population centers throughout NEPA rapidly expanded along with the largely industrial workforce, so too, did many of the local breweries – much to their own peril. To this day only one of those original NEPA breweries, the oldest one, is still brewing beer. And according to 5th generation owner, Dick Yuengling, there’s really not much of a secret behind their survival. “Number one, we always made good beer,” he said.

Thriving and adapting (at just the right pace).

What Yuengling’s forebears realized quite early on was that when it came to beer, people wanted simplicity and consistency. And while other breweries faltered under unwarranted expansion, the Yuengling Brewery instead grounded itself where it stood. It survived Prohibition, the Great Depression, world wars, the rise and fall of major industries. That survival was rooted in three basic principles – make good beer, stay committed to your people and remain consistent. For Dick Yuengling, simplicity is a winning formula. “The little guy can still survive if they do it right, watch their costs and make good beer. That’s our secret.”

The beer and its consistency came naturally.

According to Dick Yuengling, it’s really all about the water. And in his estimation, Pottsville has some of the best water in the world for making beer. It’s also about not falling victim to trends. While modern breweries are constantly trying to stay ahead of America’s ever-changing beer palate, or piling unnatural amounts of hops into the kettle, the Pottsville brewery chooses a slower, more careful approach.

Yuengling has certainly expanded their repertoire over the years with lighter beers like Light Lager or Flight.

Most recently, they’ve released a mango-flavored beer they call Bongo Fizz. Each popular in its own right and serving a different market segment. The undisputed champion, however, remains their Traditional Lager. It’s on tap or in the cooler at just about every neighborhood bar, restaurant, arena, stadium or concert hall you walk into. Loyal fans drink it, not only for the consistent, crisp, bold flavor, but also because their fathers and uncles drank it. And their  fathers and uncles drank it before them and so on.

It’s a unique product loyalty that’s built over generations. And as Dick Yuengling explains, “It’s the fact that we are family-owned. And I think people recognize the commitment that it takes to continue it in your family.” And that, he feels, is something that’s always resonated with fans of Yuengling.

New Territory

Yuengling’s reach now extends into half of the U.S.

Since 1829, Yuengling’s approach to expansion has been nothing short of measured and methodical. After 195 years, they’ve only just negotiated distribution in their 26th state. Generally, Yuengling has remained an “east of the Mississippi” beer. They’ve only recently expanded into Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. And with the exception of New Jersey and Delaware, the vast majority of their growth happened in the last 20 years.

Passing the torch.

Also, roughly within that same timeframe, Dick’s four daughters – Jen, Wendy, Debbie and Sheryl, had stepped into leadership roles at the brewery.  The Yuengling sisters, like their father, each got their starts as teenagers working in various facets of the brewery. Sometime in the 90s, Dick broached the subject of the girls taking on larger roles within the family business. To his delighted surprise, they jumped at the chance. Soon, one by one, as they finished their college degrees, Jen, Wendy, Debbie and Sheryl Yuengling took their place as the 6th generation of the family to proudly operate the brewery. Their father welcomed their partnership — his one stern caveat, “Stay efficient. Work hard. Make a commitment to the company. Take care of your people. And we’ll be around.”

The eagle spreads its wings.

Around that same period, Yuengling opened two new brewery operations – one in Tampa, Florida and another just down the road in Mill Creek. This expansion opened a new world of distribution capability. Now, with Dick still at the helm and the next generation pulling many of the levers, America’s oldest brewery began its march westward. Prior to 2000, Yuengling was available in three states. And since, they’ve rapidly expanded distribution into 23 new states.

The old brewery, with its new blood, also began to look ahead at the ever-changing landscape of craft beer. The last ten years has seen a resurgence and innovation in branding and product development at Yuengling. In 2018, a creative collaboration between Dick, his four daughters and the master brewers at Yuengling, resulted in the debut of Golden Pilsner. It was the brewery’s first release of a year-round beer in 17 years.

And Beyond…

“We’re a lucky, little company. And it’s all because we make good beer and deliver it consistently.” — Dick Yuengling

You could say that the story of Yuengling Brewery is one about perseverance, about enduring and growing with this young country where it was born. We could even say it’s about taking a simple approach, staying focused and doing it very, very well for roughly two centuries. And it is about all of those things and more. But if you peel back the pages, the years of hard work, the dedicated, local employees, the doubts, the risks, the successes, this is a story about a family.

Though it’s not only about those sharing the name and blood. The story of this family extends through generations on the bottling lines and in the warehouses, to those loading and driving the trucks, to the tour guides and the happy faces greeting you in the tap room. Yuengling Brewery is a legacy. It’s a family at work, making it happen. And it’s as sure an example as any of the truest version of the American dream.