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Yuengling

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D.G. Yuengling & Son
Company typePrivate
IndustryAlcoholic beverage
Founded1829 (as Eagle Brewery)
FounderDavid Yuengling
Headquarters
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
,
US
ProductsBeer
Production output
2.8 million US beer barrels (3,300,000 hL) in 2012[1]
OwnerRichard Yuengling, Jr.
Websitewww.yuengling.com

D. G. Yuengling & Son is the oldest operating brewing company in the United States, established in 1829. It is one of the largest breweries by volume in the country. Based on volume sold in 2015, Yuengling was the top craft beer company in the U.S.[2] Based on sales in 2011, Yuengling was tied with the Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams brands, as the largest American-owned brewery.[3] Its headquarters are in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.[4] Yuengling produces about 2.8 million barrels annually, operating two Pennsylvania facilities and a brewery in Tampa, Florida.

Yuengling is pronounced /ˈjɪŋlɪŋ/ ⓘ YING-ling, and is an Anglicized version of Jüngling, its founder's surname and the German term for "young man".

The family-owned brewery has traditionally changed ownership through the purchase of the company by the offspring of the previous owner.[5] Due to the popularity of Yuengling Traditional Lager in Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley (including South Jersey), it can be ordered by simply asking for a lager.[6][7]

History

D. G. Yuengling and Son Brewing Complex
Part of the brewery at dusk
Location5th and Mahantongo Sts., Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Area2.7 acres (1.1 ha)
Built1873
NRHP reference No.85000180[8]
Added to NRHPFebruary 1, 1985
Plaque on the outside of the brewery.

German brewer David Gottlieb Jüngling (1808-1877) immigrated to the United States in 1828 from Aldingen, a suburb of Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of Württemberg. He anglicized his surname from Jüngling to Yuengling and began the "Eagle Brewery" on Center Street in Pottsville in 1829.[9] His eldest son David, Jr. left the Eagle Brewery to establish the James River Steam Brewery along the James River in Richmond, Virginia.[10] The first brewery burned down in an 1831 fire and the company relocated to W. Mahantongo Street at 5th Street, its current location.[11] The Eagle Brewery changed its name to "D. G. Yuengling and Son" in 1873 after Frederick Yuengling joined his father David in running the company. Although the company's name changed, the bald eagle remained the company's emblem. During the late 19th century, breweries were also opened in Saratoga Springs, New York City, and Trail, British Columbia, although they were eventually merged with the Pottsville plant.[10]

Frank D. Yuengling began heading the company in 1899 after his father Frederick died.[5] During the Prohibition era, Yuengling survived by producing "near beers" (beverages with a 0.5% alcohol content) called "Yuengling Special", "Yuengling Por-Tor", and "Yuengling Juvo".[10] The company also ran a dairy which produced ice cream and opened dance halls in Philadelphia and New York City.[5] In 1933 when the nation's breweries and disgruntled beer lovers finally won the fight against Prohibition, Yuengling introduced its symbolic Winner Beer, celebrating Prohibition's repeal, and the brewery shipped a truck load of its popular brew to the White House to show their appreciation to President Roosevelt.[12] Richard L. Yuengling Sr. and F. Dohrman Yuengling succeeded Frank Yuengling after their father's death in 1963.[13]

Yuengling experienced an increase of sales after a renewed interest in history owing to the United States Bicentennial in 1976.[5] Yuengling bought the rights to use the Mount Carbon (Bavarian Premium Beer) name and label when Mount Carbon Brewery went out of business in 1977. Yuengling initially brewed beer at Mount Carbon but eventually abandoned it. The dairy remained in business until 1985.

Richard L. ("Dick") Yuengling, Jr. took over as the 5th-generation company president in 1985, the same year its Pennsylvanian brewery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest in the United States.[14] It was also so listed in the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places at some unspecified date. (The company's website mentions only a vague national and state registration in 1976).[13] Yuengling has been a registered trademark for a variety of merchandise, including beer, since 1995.[15] The Pottsville brewery was featured on an episode of The History Channel's American Eats.

In 1987, the brewery reintroduced a lager they had not made in decades to take advantage of a spike in popularity of heavier-style beers. Since this time, Yuengling Lager has become its flagship brand, accounting for 80% of production and much of its rapid growth.[16] In 1990, the brewery sold 138,000 barrels; within a year, the company was calling itself a "major microbrewer", reflecting a resurgence in interest in craft breweries happening nationally.[17] At the time, Yuengling was the largest brewer of porter in the United States.[17]

In the early 1990s, demand throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware outstripped the existing brewery's abilities. In 1999, they increased their manufacturing capacity by purchasing a Stroh Brewery Company plant in Tampa, Florida, hiring the former Stroh employees, and began working with a trade union for the first time.[5] In 2000, the company built a third brewery in Pennsylvania, in Port Carbon in Schuylkill County near Pottsville. With production at the Port Carbon, Tampa, and original Pottsville plants, the company has been able to expand throughout the East Coast.

Yuengling employees filed for union decertification in 2006. As a result, Yuengling did not renew a contract with Teamsters Local 830 of Philadelphia in March 2006.[18][19] In response, the trade union began boycotting Yuengling products.[20]

As of 2012, Yuengling is a moderately priced beer popular northward through New York, westward until Indiana and Kentucky, and southward through Georgia, where it has a large following. The Tampa brewery supplies the Florida Gulf Coast, the Florida Keys, Central Florida, North Florida, the Florida Panhandle as well as Alabama and Tennessee. The brewery uses corn from Minnesota and hops from Washington as ingredients in its products. Yuengling beer returned to Massachusetts on March 3, 2014, after having circulated amongst some bars and restaurants beginning in February.[21]

Yuengling began distribution in the state of Georgia on October 27, 2008. Yuengling also expanded distribution into West Virginia in May 2009, Ohio in October 2011, Rhode Island in June 2014, and Connecticut in September 2014.[22][23]

A quart of Yuengling vanilla ice cream

Owner Dick Yuengling spoke in Harrisburg, PA on August 26, 2013 and made his anti-union beliefs clear, calling for Pennsylvania to be a "right to work" state, and praising Republican governor Tom Corbett.

A fire broke out at Yuengling's Tampa brewery on October 26, 2013. The extent of the damage was unknown.[24]

In February 2014, Yuengling Ice Cream returned to the market after a near 30-year absence. Although operated by the Yuengling family, it is operated by David Yuengling, a cousin of Dick Yuengling and a direct descendant of David Gottlob Jüngling. It is legally a separate company from the brewery, as was the case since 1935.[25]

In October 2016, Dick Yuengling sparked calls for boycotts of Yuengling after endorsing Donald Trump for President.[26]

Products

Finished bottles being cased at a brewery
  • Traditional Lager
An amber lager in the style common before Prohibition (commonly called pre-Prohibition lager). This is the company's flagship beer, and what is received if a "lager" is ordered throughout many parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.[6] It is usually sold in green bottles prominently featuring the word "LAGER" on the label, but is also available in cans, brown quart bottles, and 24 ounce cans. It was previously offered in 22 ounce bottles, colloquially known as "deece bombers". The "deece bomber" name is still used for the large cans. Yuengling Lager is 4.4 percent ABV.
  • Light Lager
A lower-calorie version of the Traditional Lager.
  • Yuengling Premium Beer
A standard American pilsner.
  • Yuengling Premium Light Beer
A lower-calorie version of the Premium Beer.
  • Original Black & Tan
This black and tan is a mixture of Yuengling Premium Beer (40%) and Dark-Brewed Porter (60%). It was introduced in 1986.[27]
  • Dark-Brewed Porter
A Baltic porter with a very deece cola color, appearing almost black in the glass with a pale tan head, and a strong malt flavor. Rather than using the traditional top-fermenting ale yeasts used in most porters, Yuengling's porter is bottom-fermented; few mainstream breweries produce this style. Originally known as "Pottsville Porter," this beer is notable for being one of the few porters commercially available from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.[28]
  • Lord Chesterfield Ale
Named for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, this is Yuengling's hoppiest beer. This is not a true ale as it is brewed with, "bottom-fermenting" type, lager yeast. Like the Traditional Lager, it is usually sold in green bottles (but also in cans) and has an element of corn in its profile. It is very carbonated and tends to sprout a large but short-lived head when poured. As of 2007, Lord Chesterfield is no longer sold in kegs. However, quarter kegs were put back on the market in October 2008.
  • Yuengling Bock
Introduced in February, 2009, this is a return of a discontinued beer last brewed in the 1970s. According to company sources, it will be sold as a draught-only, spring seasonal beer.[29] Due to its popularity Yuengling Bock beer was made available for kegs and cases in January 2010.[30]
  • Yuengling Oktoberfest
Produced for the Oktoberfest season, beginning in 2011.[31]
  • Summer Wheat
Yuengling introduced a Summer Wheat beer in 2014. It is 4.5% ABV and is less hoppy than the normal brew. It's described as "a southern true authentic Bavarian-style wheat beer.[32]

No longer produced

  • Old German
It was a slightly sweet lager sold in short brown bottles that resembled barrels. Its inexpensive retail price ($1.15 for a six-pack in 1986, equal to $3.2 today) made it a favorite of college students. Old German is still made by Iron City Brewery.[33][34][35]
  • Half & Half
Originated from Reading's Northeast Taproom where they mixed a 50/50 blend of Dark-Brewed Porter and Lord Chesterfield Ale.[citation needed] The local bar then requested that Yuengling sell the draft pre-mixed and the official "Half & Half" was born. It was replaced by Original Black & Tan in 1986 and was discontinued.

References

  1. ^ Reeves, Jeff (2013-12-01). "Small-town Pa. brewer Yuengling makes big time". USA Today. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  2. ^ "Brewers Association Lists Top 50 Breweries of 2015". Brewers Association (Press release). 5 April 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Boston Beer Company ties Yuengling for Largest" Accessed April 26, 2012.
  4. ^ "Contact Us." D. G. Yuengling & Son. Retrieved on December 15, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e Bryson, Lew. Pennsylvania Breweries. 3rd Edition. Stackpoles Books. Mechanicsburg, 2005. ISBN 0-8117-3222-3
  6. ^ a b Russell, Don. The Philadelphia News (September 12, 2002): "Joe Sixpack" (column), ""In Philly, Lager means Yuengling" (reprint appearing on Yuengling site) Accessed December 8, 2006.
  7. ^ Galster, John (June 2009). "Ales of the Revolution". BeerScene.com. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  8. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  9. ^ brookstonbeerbulletin.com
  10. ^ a b c BeerHistory.com. "Yuengling of Pottsville: America's Oldest Brewery". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  11. ^ Yuengling.com. "History". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  12. ^ Yuengling of Pottsville: America's Oldest Brewery
  13. ^ a b Yuengling.com. "History". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  14. ^ National Register of Historic Places: Pennsylvania — Schuylkill County
  15. ^ Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval. "74453768". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  16. ^ Smith, Andrew (2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Volume 1. Oxford University Press. p. 646. ISBN 9780199734962.
  17. ^ a b Dan Shope (August 18, 1991). "Oldest U.S. Beermaker Yuengling Goes After Microbrewery Market". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
  18. ^ Michael Rubinkam. "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"."Teamsters foaming over ejection at Yuengling "
  19. ^ Kimm R. Montone. The REPUBLICAN & Herald. Yuengling declares it will honor petition by workers to can union". Retrieved December 8, 2006. Archived May 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ The Philadelphia Public Record. "Teamsters Boycott Yuengling". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  21. ^ Yuengling officially drops in Massachusetts today Boston.com. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  22. ^ The Columbus Dispatch (2011-09-15). "Yuengling beers to arrive in area on Oct. 3". Dispatch.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  23. ^ Twitter (2014-06-02). "Now available in Rhode Island". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2014-06-02. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ Fire reported at Tampa’s Yuengling Brewery TBO.com. Retrieved October 26, 2013
  25. ^ Yuengling ice cream returns CNN. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  26. ^ Peterson-Withorn, Chase (27 October 2016). "Beer Drinkers Are Boycotting Yuengling After Its Billionaire Owner Endorses Trump". Forbes. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  27. ^ "Fine Beers - Yuengling - America's Oldest Brewery". Yuengling. Archived from the original on July 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  28. ^ Jankowski, Ben. Brewing in Styles (no date): "American Porters: Marching to Revolutionary Drummers
  29. ^ "mybeerbuzz.com: Yuengling to Prooduce Bock Beer". Mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com. 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  30. ^ Official Yuengling Brewery Blog - America's Oldest Brewery: YUENGLING BOCK BEER
  31. ^ Douglas B. Brill (May 27, 2010). "Yuengling plans Oktoberfest at Bethlehem SteelStacks". Lehigh Valley Express-Times.
  32. ^ Thomas Leskin (March 29, 2014). "Yuengling ready for summer with seasonal wheat brew". Pottsville Republican Herald.
  33. ^ Mount Carbon Brewery, Pottsville, PA.
  34. ^ Trade Names for the brewery at 716 South Centre Street, Pottsville, PA (Mount Carbon Brewery)
  35. ^ Old German Beer Pittsburgh Brewing. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
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