Yuengling Brewery

When David W. Yuengling arrived in Pottsville, Pennsylvania from Württemberg, Germany, in the early 19th century, inhabitants of the small, coal-mining town didn’t know that something big was about to start brewing. 

In 1829, Yuengling opened Eagle Brewery on Centre Street, brewing Lord Chesterfield Ale and Dark Brewed Porter, two brews still on the Yuengling roster today. After a fire destroyed the original Centre Street building in 1831, Yuengling rebuilt on Mahantongo Street in Pottsville.

Several decades later, the brewery’s name was changed to D. G. Yuengling & Son, co-run with David’s son, Frederick. In 1877, David Yuengling passed and full ownership fell to Frederick, who, within 20 years, expanded the formerly keg-only business to a bottling operation. 

During Prohibition, the brewery, then run by the third Yuengling generation, pivoted to the production of “wholesome,” “non-intoxicating” so-called “near-beer” products, adding on a dairy operation across the street to focus on the sale of ice cream. Upon the legalization of alcohol production once more in the U.S., the brewery shipped a case of its “Winner” beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

By the 1960s, a new brewmaster, Ray Norbert, joined the venture, helping to develop some of the brewery’s most popular brews, including the Yuengling Traditional Lager. Through the ‘90s and early 2000s, under fifth-generation leadership, the company expanded to include a Mill Creek production facility. In 2017, the company commissioned Steven Noble to illustrate the new Eagle & Barrel logo for its products. After expansion south and west, Yuengling is now available in roughly 30 states and counting. 

Today, visitors from all over the country and beyond flock to visit and tour the brewery, the oldest in the U.S. Tours include a walk through hand-dug caves, used for refrigeration in the 1800s.