The Oldest Brewery In America Has Been Family-Owned For 200 Years

Next to wine and mead, beer is one of the oldest drinks on the planet, with archeological evidence tracing back 13,000 years. It's fascinating to look back at old recipes to understand what beer of the past may have tasted like compared to the double IPAs and fruited sours we sip on today. You can actually drink beer from the past — not thousands of years old, but one with origins reaching back nearly 200 years ago from the oldest brewery in the United States. It's not Coors or Budweiser, but one you may have never heard of: Yuengling. 

Yuengling's brewery currently sits proud with an eye-catching brick red exterior on 5th and Mahantongo Street in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. First opened in 1829, it was originally located a few blocks away and called Eagle Brewery. The founder and master brewer, David G. Yuengling, immigrated to America from Wuerttemberg, Germany, to settle here, bringing recipes for German beer and a brain for business. 

This wasn't necessarily the first brewery to open in the United States, but it was the one to survive prohibition and continue production in modern-day history. In 1920, alcohol was banned in the United States, quickly putting other breweries out of business. However, Yuengling cleverly sold what it called "near beer", a malt-based beverage low in alcohol that could be legally sold. This product, plus the family's dairy, carried the brewery financially until Prohibition ended in 1933.

The founder David Yuengling passed away in 1877, leaving the business to one of his sons; fast forward over a century, and the Yuengling Brewery is still producing beer and is still proudly family-owned. The Pennsylvania-based brewery has been owned and operated by six generations of the Yuenglings — the current CEO and owner, Dick Yuengling, purchased the brewery from his father in 1985. If you want a glimpse inside how the country's oldest brewery still operates today — while sampling beers of course — a stop at Yuengling for a brewery tour and visit is a must.

The brewery's traditional lager, made using a historical lager recipe that was brought back in 1987, is the most popular of its offerings. This traditional lager is crisp and well-balanced, with a malty caramel flavor, an amber color, and an ABV of 4.5%. If you're at a bar or restaurant in Pennsylvania and ask for a lager beer, this is the go-to. There's also a lighter version of the traditional, with a slightly lower ABV and calories. For something on the darker side, Yuengling's Black & Tan beer combines 60% Porter and 40% beer for a rich, roasted flavor and deep, dark brown color. 

If you desire a taste of history, go for the Lord Chesterfield Ale or Dark Brewed Porter. These were the two beers first brewed by the founder, and are still being brewed today.