America's Oldest Brewery Hails From This State

Beer is the preferred choice of alcohol for most Americans – per Statista — whether it's to douse the heat of a hot summer afternoon or the spiciness of a flavor-packed Caribbean barbecue . Brew has become an integral part of the country's culture, with more than 9,900 breweries spread across the U.S.

– each serving up unique forms and flavors. But where, exactly, is the oldest brewery in the country? The answer is Pennsylvania, a state replete with a rich history and the second-largest producer of craft beer in the nation. In 1828, a German immigrant named David Yeungling arrived in the U.



S. with a dream: to establish a brewery. By the following year, he'd turned that dream into a reality, founding the Eagle Brewery.

But like most aspirations, this one, too, had to go through a rite of passage. The brewery was destroyed by fire a couple of years later in 1831. Yet, the man refused to give up.

He remained steadfast, rebuilding the brewery at another location a few blocks away, and turned it into a success story. Nearly 42 years later, his son renamed the business to honor the family legacy: D.G.

Yuengling and Son. Today, that name represents a tradition about two centuries old. The first two beers brewed there by David Yuengling — the Lord Chesterfield ale and dark brewed porter — are still sold by the brand.

Why did David Yuengling pick Pennsylvania? David Yuengling came from a family of brewers, so he knew exactly what he needed when picking a town for his brewery. He picked Pennsylvania's Pottsville — a coal-mining town at the time — for two reasons. It had a booming economy and natural spring water.

He built the Pottsville brewery into the side of a hill that bears a close resemblance to an old fire hall. The extensive caves and tunnels supplied the spring water for brewing beer and provided underground spaces almost 15 feet below the surface. Because of a lack of technology, the ale was filled into the barrels by hand.

Pennsylvania proved to be a fortunate foundation for Yuengling, as the brand eventually went on to become the face of nostalgia, with some locals even crediting it for their long lives. The city of Philadelphia, meanwhile, ranks as one of the best cities for beer lovers in the country. How Yuengling beer has stood the test of time Yuengling became America's largest independent brewery after surpassing Boston Beer in 2015 (although that partly had to do with a change in definition of "traditional brewer").

Even Anchor Brewing had to close in 2023 after a remarkable 127-year run, but Yuengling's sales continued to climb. The brand has seen good times and bad, but a mix of strategy, dedication, and luck has helped it survive. One move that proved to be a game-changer for the brand was bringing back an amber lager it hadn't produced in decades, in 1987.

Amber lagers are heavier-style beers, and this was Yuengling's move to capitalize on their growing popularity. In more recent times, its partnership with Molson Coors in 2020, as well as the decreasing popularity of Budweiser in 2023 — which led to a sales surge for Yuengling — played in the brand's favor. Before Coors, Yuengling was present in 22 states.

Within four years, its list went up to 27 states, marking its first steps toward the West. The much-anticipated launch in Illinois in 2025 will be its latest addition. Managed by four sisters from the sixth generation of Yuenglings, the brand's rapid expansion, however, only started late into the brewery's life.

For decades, this bald eagle was solely associated with Pennsylvania..