America's Oldest Brewery Is Still Going Strong Nearly 200 Years Later

Beer is one of the oldest man-made beverages on the planet, with historians theorizing that the concept originated around 12,000 years ago. The emergence of beer in America is relatively young, compared to this theory, with colonists in Virginia first making ale from corn in 1587. For the next 250 years, many breweries were built in the New World, including what we know today as Yuengling, which was established in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. It is officially the oldest operating brewery in America and is, astonishingly, still run by the Yuengling family, who have kept the brand relevant and successful for almost 200 years. 

In 1828, David Gottlieb Yuengling (pronounced ying-ling) immigrated to the United States from Germany. His father had been brewing beer since 1816, but seeing as how David was the youngest sibling, he understood that the family business would likely never be his. As a result, he decided to build his own brand on American soil. David chose the town of Pottsville to live and set up shop because the town was a rapidly growing locale due to the coal mining industry, and the soft local water was perfect for the German-style beers he hoped to make. 

David called his company Eagle Brewing and opened his business on Centre Street. Not long after starting, the building burned down and the entrepreneur moved to Mahantongo Street in 1831, where the company is headquartered to this day. Once his son, Frederick, joined the family business, David changed the name to D.G. Yuengling & Son, a name people would equate with great beer for generations to come.

Yuengling has had almost two centuries to prove its resilience against hard times, and it certainly has. To have remained intact after major wars and deaths of owners says a lot. But, perhaps the most impressive testament to Yuengling's tenacity is how it handled Prohibition. The 13-year ban on alcoholic beverages would have seemed like a death sentence to companies like Yuengling, but instead of holding up a white flag, the company (which was now headed by David Yuengling's grandson, Frank) began making "near beer," or low-alcohol brews that were legally allowed, and ice cream. Yes, Yuengling really does make ice cream. From 1920 to 1985, the ice cream was produced in a plant located close to the brewery. In 2014, Yuengling reintroduced the dessert products and they are still available today.

Over the decades, Yuengling's popularity grew. But by the mid-1980s, customer demand for the brews was outgrowing the company's brewing capacity. In 1998, fifth-generation owner Richard L. "Dick" Yuengling Jr. moved to build a second brewing facility at Mill Creek, which is just three miles from the original Pottsville location. In 2020, Yuengling joined forces with Molson Coors to further expand its availability, and the partnership created a third brewery in Tampa, Florida. New beers also joined the classics, like Lord Chesterfield Ale which is the company's original recipe, and Raging Eagle Mango beer, which is like nothing it's ever made before. The duo has also been able to secure bringing the beloved Pennsylvania beer to two new states in 2026: Wisconsin and Iowa, meaning Yuengling will now be available in a total of 30 states. Four Yuengling sisters — the sixth generation of family members — now co-lead the historic company.