Yuengling Brewery - Pottsville, PA

Yuengling is America’s oldest brewery was started in 1829 and is located in Pottsville, PA.

The brewery was first known as Eagle Brewery and located a few blocks away (that location is now city hall). A fire however destroyed it and so they were left to rebuild a new brewery. The new one they built is the current brewery on Mahantango Street in Pottsville.

This was my third visit to the brewery and it was still just as interesting!
I really enjoy going back to the area to see how it has changed and it has a bit. I went to Penn State Schuylkill for my first two years before I transferred up to Main Campus.

The first time I went on a tour was with a group of friends from college, the sad part was that we were not able to taste the beer due to us being under age. :-(
The next was with dh a year or two after we were married; he was really interested in learning to home brew. (yes, we did that hobby too.)

Anywho…

When you visit the Pottsville brewery you really are stepping back in time.
The tours are free but make sure you leave enough time to look at all the wonderful artifacts in the museum.
To get to the museum you will walk under the large brew kettles up a tiny set of stairs and then head the door for the museum.

When the tour starts you learn about the hops that are used to make the various beers. You will then go up some really narrow stairs and walk through where the big kettles are brewing. Make sure to look up at the beautiful stained glass that is above. (my picture does not do it justice)

Plus, you will see some wonderful paintings; this one is of the women who were the bottle washers.

You then walk outside to the packaging area. The tour allows you to walk right along side the bottles as they are being cleaned and then filled. Currently they are taking the tours down into the hand carved caves below the brewery; they have been closed to tours for quite some time. This is where they would ferment and store the beer. There is a portion of a brick wall that dates back to prohibition. (how cool)

The last part of the tour takes you to the Rathskeller. This is where workers could go for a beer (or as many as they could) during their break and this was up until 1950. You are allowed two 8 oz samples of all beers brewed by Yuengling. With my head that day I decided to have the Light Porter (which is one I do drink here at home) it is really good, not at all like the other light beers on the market. (I have to say their Lager creates a good beer soap.) I was really tempted to go with the Ale but thought it might put me over the edge with the way my head was feeling. The children are served Kutztown Birch Beer- which if you have never had it is oh so good!

The tour guide we had was the daughter of the brew master; previously we had one of the Dick Yuengling’s daughters as our guide.

It is a family run business and at some point the daughters will take over the business but they have to buy their shares. This is how it has been done down through the years and will continue to be done.

Yuengling is not available in all areas. I know that in the past two years we have been able to purchase it here in SC and I was tickled pink when I first noticed it on the shelves.

If you get the change go and take the tour, you will not be disappointed. As for me, you can count on me going again!