Yuengling has established an almost cult-like status among its fans.
For the first time in decades, Yuengling beer is being served in Connecticut restaurants and bars.
Yuengling stopped distributing to the northeast in the early '90s, when the Pennsylvania brewery couldn't keep up with the demand and scaled back their distribution network. After building a second brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, the home of Yuengling, and purchasing an old Stroh's brewery in Tampa, Florida in the late '90s, Yuengling increased its production and reach in the 2000s.
Last year, the brewery produced 2.7 million barrels of beer, and earlier this week, Connecticut became the 17th state in Yuengling's footprint.
Founded in 1829, Yuengling is the oldest brewery in the United States, and has established an almost cult-like status among its fans. For Connecticut fans, that meant smuggling cases of the beer over the border while returning from points south.
Jennifer Yuengling, who represents the sixth generation of the Yuengling family to brew beer in Pottsville, says her family's beer is uniquely positioned in a very crowded beer market. "We like to think of ourselves as a bridge brand, not only by our size, but also the type of beer we make," she said. "We're a good, quality-style beer at a domestic premium price. We like to think we've got something for everybody, and we can bridge that gap between the crafts and the mainstream domestics."
Yuengling is serving their Traditional Lager, Light Lager, and Black & Tan brands on tap in close to 2,000 establishments in Connecticut, according to Jennifer Yuengling. On October 6, package stores will start carrying Yuengling in cans and bottles.
