Yuengling Expands to Ohio; Produces First Oktoberfest

Photo by Jenny Kane for The Patriot-News

America’s oldest brewery, Pottsville, PA-based D.G. Yuengling & Son, has collaborated with 22 wholesalers to bring its flagship brews to parched Ohioans.

Despite the brewery’s prevalence in the Northeast, Ohio was the only state bordering its home state of Pennsylvania that did not shelve its products. Recent upgrades to Yuengling’s Mill Creek Location have allowed for a greater volume of beer to be produced—making it possible to ship their famous lager farther, and bottles can now be found in 14 different states, from Florida to Tennessee to New York. The latest expansion will take place across Ohio over the course of the next few months.

In addition to this recent venture, Yuengling tapped in to its rich German heritage and decided, for the first time, to brew an Oktoberfest-style lager for the world’s most popular beer-related holiday.

Sparked by what appears to be pure curiosity of public opinion (and 189 years of tenor), in early 2011 the brewery started taking pre-orders for up to 2,000 barrels of an Oktoberfest beer they had yet to conjure a recipe for.

Wholesalers put full confidence in the company to deliver a respectable beer and in early July head brewers started production on their take of the traditional Marzen-style lager. Since then it has shipped over 1,400 barrels to wholesalers throughout Pennsylvania, and received nothing but positive reviews.

Yuengling Oktoberfest will be the ninth addition (including their seasonal Bock) to their repertoire of brews. Despite the company’s imited nationwide availability, Yuengling is surprisingly near the top of all brands in U.S. sales by volume, falling just below the Sam Adams-producing Boston Beer Co.