By Julianne G. Crane
In 1829, David G. Yuengling, a young German immigrant, pulled his first draft and someone in the family has been brewing hops ever since.
Yuengling’s historic red brick brewery is located on a hillside in the small working class town of Pottsville, Pa., smack in the center of Pennsylvania’s coal mining country.
This highly functional piece of American history produces beer every day and offers an amazing free walking tour that is fun, informative and a pleasant break from any long RV trip.
Stops on the tour include the brewhouse, the hopstore, the hand-dug fermentation caves that were used for storage before refrigeration, and the bottling room where conveyors push thousands of bottles and cans along to be filled by one of the seven current brews.
And, speaking of brews, the tour ends at the taproom where visitors can sample a couple of the company’s products.
While the Traditional Larger accounts for 70-percent of the sales, the Lord Chesterfield Ale is extremely tasty. It is considered Yuengling’s hoppiest brew.
If you go —
The Yuengling Brewery is located at 501 Mahantongo St., in Pottsville, Pa., 570.628-4890.
Tours: Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.; Sat. (April-Dec. only). Allow at least 90 minutes. Lots of walking on uneven surfaces and stairs. No wheelchair access.
It is near PA-61, off I-81 between Harrisburg and Scranton. About 95 miles NW of Philadelphia.
As with all attractions when you are traveling, call ahead to confirm tour times and days.
URL: www.yuengling.com
Where to find Yuengling on the shelves: Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
Photos: The informative guide, Lisa, gives background on the 180+ years of Yuengling Brewery history in the taproom before the tour. (Middle) Stained glass ceiling in brewhouse. (Bottom) Traditional Lager bottles on the conveyor belt. (Julianne Crane)
Be sure to check out all the wonderful turn of the Century prosperous architecture in this town!
Also, you may be able to find a "former" Volunteer Firehouse (legacy from before Civic Consolidation) that is open and may permit you to see their fabulous club rooms with amazing period decor!
Like an idiot, I always thought this was an imported beer with that name. Thanks a lot and I will try it the next time my wife allows me to have a beer.