D.G. Yuengling and Son Brewery, which was founded in 1829, is the oldest brewery in the United States. It was started by David G. Yuengling and remains operated by the Yuengling family at its historic location in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Originally, the plant was located on Centre Street in this town, but after a fire in 1831 destroyed the building, it was moved to its current location on Mahantongo Street. Today, they also have locations in other states, such as South Carolina and Alabama, in order to keep up with growing demands for their products, led by their flagship beer Yuengling Traditional Lager.
Visitors to the Pottsville area are invited to visit the D.G. Yuengling and Son Brewery's original building to participate in a facility tour. Although you need to be 21 to try any of the alcoholic product produced by this company, guests of all ages are invited on the tour. The tour, however, is not handicapped accessible, as there are several areas that have steps. In order to take the tour, visitors must be wearing close-tied shoes, as flip flops, sandals, and shoes open in the front, back, or sides could be dangerous.
During the tour, visitors get to see the six-step brewing process. First, corn grits and malted barley are added to large hoppers and cooked into a mash. The mixture is then separated into liquid and solids, and the liquid is transferred into a kettle to be sterilized and mixed with hops. It then is transferred to the fermenting cellar, where yeast is added, causing the creation of beer. The beer ages for two weeks in a second cellar, after which it is cooled and filtered. The plant adjusts the carbon dioxide levels in the beer to give it proper foaming abilities, and from finishing tanks, it is tested and pumped into cans, bottles, and kegs for consumer and commercial purchase. The tour shows guests all parts of this process before ending in the gift shop.
The brewery not only has a gift shop full of Yuengling and beer memorabilia and souvenirs, but they also have a bar where guests who are at least 21 years old can taste the products. The bar at the brewery is known as the Rathskeller, and it has been serving patrons since 1936.
Tours leave daily to provide guests with many time options to see the D.G. Yuengling and Son Brewery. There is no charge for the tour unless you have a large group of 20 or more people. During the entire year, the brewery is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with tours leaving daily at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM. From April through December, they also have Saturday hours from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with tours leaving on Saturdays at 11:00 AM, noon, and 1:00 PM. The noon tour time is adjusted depending on the number of people waiting to see the facility, so it may leave earlier or later than noon. For more information, call 570-628-4890.
