Founded in 1829 by German immigrant David Yuengling, Yuengling has the distinction of being America’s oldest continually operating brewery. For nearly 200 years, the family-owned company has been brewing its signature lager and ale beers at its original location in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In this post we talk about Which States Is Yuengling Sold In.
While Yuengling enjoyed steady regional success and demand initially, the company has seen impressive growth and expansion over the past couple of decades. This expansion was kickstarted in the 1980s and 1990s after Richard L. “Dick” Yuengling Jr. took over the company from his father. Under the new leadership, several changes were implemented that allowed Yuengling to increase production and distribution dramatically.
One of the major initiatives was updating equipment and brewing facilities to ramp up supply and meet growing consumer thirst for the brand. Additionally, Yuengling began entering into partnerships with larger beverage corporations for distribution and marketing. This included an agreement with the Boston Beer Company in the 1990s to bolster availability along the East Coast.
Which States Can You Buy Yuengling Beer?
So exactly where can you purchase America’s oldest lager? Due to the company’s calculated state-by-state expansion strategy over the last 20 years, Yuengling has firmly entrenched itself along the entire East Coast and is making headway into the Midwest.
As of 2024, there are 22 states plus Washington D.C. where beer fans can pick up Yuengling at their local grocery store, bar, or restaurant:
- Pennsylvania – Yuengling’s home state where the brewery was founded and maintains its headquarters in Pottsville. Without a doubt, Pennsylvania is Yuengling country and many bars proudly serve it on tap as the default beer of choice.
- Ohio – One of the earliest expansion states where Yuengling set up secondary brewing facilities to meet local demand and facilitate distribution.
- Massachusetts – Yuengling rolled into Massachusetts in 1997 through a distribution partnership that exponentially increased sales and availability.
- New York – Now known as Yuengling’s largest market outside Pennsylvania thanks to several targeted campaigns and smart positioning deals that made it omnipresent.
- New Jersey – As with neighboring NY state, New Jersey has embraced Yuengling as option one thanks to easy access right across the border.
- Maryland – Solid territory for the brewer with strong recognition and loyalty spanning coastal areas to western regions near Pennsylvania.
- Delaware – Given its diminutive size and location, Delaware was an obvious early addition to the Yuengling footprint.
- Virginia – By securing a coveted spot as the most popular import beer sold in Virginia by the early 2000s, Yuengling sales and selections continue to be stellar.
- West Virginia – An immediate neighbor to Pennsylvania, West Virginians have easy access to Yuengling which can be found both on tap and in package stores across the state.
- North Carolina – One of the true southern breakout stars on this list, North Carolina has gone all-in on Yuengling with extensive availability from the coast through the Smokey Mountains.
- South Carolina – Joining North Carolina to represent the current southernmost frontier of Yuengling mania and momentum.
- Tennessee – After nearly a decade of lobbying and legislation to make it available, Tennesseans can now regularly enjoy Yuengling with distribution centered around larger cities.
- Georgia – Yuengling’s rising southern star continues advancing as Georgians demand more supply to quench their thirst. Signing an accord in 2021 opened the Peach State floodgates.
- Alabama – Announced as newly minted Yuengling territory in 2022 with rollout concentrating on metropolitan and college towns for debut availability.
- Florida – Perhaps the buzziest and most exciting southern addition came in 2022 when Yuengling unveiled plans to construct a new brewery to provide Floridians with the goods.
- Kentucky – Debuting to a warm reception at bars primarily in the northern half of Kentucky closest to Yuengling’s existing distribution radius in early 2023.
- Indiana – Yuengling is just getting its feet wet here after inking a 2023 agreement bringing limited quantities to thirsty Hoosiers.
- Connecticut – After years of neighboring state envy, Connecticut finally joined the club thanks to grassroots online petitions and vocal consumer demand via social media.
- Rhode Island – As the country’s smallest state geographically, Rhode Island was a seamless add-on for Yuengling’s New England presence.
- Vermont – The current northernmost point in New England for locating a frosty glass of Yuengling Lager or Flight.
- Mississippi – Excitement is already building here in anticipation of Yuengling’s introduction in 2024 to augment current southern strongholds.
- Louisiana – More good tidings came in early 2024 when Louisiana was declared as next on deck for Yuengling’s south-centric development schema
- Wisconsin – Further confirming Yuengling’s determination to keep pushing westward, the brewer announced 2024 plans pairing distribution to America’s Dairyland.
The Future and Why Yuengling Resonates
Judging by Yuengling’s impressive expansion accomplishments over the last decade, beer aficionados in remaining states are keen to know – will Yuengling come to my state eventually? Based on current trajectory, the answer appears to be yes over an estimated next 5-10 years.
Key factors driving Yuenglings’s broadening appeal and demand include competitive pricing, drinkability matched by fuller flavor, artistic branding, and the perception of an authentic American heritage product. Combine this with Yuengling’s patient approach to saturating markets methodically before expanding, and the future continues looking bright for growth into new regions.
While family-owned brewing stalwarts like Yuengling increasingly compete with the emergence of thousands of craft microbreweries, the America’s oldest brewer remains unfazed. In fact, Dick Yuengling asserts no aspirations to chase the craft beer wave like others because sticking to consistent quality at high volumes is central to the company’s identity. Only time will tell, but fans far and wide are optimistic the best from America’s original brewery is yet to come. I hope you like reading Which States Is Yuengling Sold In post.
Catherine Previti is a seasoned wine enthusiast with over 8 years of experience in wine tasting and beverage curation. Holding a degree in Viticulture and Enology, she shares expert insights on Vedrinks.com, helping readers navigate the world of wine with confidence. Connect with Catherine on Instagram.
