This week has been long-awaited in Arkansas for lovers of Yuengling beers.
It’s also been a long time coming for the Pennsylvania-based brewers who were designated America’s Oldest Brewery more than 40 years ago.
Perhaps Arkansas beer drinkers have already noticed the banners hanging in the friendly neighborhood taverns and beer stores.
Fort Smith is the western boundary for something again. Yuengling beers. Their Traditional Lager, Light Lager and Black & Tan beers are set to be available in Arkansas bars starting Monday and on store shelves the week of Feb. 19, according to a company news release.
Fort Smith will be about as far west as Yuengling can be found in stores or bars, other than some watering hole in Shreveport or Natchitoches, La.
How many Yuengling fans have you known to require friends who are traveling east of the Mississippi River to haul back a six-pack or more of the brewer’s Traditional Lager, or Black & Tan?
Jessica Seiders, communications manager for Yuengling, said Friday they call them the “smugglers.” And it’s not uncommon to see someone loading up as much beer as they can in their car at the Museum & Gift Shop at 420 Mahantongo St. in Pottsville, Pa. Some "smugglers" even choose to mail their luggage home so they can fit more beer in their ride, Seiders said.
I can’t recall the first time I heard of Yuengling, but it was only within the past 10 years, probably in Georgia, and it was probably followed by something like “Is that a Chinese beer?” Then would come a snicker by someone who already knew this was no Chinese name, but just a somewhat unusual German name that sounds like "Ying-ling." And then I gave it a try. And it was approved, at least two times for good measure.
Burford Distributing in Fort Smith is one of the five chosen for Arkansas distributorship. The others are Glazer’s Beer & Beverage, Premium Brands of NWA, Arkansas Distributing Co. and O’Connor Distributing.
Eric Pendergrass, vice president of Burford Distributing, said his favorites from the Yuengling lineup are the Traditional Lager, which the company notes as having a “well-balanced taste with very distinct character” from roasted caramel malt and use of Cascade and Cluster hops. The recipe for their Traditional Lager was resurrected in 1987 from a recipe in the brewing company's historic archives.
Yuengling produces about 2.5 million barrels annually combined at its two Pottsville, Pa., breweries and one in Tampa. A barrel is about 31 gallons. Its lineup includes two light beers, a seasonal Oktoberfest, as well as Porter and Pilsner styles of beer.
Another large “craft brewery,” as considered by the Brewers Association, is The Boston Beer Co., which sold about 4 million barrels in 2016. In late 2010, the Brewers Association moved its ranking of what a “craft brewery” can be from a maximum of 2 million barrels in production a year to 6 million barrels. According to the Boston Beer Co.'s third-quarter report, only slightly less than 4 million barrels of its beer is expected to have been shipped in 2017.
In addition to its quality, what may appeal to many Yuengling beer drinkers is the company’s staggering family history.
D.G. Yuengling & Sons was founded in 1829 by David G. Yuengling, an immigrant from Wurttemberg, Germany, and it is still owned and operated by the Yuengling family six generations later.
Dick Yuengling, the 73-year-old, fifth-generation president and owner, can still be found many days getting things rolling at the brewery around 5 a.m. in Pottsville, Pa. His daughters — Wendy, Jennifer, Debbie and Sheryl Yuengling — also actively work at the brewery and plan to keep it independently owned and operated, Seiders noted.