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While I’ve heard “explanations” (aka “making stuff up”) ranging from liquor laws to personal vendettas against the state, the actual reason is pretty simple: Yuengling is a regional brewery that does not have the manufacturing capabilities to service customers across the country, or in high-volume consumption states like… yours truly.
Recently we posited the question on Twitter, “Yuengling: something Ohio needs or cheap, overhyped beer?” While some liken it to PBR, others lament the lack of the lager. Here are some of the responses we got:
UPDATE 9/12/11:
Yuengling will be available in Central Ohio October 3rd.
22 Comments on "Yuengling-less In Ohio"
Okay,
So what is the answer!? And how can we change it? My Husband is from PA and we miss having it!
Buy a brewing plan in Columbus and let Yeungling use it? lol – I really don’t have an answer. They are looking to buy a new plant to support greater capacity, but I haven’t seen anything that indicates “Ohio” would be included in that market expansion. Try signing this? 🙂 http://www.bringyuenglingtoohio.com
you’ll feel silly for starting this debate in a few months because Yuengling is coming to Ohio soon!
i haven’t seen anything to confirm this… but it would be nice! do you have insider info i don’t? 🙂
The problem is lack of distributor relationship. They were reportedly working on a deal with the people who do InBev AB around here but it really just boils down to exclusivity agreements and cost.
I’ve heard this too… but when I heard it, people were saying April, and that didn’t happen… so until I hear something more concrete, I’m going to assume it’s the same sort of rumor that has been going around for years. I was told by a bar owner 3-4 years ago that Yuengling was coming to Ohio.
My PA friends always defend yuengling when I try to compare it to PBR saying that it’s a more solid and good tasting beer for a reasonable price, like what @sean2outerspace said. I also think it’s neat that in Philly, you can walk into any bar and order just “a lager” and you automatically get yuengling. Though, I feel like the allure of yuengling would go away largely if it was available here. People would drink it, sure, but it wouldn’t have this forbidden element. My mom people in Ohio during her college years were always driving out of state to pick up cases Coors before it was sold here, ha.
I agree that the allure would go away, but Yuengling is just about the only $1 beer that does it for me, so my wallet would probably appreciate it 🙂
It isn’t just in Philly… Pretty much anywhere in eastern PA you can order ‘lager’ and get a Yuengling. How’s that for branding?! I can’t speak to the western part of the state or other places within their distribution…
I’ve actually used the Coors example in this debate before. My great uncle told me that he used to get a caravan going from out west to bring Coors into the area. Clearly those people were sorely mistaken about the quality. 🙂
I can’t for the life of me figure out what my relationship with Yeungling is.
I compare it to the most popular girl in your rival high school. One night, at a party, you got to taste that sweet kiss from her. Unfortunately, at the end of the night, you had to cross back over the border to your school district only to think about the next time you’ll get to taste that sweet sensation. Over time, you think, was it really that good? Maybe it’s just because I can’t have it all the time. The thought that it’s far away has made it better than it really is….
OMG I love this comment haha.
OMG win. This is so true. When I actually have it available to me, I’m underwhelmed. But I get so jealous when other people have it and I don’t!
My buddy worked a construction job in PA and would go and stay there during the week and then drive back home for the weekends. On one of the trips, we brought hundreds of dollars together and he brought a couple dozen cases back with him in the back of his truck.
I’ll never forget the moment he pulled in to his house, we were all waiting for him in the driveway, we opened the tailgate and hatch on the truck bed cover and there it was. I compare it to the scene in the Italian Job when they finally open the safe down in the Subway. He admired it, a few high fives and then it was time to go to work! 😉
I think that for the price, Yuengling is great. It’s in the same price tier as PBR, and I think it does have more taste. But I would never pick it over a craft beer, given the option.
I don’t know what to say to the people who compare Yuenling to PBR. Sure, the scarcity contributes to it allure, but lagers don’t get much better than Yuengling as a combination of lightness and flavor. And I like PBR as a cheap choice, BTW.
Cheryl – it IS coming to columbus. Yuengling has solicited and already accepted proposals from distributorships in Ohio to bring their beer to the Buckeye state. The proposals were due to the brewery a few weeks ago. Not sure when they will find out WHO gets the nod to begin delivering the beer or when they will being the delivery.
I do, in fact, have insider information as my hubby works for one of the distributorships and they have been preparing for this for MONTHS!! The short version is that It WILL happen sooner rather than later!
Great news! Can you send me more info if it comes your way? 🙂
Of course I will!
The worst part about Yuengling are the green bottles they use. Either the beer is fresh and tastes really good or it’s skunked and it makes you question why you ever even think about it so much. I think this can create a lot of division between people because it can taste very, very different depending on the quality of it. I made sure to buy cans when I drove back from Atlanta last month and it made a lot of difference.
As for the “Yuengling is coming to Ohio soon,” as much as I want to believe it I’ve been hearing that for almost a decade now. I’ve learned not to get my hopes up much until I see something more concrete. I hope Blake is right though.
i agree, they need to get dark bottles to preserve the quality.
Unfortunately, that’s part of the ‘brand’, not sure if they will move from the green bottles any time soon. Same with the green bottled European beers. It’s what people expect. When buying in PA, you can only buy it by the case (although this has changed somewhat more recently), so there is minimal light struck flavor. But if the beer is going to be in 6ers on the shelf, green sucks. Although, now that I think about it, the Yuengling quarts are in brown glass, so possibly they would shift away from green…