Lager, a popular newcomer

10-year-old brew said to jumpstart Yuengling revival

Ben Morrison/Staff Photo

N. Ray Norbert, D.G. Yuengling & Son brewmaster, is the proud father of traditional Amber Lager, age 10.

Since D.G. Yuengling & Son of Pottsville introduced Traditional Amber Lager 10 years ago, the fifth-generation family-owned brewery has grown like the quickly effervescing head on a draft.

"It's made this company what it is today," said brewery owner Richard L. Yuengling Jr. "It's developed a reputation for this company that we didn't have before ... as a good craft brewer."

Yuengling said Amber Lager -- it first poured forth from "America's Oldest Brewery" at Fifth and Mahantongo streets on Nov. 1, 1987 -- gives customers exactly what they're looking for: good character and good consistency at a good price.

"They wanted something other than Bud, Miller or Coors" -- the "blah" national brands, as Dick Yuengling called them.

While exact sales figures are confidential -- the company is closely held -- Yuengling said when Amber Lager was first introduced it made up about 20 percent of the company's sales; today, it's 60 percent.

"It has made the consumer realize there's a good little brewery here in Pottsville," he said.

Fortunately, Amber Lager's success did not come at the expense of other popular Yuengling products; it pioneered a whole new market.

"It's become our flagship brand, but not at the demise of any other product," he said.

In fact, while bringing in new customers throughout the Penn-Jer-Del region, Amber Lager's popularity has blazed the trail for Yuengling brews, particularly the light beer, which is now on tap and selling well in the Philadelphia area.

"If we're going to continue to grow and be successful, we have to sell more light beer," Yuengling said, adding that light beer constitutes 40 percent of United States beer sales