Journey to 19th-century Pennsylvania. Pottsville, the epicenter of the coal rush, bursts with activity.
Here, you’ll discover dark, damp tunnels dripping with trickling spring water as a familiar smell wafts through the air. What’s that? Yeast??
The Yuengling Brewery tour brings the vision to life.
Pottsville, PA
Pottsville, PA, was once one of the richest cities in the country. The small town near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains was the perfect spot for coal workers to settle down with their families.
Back then, the lively town rich with culture was the ideal place to open a brewery. David G. Yuengling, a German immigrant, did just that, calling his new venture Yuengling Brewing Company.
Today, only a few glimpses of the town’s former glory remain, but Yuengling Brewery stands as the shining star. Not only is it still thriving, but it was founded in 1829, making it the oldest brewery in the country.
And the best part is, they offer free tours highlighting the history of brewing and the great taste of their delicious craft.
We made a video of the Yuengling Brewery Tour! Check it out here and don’t forget to subscribe!
Taking the Yuengling Brewery Tour
If you’re visiting Pennsylvania, you need to take a trip to Pottsville to explore the old brewery. I rank it as one of the top activities in Pennsylvania, and definitely worth the side trip if you’re visiting Philadelphia.
Not only do you get to be a part of one of the most iconic companies in America (sure, it’s not a household name like Apple or Microsoft, but I think it deserves a spot on the list due to its longevity!), but it’s also really cool – even for non-beer drinkers!
Here’s everything you need to know about embarking on a Yuengling Brewery Tour.
Tour Logistics
Let’s get the logistics out of the way first.
Yuengling Brewery Tours run Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM. They typically run once per hour.
Although you can book in advance, you don’t need to. They take walk-ins. Just head to the counter and ask to head out on the next available tour. They’ll check your ID and give anyone over 21 a wristband (for the free samples at the end!).
You won’t have to wait more than an hour, unless a tour literally just started.
Before the Tour
Even if you do have to wait a bit, there’s plenty to do to kill the time.
Start with the mini-museum, which houses a variety of Yuengling (and historic Pottsville) artifacts. You’ll see old bottles, photos, new articles, and tons of merchandising memorabilia.
You can even take a photo with a Sam Adams cutout!
Like any good tourist attraction, the brewery also features a small gift shop, which lets you take a small token of your trip home.
Starting the Tour
Around the top of the hour, your guide will announce it’s go time!
Head to the front of the building, where there’s a small waiting area that serves as the official starting point for the tour. Here, your guide will give a short overview of where you will go and what you will see while also providing crucial safety information.
Once the boring stuff is out of the way, you’ll head out toward the old brewery.
First stop: the old filling room.
You’ll see a line of four spouts, all with room for a keg underneath.
Today, all this work is automated, but when Yuengling first built his brewery, he needed workers. An actual human would place a keg under each spout. By the time the fourth and final keg was secured, the first would be just about filled and ready to move.
A real person spent all day moving these giant kegs of beer. Can you imagine the strain on your back and legs?
Yuengling kept the spouts in this old room for posterity, but they no longer fill kegs here. The space serves primarily as a warehouse.
The company joined the 20th century decades ago at a newer factory across town, where all the keg filling is automated.
The Yuengling Brewery Tunnels
After the old filling room, you’ll see the most iconic feature of the Yuengling Brewery Tour: the tunnels.
These dark, damp passages led to the beer’s first water source (a nearby underwater spring) and offered a way to keep things cool all year long in those early days before we discovered refrigeration.
Although shorter than I expected, I was awed to discover they were basically dug by hand in the 19th century. It was a spectacular feat of human ingenuity and perseverance.
During your tour of the tunnels, the guide provides an overview of the brewing and fermentation process. You’ll discover how they fermented the brew right there in those very tunnels!
In addition, you’ll hear more about Yuengling’s history in the early 20th century, including the intriguing prohibition era. I’m not going to spoil it for you, but obviously, Yuengling found a way to survive prohibition.
Continuing on The Tour
After the tunnels, we went up the stairs and wandered through hallways filled with Yuengling imagery.
We stopped at the old Rathskeller, a lunchroom/tap house for early workers. Workers in good standing could even get a free beer with lunch! The Department of Labor eventually shut this practice down, and I guess I can’t blame them.
Drinking on the job probably isn’t the best idea.
Next, we wandered through the halls of the old brewhouse, past ancient machinery that still actually works, and an epic array of wall décor and memorabilia on the way to the factory.
The Factory
The factory was a lot cooler than I expected. I only wish I had taken the tour during the week so I could see it in operation (the factory doesn’t run on weekends).
Imagine your idea of a 20th-century factory floor, and you can probably picture what it’s like. Conveyor belts whiz empty bottles to the bottle-filling machine, then back around to the floor, where they can be packed for shipment.
I loved seeing the behind-the-scenes mechanisms of factory work, and you can imagine how the assembly line works even if you don’t get to go during the week. The factory is small but still in operation, although there is a larger factory on the other side of town and a new complete brewery in Tampa, Florida.
Nothing compares to the original, though. I love that Yuengling keeps this small factory running; it’s a great homage to the company’s history.
The Best Part of the Tour
I said the tunnels were the best part, and although they are epic, I may have lied.
The best part of the Yuengling Brewery Tour has to be the free tastings at the end.
After you view the factory, the guide takes you to Yuengling’s small tap room, where you get to choose two samples of the iconic brew. Deciding which to taste is definitely the hardest part – but if you go with friends, you can share! You can also buy as much as you’d like!
If you go in the autumn, I have to recommend the seasonal Hershey Porter. The delicious concoction combines two of Pennsylvania’s most iconic companies into a delicious craft beer (Hershey’s Chocolate was born and raised in Pennsylvania – only about an hour’s drive from Yuengling Brewery).
I’m not even a fan of beer, but the Hershey Porter is so good. I might even be convinced to say it’s the best beer I’ve ever had!
Yuengling also offers Oktoberfest in the late summer through fall (which I like to call “beer season”).
I tried it during my tour, for a beer, it wasn’t bad. Maybe my palate is opening as I get older, and I’m better able to enjoy the intricate flavors of different beers, or maybe Yuengling does craft beer right.
The world may never know.
Yuengling offers a wide variety of beers, even if you aren’t a fan of chocolate or porter (or if you go outside the traditional beer season).
The company features amazing ale and a pretty good lager (so I’m told – not a huge lager fan). They also recently introduced an IPL, which I guess is similar to an IPA based on how hops are used. Honestly, I’m not knowledgeable enough about beer or crafting to know the difference, but an aficionado would probably love it.
The only downside is that the taproom lacks a kitchen, so they don’t offer any food. Make sure you eat something before the tour or bring a snack so you don’t overdo it in the taproom.
If you’re hungry afterwards, check out Pottsville’s small, locally owned restaurants like Elbows Mac & Cheese bar or the Crimson House.
Enjoy a Part of History and Delicious Craft Beers!
Beer lovers and historians alike can find something enjoyable about the Youengling Brewery Tour. I don’t even like beer that much, and I loved it! I even rank is at one of the best things to do in Pennsylvania!
As the oldest craft brewery in the country, nestled in a region bursting with history, even non-drinkers like me can appreciate the area’s unique history.
Of course, the tour is ideal for those who enjoy both. Yuengling Brewery is a legend among breweries, and anyone particularly interested in the history of beer needs to travel to Pottsville and see the impressive piece of American history for themselves.
Yuengling Brewery Tour FAQ
How Much Does the Tour Cost?
The tour is free!
What days is it open?
Monday Through Saturday
What Times are the Tours?
Brewery tours are available from 10 am-3 PM
Should I book ahead?
No, you can go directly to the brewery and ask to participate in the next tour.
Do they do private tours?
Yes, they do private tours for groups of 25 or more. You do need to call ahead for a private tour.
What should I wear?
You must wear closed-toed shoes without heels. The tunnels are cool, so if you get cold easily, bring a light jacket (in the summer).
What are the best days to go?
If you want to see the factory running, you should go during the week.
What’s the Best Part of the Tour?
It’s a tie between seeing the tunnels and the free samples at the end!
I did a private tour a few years back through a business organization and I can’t recommend it enough. Loved the free samples and the tunnels. The history lesson was also pretty cool.
Love the blog Melanie! Really cool looking tour, looks like you had a great time. Thank you for answering some common questions – I have to check it out one day. Keep up the great work!