Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, is expanding into Wisconsin

The drought is over.

After nearly 200 years in business, Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, will sell its beer in Wisconsin for the first time.

D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., founded in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in 1829, announced Dec. 1 that it plans to expand into Wisconsin and Iowa in early 2026.

“We’ve been hearing from fans across the Midwest for years asking when they’d finally be able to enjoy a cold Yuengling close to home,” Jennifer Yuengling, vice president of operations at D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., said in a statement. “That day is almost here.”

Beginning January 26, Yuengling should start showing up in Wisconsin bars and restaurants, with packaged beer to follow in retailers beginning March 2.

“We’re bringing Lager and FLIGHT taps first, and our packaged lineup will include Lager, Light Lager, FLIGHT, Black & Tan and Golden Pilsner a few weeks later,” Yuengling told the Journal Sentinel in an email. “Our goal is to make it easy for fans across the state to find their favorite Yuengling beer. Wisconsin is such a great beer state, and as the oldest brewery in America, we’re proud to finally be part of it.”

Ahead of the announcement, Yuengling rolled out a teaser campaign with billboards, coasters and commercial spots hinting at its expansion.

In Milwaukee, Reddit sleuths correctly predicted that Yuengling would soon be coming our way after spotting sidewalk graffiti with cryptic messages like “America’s oldest will be Wisconsin’s newest,” and “Check the skies, a new eagle is migrating west.” The eagle reference points to the bald eagle that’s been a part of the company’s branding since its founding, when it was originally known as Eagle Brewery.

For years, Yuengling, which has been family-owned and operated for six generations, was sold exclusively in Pennsylvania and other East Coast states. It has been slowly expanding to the West and South since the mid-aughts.

In 2020, Yuengling and Molson Coors established a joint venture, The Yuengling Company, and the brand has since expanded to Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. In January 2025, its beer first became available in Illinois.

After debuting in Wisconsin and Iowa, Yuengling beer will be sold in 30 states.

“Fans have been reaching out on social media for years, and we’ve had bar owners and retailers tell us they’re ready the moment we arrive,” Yuengling said in the email. “That kind of enthusiasm means a lot to us. Honestly, it helped guide this expansion.  We pay close attention to where people are most excited to welcome us, and Wisconsinites and Iowans really showed up.”

Where and when will Yuengling beer be available in Wisconsin? 

Yuengling fans will get a taste of the beer at local bars and restaurants first. To find it near you beginning January 26, visit yuengling.com/beer-finder.

Tim Staffeld, general manager and beer buyer at Draft & Vessel (with locations in Wauwatosa and Shorewood) and its sister bar, Pomeroy (Walker’s Point), said he’s been anticipating Yuengling’s arrival in the Milwaukee area.

“We’ve been hearing the buzz for quite some time, a little over a year,” he said. “But never really had any certainty of it.”

Staffeld has a long relationship with Yuengling, dating back to when he would cross the border into Pennsylvania to stock up on its beer when he was a student at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, in the early 2000s.

“That was when it was exclusive to Pennsylvania, so we’d drive up every weekend to get Yuengling, whether it was kegs or bottles, just because of the exclusivity,” he said. “It was sort of the beginning of a craft beer movement, and it was different than what we could get in West Virginia.”

Staffeld said Yuengling’s exclusivity contributes to the hype around the beer, likening it to New Glarus Brewing Co., which distributes exclusively in Wisconsin.

Draft & Vessel is known for its unique draft lists of craft beers, so offering beer from a macro brewery like Yuengling is uncommon. But due to customer interest, he said the bars will stock Yuengling “at least once” when the brand expands here.

“I think the beer really fits Wisconsin,” Staffeld said. “We like to drink a little sweet, we like our ambers, but there’s also a big push back to the lager side of things. And I think it’s good timing on their part to bring it in.”

Yuengling may not be a permanent fixture at Draft & Vessel and Pomeroy, but that might be different at the company’s newest venture, Draft & Co., which plans to open in the Vel R. Phillips Plaza in downtown Milwaukee in early December.

Steffald said that, given its proximity to the Hilton and the Baird Center, Draft & Co. will offer more tourist-friendly macro-brew options than its sister concepts.

“Yuengling is one of the products we’re eyeing for that destination,” he said.

As Yuengling’s rollout in Wisconsin continues, the company said to be on the lookout for special events throughout the state, as well.

“We’re just getting started. As we settle into Wisconsin — and soon Iowa — you’ll see us showing up in more places and moments that matter to local communities,” Debbie Yuengling, employee engagement and culture manager for D.G. Yuengling & Son, said in an email. “We’ve got some fun activations in the works for later in the year, including the return of our Oktoberfest, and we’re planning to be part of some of the big seasonal traditions folks look forward to every summer. We can’t share too much just yet, but we’re excited to be out there meeting people where they already love to gather.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, is expanding into Wisconsin

Reporting by Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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