To Yuengling With Love

Growing up in Florida, drinking Yuengling was a common, frequent and delicious practice for everyone I knew between the ages of let's say 16 and 80. (Or 21 and 80 if you want to be that way about it.) It was just as much a part of my college experience as textbooks and football games. When you weren't sure what to drink, Yuengling was a tasty and affordable option for college students--a six pack ran you the same price as Subway's $5 footlong and it was always a crowd pleaser. I took its availability for granted though, and when I moved to California I found there was no Yuengling and no substitute. Thus, when it came time to visit my hometown of Tampa, I made a to-do list. Immediately after seeing my family, number 2 on the list was drink Yuengling.

Yuengling Traditional Lager

Appearance: Amber with a copper hue, clear and carbonated with a little cream colored head

Aroma: Slightly sweet with just a hint of hops

Taste: Delicious with a biscuity taste at the start, a suggestion of caramel in the middle and a slight hoppy bite at the end

Alcohol: 4.4%

I knew that Yuengling has been brewing delicious beers out of Pottsville, Pennsylvania since 1829 and was America's oldest brewery. However I was surprised and delighted to learn that they also had a brewery location in Tampa producing an impressive 10,000 kegs every week since 1999. They also had FREE tours--if it's free it's for me, so my family and I drove over to check it out. We had a delightful British tour guide named Elizabeth who gave us a humorous and informative tour of everything from the brew kettles, to the bottling facility to the hospitality room, where we were able to try any and all of Yuengling's brews, including the not-yet-released IPA. I learned a great deal more about the Yuengling brewery and the brewing process itself from the tour--did you know that the closest relative to the hop flower is cannabis? Would you ever guess that Yuengling uses seaweed to help pull all the sediment to the bottom during the wort separation part of the brewing process? It was like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory for adults, except instead of chocolate and a sugar rush we got terrific beers and a nice buzz. I highly recommend Yuengling Traditional Lager as a delicious session beer that pairs well with nearly any food, and is an ideal and affordable beer for any social event. If you live near Tampa, Florida or Pottsville, Pennsylvania I strongly urge you to take a tour. They're fun, informative and the best part is they're free! For more information check out http://www.yuengling.com or ask for Elizabeth at the Tampa location--she's wonderful!