Yuengling, nation’s oldest brewery, expanding to Illinois in 2025

By Todd Feurer

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    CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — Pennsylvania-based Yuengling, the oldest brewery in America, announced it is expanding to Illinois early next year, bringing its beers to bars and restaurants across the state.

Beginning in late January, Yuengling brand beers will be available on draft at bars and restaurants in Illinois, with their brews coming to store shelves in the following weeks.

“For years we have seen an overwhelming desire for our portfolio from our most loyal fans in Illinois that have been eagerly awaiting the brand’s arrival,” said Wendy Yuengling, a 6th generation family owner and chief administrative officer at the brewery. “We are incredibly proud to announce our expansion into a great beer market such as Illinois in the new year and, as the Oldest Brewery in America, we look forward to upholding our commitment of delivering high quality beer drinking experiences across the entire state.”

Yuengling is currently available in 26 states, mostly on the East Coast and Southeast. The expansion to Illinois comes after the brewery expanded to Indiana and Arkansas in 2017, Texas in 2021, to Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma in 2023.

“We look forward to continuing our work alongside our skilled partners to bring Illinois residents the rich tradition and quality that the Oldest Brewery in America is known for,” Yuengling general manager Colin Callahan said in a statement.

Yuengling first opened in 1829 with its flagship Eagle Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where it is still headquartered, about 90 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

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