The Oldest American Beer Still in Production

Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the United States, ranking number one in all 50 states. But it also takes the top spot across the globe as well, and it's easy to see why. The beverage goes well with many things, from sports events and food like pizza and burgers to just relaxing with an ice-cold lager, so whatever your preference, there's no doubt a beer for you. Even if you prefer to stay within your country and opt to drink domestically, you have plenty of options with the oldest American beer still in production.

To list the oldest American beer still in production, 24/7 Tempo reviewed information from media sources and breweries. Dutch settlers pioneered commercial brewing in the U.S., and records indicate the first documented instance of beer brewing on American soil was in 1587, with the establishment of the inaugural brewery in 1632. However, the distinction of being the oldest continually operating brewery in the country belongs to Yuengling, founded in Pennsylvania during the 1800s, with its Lord Chesterfield Ale recognized as America's oldest beer.

There are only a handful of states that can proudly state they produce the oldest American beer, with Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin being just a few. In some states, whether it is because of climate or culture, beer consumption is far higher than in others. (Check out the Drunkest City in the US: Ranking America's Top 50.)

• Year established: 1905
• State of origin: Pennsylvania
• Parent company: Lion Brewery

This company started as the Luzerne County Brewing Company, but the name was changed to Lion Brewery four years later. Today, it is the second-largest brewery in Pennsylvania and the 15th-largest American-owned brewery, distributing its beers throughout the Northeast. Lion Brewery reports selling more than 750,000 cases of its pilsner every year.

• Year established: 1903
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

Miller High Life may be pegged as the champagne of beers for its light color and fizzy taste, but for years the relatively inexpensive brew has attracted people from all different socioeconomic backgrounds. The bottled beer was not always cheap, though. The pilsner was considered more of a luxury than an ordinary brew when it was started by Frederick Miller of Milwaukee.

Though High Life currently ranks among the most popular beers in the country, it appears to be losing favor among beer drinkers. Shipments dropped 11.8% from 2018 to 2019, down to 3.0 million barrels.

• Year established: 1902
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

This beer was once called Golden Leaf Lager in the 1890s, but before hitting the market in 1902 the name was changed to Heileman's Old Style. Old Style was first brewed in La Crosse, Wisconsin, but as the beer's popularity surged, it became one of Chicago's most iconic brews, as if it had been created in-state. By 1950, Old Style was a major sponsor of the Chicago Cubs. The brew's legend lives on, as it is still served at Wrigley Field today.In 2016, Old Style resumed production in the beer's hometown of La Crosse at the original City Brewery to brew its newest addition, Oktoberfest.

• Year established: 1897
• State of origin: Hawaii
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

The Honolulu Brewing & Malting Company founded Primo just before the beginning of the 20th century. Since its inception, Primo has halted production of the lager several times. Aside from stopping production during the 13 years of Prohibition, the brewing of Primo stopped for a decade in 1997. Pabst Brewing Co. bought the Primo brand in 1999 and resumed production in 2007 after Pabst partnered with Kaua'i's Keoki Brewing Co. to bring the classic drink back.

• Year established: 1896
• State of origin: Washington
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Just seven years after Washington became a state, Olympia beer was born — which makes it one of the country's oldest beers still sold today. Brewmaster Leopold Schmidt founded Olympia Brewing Co., then Capital Brewing Company, in an area with several natural artesian wells. The name changed to Olympia Brewing Co. in 1902, the same year the slogan "It's the Water" was adopted. Pabst Brewing Company bought the brand in 1983 and the rest is history.

• Year established: 1896
• State of origin: Missouri
• Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Modeled after European-style pilsners and marketed as a beer for connoisseurs, Michelob Original Lager was first brewed in St. Louis, Missouri. Michelob was not widely distributed until 1961 when Anheuser-Busch developed a pasteurized version of the beer that could be shipped legally across state lines. While Michelob Original Lager is not a top-selling beer these days, it spawned one of the most popular beers in America. Michelob Ultra, a low-calorie, low-carb beer marketed to beer drinkers with an active lifestyle, shipped 6.4 million barrels in 2016, more than all but a handful of other beer brands, and is also the official beer of the Copa America 2024.

• Year established: 1896
• State of origin: California
• Parent company: Anchor Brewing Company

First brewed in San Francisco, Anchor Steam Beer derives its name from a unique brewing process characteristic of a bygone era. Following the California Gold Rush in the latter half of the 19th century, beer makers in the San Francisco area would cool fermenting beer in vats on brewery rooftops. This process of warm beer cooling in the cold air would create clouds of steam. Consequently, nearly every beer from that time and place in history was nicknamed "steam" beer.

• Year established: 1890
• State of origin: Rhode Island
• Parent company: Narragansett Brewing Company

The New England region is home to hundreds of craft breweries, large and small. Well over a century before many of these brewed a drop, however, there was Narragansett Brewing Company. Although it was founded in 1888 in Rhode Island, it wasn't until two years later that the brewery churned out its first beer. By 1914, it was New England's largest brewery but almost went under during Prohibition.The company, which survived the dry spell by selling beer for strictly medicinal purposes, has weathered significant ups and downs ever since. Today, Narragansett is widely available throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states.

• Year established: 1885
• State of origin: Maryland
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

National Bohemian, colloquially referred to as Natty Boh was first brewed by National Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland. Pabst Brewing Company bought the brand in 1999 but retained its iconic logo, and while many beer drinkers outside of the mid-Atlantic region may never have heard of National Bohemian, they are certainly familiar with one of the brand's contributions to the beverage industry. In the late 1940s, Natty Boh became the first beer to be sold in six-packs.

• Year established: 1884
• State of origin: Minnesota
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Schmidt's was the first of many family-owned breweries in Minnesota back in the late 1800s. Founder and brewmaster Jacob Schmidt moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1884, where he purchased a large stake in the North Star Brewery. Schmidt ended up retiring in 1899 and passing ownership of the company to his daughter and son-in-law.

The name changed to the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company in 1901 and remained that way until 1955. Images of wildlife on the surface of the Schmidt beer can and the slogan, "Official Beer of the American Sportsman," illustrate Schmidt's brewing tradition of accentuating the rugged appeal of the Pacific Northwest.

• Year established: 1884
• State of origin: Texas
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Lone Star beer was first brewed in San Antonio and with sales peaking at 65,000 barrels a year, it was popular until the start of Prohibition in 1920, when the brewery was forced to close its doors. The brand did not return until 1940, when the Muehlebach Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri, rebranded itself as Lone Star and began brewing the beer again in San Antonio. Though the brewery closed in 1996 after more than half a century, Pabst Brewing Company bought the label in 1999 and continues to brew the beer in the Lone Star State.

• Year established: 1883
• State of origin: Washington
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Andrew Hemrich, the son of a German immigrant, teamed up with John Kopp to produce Rainier beer, though they didn't start the brewery until a few years later. The Seattle-based brewery, which went through several name changes — The Bayview Brewery, Sweeney's Brewery, and then Seattle's Brewing and Malting Company — reopened after the Prohibition era as Rainier Brewing Company in San Francisco.

• Year established: 1878
• State of origin: New York
• Parent company: Genesee Brewing Company

The Rau & Reisky Brewery opened for business in 1857 and 21 years later, entrepreneur Mathius Kondolf bought the operation and renamed it Genesee Brewery. Despite being closed for more than a decade during Prohibition, the brewery invested $1.3 million into operations anticipating the ban on alcohol would be repealed soon. In addition to the original Genesee beer, the brewery introduced its popular Cream Ale in 1960 and Genesee Light in 1978.

• Year established: 1878
• State of origin: New Jersey
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Ballantine IPA was first brewed in Newark at Ballantine Brewing Co. The legendary beer survived until the 1970s when a wave of big-brand lagers overwhelmed the market. Pabst Brewing Company, which owns many iconic beer brands, bought Ballantine in 1985. After several years of dormancy, Pabst made moves in 2014 to resurrect the beer in an attempt to appeal to the increasing number of beer drinkers who opt for India Pale Ales.

• Year established: 1876
• State of origin: Missouri
• Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Anheuser-Busch created Budweiser and quickly established it as a national brand through innovative production and distribution methods, such as pasteurization and refrigerated rail cars. With its extensive railroad network, Anheuser-Busch was able to sell Budweiser outside of St. Louis, making it a national success. Today, "The King of Beers" is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, formed after Belgian brewer InBev acquired the American beer titan for $52 billion in 2008.

In 2019, Budweiser was the fourth most popular American beer, with 10.6 million barrels sold in the United States. While Coors Light and Miller Lite topped Budweiser and were second and third most popular beers, respectively, Budweiser's low-calorie counterpart, Bud Light, was the most popular beer among Americans, shipping 27.2 million barrels.

• Year established: 1872
• State of origin: Pennsylvania
• Parent company: Straub Brewery

The founder of Straub Brewery, Peter Straub, did not own the brewery until 1878, even though he began brewing six years earlier. Straub, born and raised in Germany, was a craftsman constructing and repairing wooden barrels and also became very familiar with brewing. At the age of 19, Straub made his way to the U.S. and ended up in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. Straub passed away in 1913, but he passed his legacy down to his sons, who renamed the brewery to Peter Straub Sons Brewery.

• Year established: 1873
• State of origin: Colorado
• Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

According to the MillerCoors website, the beer became a favorite of miners in the Golden, Colorado area. After Prohibition, Coors began calling its beer "The Banquet Beer" in honor of the feasts with Coors beer area workers would have after leaving the mines. Its low-calorie version, Coors Light, is the second best-selling beer in America.

With 14.0 million barrels shipped in 2019, Coors Light had a 6.8% market share. Only 1.5 million barrels of Coors Banquet were shipped within the United States in 2016, amounting to less than 1% of the U.S. market share.

• Year established: 1867
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

The Leinenkugel brewery, named after its founder, German immigrant Jacob Leinenkugel, was first brewed in the logging town of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in the late 19th century. The brewery's website claims the brew was originally intended to "quench the thirst of over 2,500 lumberjacks."

In 1988, Miller Brewing Company bought the Leinenkugel brand.Today, Leinenkugel's brewer, Molson Coors, produces a wide variety of flavors — over a dozen — of the old brew. In addition to Leinenkugel's Original, the brewer produces Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, and Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest.

• Year established: 1865
• State of origin: Minnesota
• Parent company: Miller Coors Company

Hamm's was first brewed in St. Paul, Minnesota when Theodore Hamm opened a brewery, and the operation remained family-owned until 1968, surviving Prohibition by producing soft drinks, syrups, and other food products. Hamm's brand has changed hands many times in the past several decades but is now owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In addition to the original brew, Molson Coors also produces Hamm's Light.

• Year established: 1860
• State of origin: Minnesota
• Parent company: August Schell Brewing Company

Schell's Brewery has been around for nearly 160 years, getting its start when August Schell partnered with Jacob Bernhardt, a former expert in brewing, to build the brewery in New Ulm, Minnesota. Schell bought out the brewery from his partner just six years later. Upon Schell's death in 1981, his wife Theresa and their son Otto took ownership of the brewery.

By the start of the 20th century, Otto introduced refrigeration to the brewery, which enabled the family to brew year-round. Today, the flagship beer is the Deer Brand, developed just before the Prohibition era.

• Year established: 1857
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Stevens Point Brewery

Stevens Point Brewery, the home of the Point Special Lager, celebrated its 160th anniversary last year. German immigrants George Ruder and Frank Wahle began brewing beer in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in 1857. After Gustav Kuenzel bought the brewery some 40 years later, he changed its name to the current name in 1902.

Through all of the ownership changes over the past century and a half, Point Special Lager has kept its status as the brewery's flagship brew. Its origins date back to the brewery's first year in business.

• Year established: 1856
• State of origin: Oregon
• Parent company: MillerCoors

The founder of Weinhard's Private Reserve, known as the pioneer brewer of the Pacific Coast, was born in Lindenbronn, more specifically in the Württemberg region that is now Germany, in 1830. As a young 20-something, Weinhard moved to the United States around 1852, where he worked in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and then St. Louis. After a few years in the Northeast and Midwest, Weinhard made his way to Portland, Oregon, by ship, and by April 1, 1856, the Private Reserve was born.

• Year established: 1854
• State of origin: New York
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

McSorley's Old Ale House is New York City's oldest operating saloon. John McSorley of Tyrone, Ireland, arrived in New York City just three years before he opened what was then called The Old Ale House at Home, located on 15 E. 7th Street. Since its inception, many important figures have waltzed into McSorley's, including President Abraham Lincoln and Beatles member John Lennon. Pabst Brewing Company now owns the beer brand.

• Year established: 1850
• State of origin: Michigan
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Bernard Stroh immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1849 and took a family beer recipe with him. He opened Lion's Head Brewery in Detroit, Michigan. It was acquired by Pabst Brewing Company in 1999, but the brewery's flagship beer still bears the founder's family name, Stroh's. It is one of several formerly independent brews now under the Pabst umbrella.

• Year established: 1849
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Schlitz was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, eventually gaining both national and international appeal. By 1902, it became the largest brewery worldwide and was responsible for several innovations in the beer industry that drinkers today take for granted, including the brown bottle in 1912 and the 16 oz. "tall boy" can in 1956. Itis one of several Midwest-based beer brands resurrected by Pabst Brewing Company. Pabst purchased Schlitz in 1999 as part of the same transaction that involved the acquisitions of Stroh's, another brand on this list.

• Year established: 1849
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

The aptly named Old Milwaukee was first brewed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over 170 years ago. Formerly owned by the Schlitz Brewing Company, the Old Milwaukee brand was bought by Stroh's, which was then acquired by the Pabst Brewing Company. Old Milwaukee Light, a low-calorie version of the classic brew, was introduced in 1980.

• Year established: 1846
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Blatz Beer was one of the first beer brands that got started in the mid-to-late 19th century in Wisconsin. John Braun is technically the founder, having opened what was initially called City Brewery, and was able to produce 150 barrels per year until 1851 when former employee Valentine Blatz opened his own brewery right next door. Braun didn't live past that year, so Blatz swept in and married Braun's widow and merged the two breweries into one mass production. By 1884, Blatz became the third-largest beer producer in Milwaukee.

• Year established: 1844
• State of origin: Wisconsin
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Originally known as Best Select Lager, the beer that would become Pabst Blue Ribbon earned awards at several international beer competitions, which is when the brewery began tying blue ribbons to its beer bottles. Following years of customers associating the brew with the iconic blue ribbon, the beer's name officially changed in 1898 to the one U.S. beer drinkers recognize today.

• Year established: 1842
• State of origin: New York
• Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

Brothers Frederick and Maximilian Schaefer from Prussia established the F&M Schaefer Brewing Company. The brothers were able to acquire the small brewery that Frederick had previously worked at in Manhattan. Once Maximilian's son assumed control of the company, he moved the factory to Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1919. The factory in Brooklyn officially closed in 1976. The Schaefer beer brand is now owned by beer giant Pabst Brewing Company.

• Year established: 1829
• State of origin: Pennsylvania
• Parent company: Yuengling Brewing

America's oldest brewery was founded by David G. Yuengling in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, two decades before the next oldest widely available beer that is still sold today. Originally called Eagle Brewery, the name was changed to D.G. Yuengling & Son in 1873. During Prohibition, Yuengling sold dairy products and near-beer to remain profitable.

Nearly 190 years after the brewery was founded, Yuengling is still a relatively popular beer today. The brewery shipped 2.0 million barrels within the United States in 2019, accounting for about one in every 100 beers sold in the U.S. market.