Nearly as many people in America drink beer as those who drink water (something of an exaggeration). The National Beer Wholesalers Association claims that, in 2020, adults in the U.S. consumed over 26.1 gallons of beer and cider. The beer industry shipped 205 million barrels.
Beer is old. Beer-like beverages have probably been around for 13,000 years. There is evidence that the earliest beer was brewed around 7,000 BC. By 3,000 BC, beer was present in Europe. Over the centuries, Germany became the home of master brewers. Beer almost certainly came to the U.S. from Europe.
24/7 Tempo reviewed information from media sources and breweries themselves to determine America’s oldest beers. The first recorded beer brewed on American soil dates all the way back to 1587, and the first brewery popped up in 1632. However, the oldest continuously operating brewery in America only dates back to the 1800s. That brewery is still making the same beers that it did nearly 200 years ago.
The oldest beers in America originated in only a handful of states, with Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Missouri home to several of them. In some states, whether it is because of climate and culture, beer consumption is far higher than others
America’s oldest beer is Yuengling Lord Chesterfield Ale & Porter. Here are the details:
> Year introduced: 1829
> State of origin: Pennsylvania
> Parent company: Yuengling Brewing
America’s oldest brewery, Yuengling, was founded by David G. Yuengling in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in 1829 — 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.