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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Are you ready for some Yuengling?
In honor of Halloween on Monday there are, of course, oodles of ghoulish galas and freaky fetes planned this weekend. But this year, October 31 marks another important occasion.
It’s a day some have been waiting for with bated breath and thirsty lips. It’s the first date on which Yuengling is available for sale in the Dayton, Cincinnati and Toledo markets. (Yuengling will be available on-draft in these markets starting Oct. 31, but will not be available on retail shelves until Nov. 14 due to high demand.)
For the non-beer drinker this is a non-event. But for those that love beverages made by D.G. Yuengling & Son, this will be a glorious day. It’s being called the biggest beer release since Coors expanded in 1981, which means that for anyone under the age of 50 it is actually the biggest beer release in their drinking life.
The brewery, which bills itself as “America’s Oldest Brewery” has been making delicious beers since 1829. Even though their home state is just a stone’s throw away, their products were not available in Ohio until Oct. 3 when the Lager, Light Lager and Original Black and Tan went on sale in the eastern part of the Buckeye state.
Whether or not grass roots efforts like Bringyuenglingtoohio.com and similarly named Facebook pages with tens of thousands of “Likes” had any effect on the brewery’s decision is unknown. Ohio was previously the only state that bordered Pennsylvania to not distribute Yuengling products. In a release announcing the expansion, the company said that capacity was added to Yuengling’s Mill Creek Brewery in order to accommodate the expected demand.
“Retailers in the state have anticipated our arrival for a long time, and it’s exciting to finally bring Yuengling Beer to our neighbors in Ohio,” said Pat Noone, Yuengling Business Development Manager.
Now the wait is over and it’s Dayton’s turn to freely imbibe on the beer that has developed a cult-like following in some circles. Stories abound about deprived Ohio Yuengling lovers trekking to Pittsburgh or other points east to stock up on their beloved beer. I’m definitely a Yuengling fan, but I’m not convinced that the beer will completely hold onto its allure once the thrill of the chase is gone.
The anticipation and demand are so high in Dayton that Heidelberg Distributing Company has said the beer will not actually be on the shelves until Nov. 14.
Rob VanMetre, Yuengling brand manager for Heidelberg in Dayton, told the Dayton Business Journal that because of the demand in other markets, Heidelberg isn’t able to secure enough beer from the brewery to make Yuengling available at all expected retail locations on Oct. 31. He said the company will delay the sale of packaged beer until enough is available to distribute it fairly.
So we’ll have to wait another two weeks to actually walk into the nearest beer cave and take home some Yuengling of our very own. But several local bars are planning to start pouring the pints as early as possible on Monday to mark the beer’s arrival.
Dublin Pub, 300 Wayne Ave., will kick off the week with kegs and eggs at 5:30 a.m. Pints of Yuengling will be $3.
Archer’s Tavern, 9496 Dayton Lebanon Pike in Centerville, is opening up at 6 a.m. Monday and will be serving up $3 pints.
Bullwinkle’s, 19 N. Main St. in Miamisburg, is promoting that they will be open at 11 a.m. that day to start serving up Yuengling.
Milano’s, 9572 Springboro Pike in Miami Township, will host the Yuengling girls at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3. They’ll be passing out free samples and Yuengling loot.
They’ll also be at Lights & Sirens, 6504 Union Road in Clayton, on Wednesday Nov. 2 for Trivia Night.
So what do you think? Is Yuengling worth the hype? Are you setting your alarm early to get the first possible taste? Also let us know about any other bars opening early on Monday.
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