Yuengling Brewery has the distinct honor of being the oldest US brewery. While Tampa was not the original location of Yuengling Beer, the company purchased the Stroh Brewery, built by Joseph Schlitz in 1958, and established the Tampa Yuengling Brewery. The original Yuengling Brewery was founded in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and has remained a family-owned company, with the sixth generation preparing to learn the business of brewing fine beers.

The Yuengling Brewery has received numerous awards throughout its 180-year span, including the Growth Brand Award, Impact Blue Chip Brand, Hot Brand Award four years in a row, and Top Beer Brand Performer award.  In 1976, Yuengling Brewery achieved the ranking as the oldest US brewery and was placed on both state and national registers to reflect its landmark status.

The brewery is regional and currently distributes primarily to states along and near the eastern seaboard, so trying their beer is something to savor during your next Tampa vacation or any other trip to Florida. Currently, the brewery has seven blends of Yuengling beer, with each one carefully blended with quality barley and hops to achieve the desired color, texture, and flavor. 

Tampa Map

The selections of blends include Yuengling Premium and Light and traditional Lager, and Lager Light beers. The Lord Chesterfield Ale is a classic beer with a crisp, fresh flavor brewed at Yuengling, and Porter is a specialty dark malt beer with a light, rich, creamy taste of chocolate. The Black & Tan selection is a blend of the Porter dark brew combined with Yuengling Premium to create the light, sweet taste of caramel and coffee. Yuengling has brewed both Lord Chesterfield and Porter beers since the founding of the brewery in 1829. The traditional Lager blend has the status as the Yuengling signature beer.

At the Tampa Yuengling Brewery, visitors can observe the inner workings of the oldest US brewery by taking a free tour of the facility. Before starting the tour, visitors taste a sampling of Yuengling beer in the hospitality area and then see a short informational film about the history of the brewery before proceeding with the tour.

The tour begins in the brew house, where visitors will observe the brewing process before moving on to the chemistry lab, where the quality of the brew is tested. Packaging is the next stop on the tour, along with the cold cellars where the finished product awaits filtering and packaging. The tour of the Tampa Yuengling Brewery ends back at the hospitality area where visitors are offered a second sampling of Yuengling beer—something they're sure to appreciate after learning about the brewing process.

The guided tours are available at 10 am and 1 pm. Due to safety requirements, all visitors are required to wear proper footwear, meaning only closed-toed shoes are acceptable. No sandals, bare feet, flip-flops or any other shoe type without closed heels, toes, and sides are allowed. The tour requires walking up and down steps, and it isn't handicapped-accessible.

The Tampa Yuengling brewery is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm and is conveniently located in the Temple Terrace area of north Tampa on North 30th Street and only a short distance from Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, and the USF Botanical Gardens. Visitors who take a day trip to the brewery in their rental cars will find no shortage of interesting things to do in the area.