Hail to the Yueng

Enthusiasm endures for long-awaited beer

The

spirit

By Garth Bishop in

The official launch date has come and gone, but yuengling-mania is still running wild in central Ohio.

Though the yuengling company proudly bills itself as the oldest brewery in the U.S., its beers have long been forbidden fruit for Ohioans. it was not until last month that the p ennsylvania-based company began selling its beers

–yuengling Lager, yuengling

Light Lager and yuengling Black & Tan – in Columbus.

Ohio was the last of the states bordering pennsylvania that did not sell yuengling. Until last month, it was not uncommon for people to make trips across the pennsylvania border just to bring back a few cases of the brew.

“ i believe the most i ever brought back was 11 cases at once,” says Lara r anallo, a p ittsburgh native and the kitchen manager at Surly Girl Saloon.

Lara Ranallo

Yuengling has gained a reputation as a good-tasting, inexpensive alternative to standard bar beers like Coors Light. The arrival of yuengling was hotly anticipated, given that residents have been calling for it to be distributed here for years.

“That’s been going on ever since i started here a couple years ago,” says Michael Sadlon, beer manager for the Hills Market in Worthington. “ it’s almost (standard operating procedure) that if you’re going out of state, you bring some back for your friends.”

Even if you’ve already had the chance to enjoy yuengling without hopping any state borders, there’s still plenty about its new presence to appreciate.

The local Hoggy’s chain is now in month two of its yuengling food pairings, accompanying Light Lager with smoked artichoke/spinach dip, BBQ quesadillas, grilled chicken salad, Mahi Mahi and crab cakes. in December, it will pair Black & Tan with its Kansas City Burnt Ends, Smokehouse Wedges, Smokehouse ribs, grilled prime rib and thick-cut sirloin with lobster sauce.

The yuengling company “said nobody asked as many questions about the food preparings of yuengling than Hoggy’s,” says Hoggy’s Director of Marketing ray Smith.

The Betty’s family of restaurants – including Betty’s Fine Food & Spirits, Surly Girl Saloon, Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, the Jury room and Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog palace – is also offering food pairings for the regular yuengling Lager, including cider-braised pork shank over polenta mash at the Jury room and with the pigs in a Biscuit Super Supper Tray at the Surly Girl.

Garth Bishop is editor of CityScene Magazine. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroup ltd.com.