Beers similar to Yuengling

January 15, 2007 11:25 AM

I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I found out (when visiting family in Philly) that I really like Yuengling. However, I live in Portland, OR, where there is no Yuengling in sight and my beer drinking friends have never even heard of it. Based on this preference, what other beers (esp. those common to the northwest) would I enjoy?
posted by hopeless romantique to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

Yuengling makes a variety of beers. Do you know which one you were enjoying?
posted by Good Brain at 11:31 AM on January 15, 2007

Best answer: Here is a list of other beers that are in the same style/category.

In general, it sounds like you like lager. Next time you're at the pub or the store, you might try ordering a craft brew that calls itself a lager.
posted by jclovebrew at 11:35 AM on January 15, 2007

Response by poster: I'm pretty sure it was the Premium Beer (the most common one?). My friend had a keg of it at his New Years party.
posted by hopeless romantique at 11:36 AM on January 15, 2007

Response by poster: Or maybe it was the traditional lager. He just said "Yuengling" when I asked what it was.
posted by hopeless romantique at 11:38 AM on January 15, 2007

I'm assuming you had a Yuengling lager (the most widely-available variety, at least where I am), which is an amber lager. Take a look at that list (sorted by number of reviews, which generally indicates availability) and see if any of the highly-rated examples are available locally (it's not my favorite style, so I can't really recommend anything specific you might be able to get locally). You might also be interested in the Irish Red or English Pale Ale styles. Start with Smithwick's and Boddington's, as they're very common and not particularly challenging. Finally, you might want to try a few brown ales (Newcastle being the obvious example). All these styles tend to be (as Yuengling lager is) reasonably malty and lightly hopped, which I'm assuming are the qualities that you enjoy (given that you "don't like beer" but enjoyed Yuengling).

And hey, take a day trip to Rogue and try a few styles! They make great stuff.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:42 AM on January 15, 2007

Don't even bother with Rogue. Well, I mean, Rogue is awesome and I had a great time when I visited, but there's tons of awesome beer to be had in Portland.

Try checking out Roots for some great, local brews. Or go try out a ton of different beers at the Horse Brass Pub.

At either of those places (or a ton of others in beer-crazy Portland) you can definitely tell them what you like and get some great recommendations that you can try on the spot.
posted by atomly at 11:47 AM on January 15, 2007

McMenamins regularly features Working Man's Red, which is damned tasty and has a writeup on beeradvocate. It's not a constant on tap at my local shop, but they have it quite a bit and it may be a standard at some of the other pubs in town.
posted by cortex at 12:19 PM on January 15, 2007

Just wanted to clarify on Yuengling. The "Premium" is not their most-common beer. Actually, it's fairly hard to find. The one that you get a lot, if you're in the Mid-Atlantic states, is their Lager. They taste quite different; I'd say that the Premium is getting closer to a Pilsner, as it's lighter and has a higher alcohol content than the Lager.

I suspect if you had the Premium that you would have known it, and if you were just drinking "Yuengling," then it was the Lager. I've very rarely seen Yuengling Premium on tap, and even in beer stores you sometimes have to look for it. (And their other five beers [Porter, Ale, Black & Tan, Light, Light Lager] are even harder to find.)
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:58 PM on January 15, 2007

Seconding Kadin2048. I live in Philly, and Lager is ubiquitous, whereas Premium and others are harder to find (although, "harder", being relative...it's far easier to find here than in Portland).
I just wanted to add as well that I am not a huge beer drinker, but I got addicted to Lager when I moved here. It is now my favorite session beer (that I can afford). However, even my hometown friends in nearby Massachusetts do not have many outlets for Yuengling available, and bemoan my lucky status of living in Philadelphia.
I also agree with uncleozzy's assessment of the qualities you dig. Most beers (ie the ones you previously did not like) are super hoppy, and I, personally, can't stand hoppy beers.
posted by nursegracer at 1:41 PM on January 15, 2007

Response by poster: I stand corrected then, it was the lager that I enjoyed so much. Thanks for the input, and when I turn 21 next month, I'll have to check out some pubs.
posted by hopeless romantique at 1:56 PM on January 15, 2007

Never had Yeungling Lager, but by most descriptions, it's in the style of your typical american lager (ie Bud, Miller, Coors...), being made with a lot of corn and relatively little hops, but perhaps a little more body than is typical. I'm not sure what to reccommend, but I doubt you'll find it among the output of the typical northwest all-malt ales. Maybe a Henry Weinhards?
posted by Good Brain at 2:51 PM on January 15, 2007

Never had Yeungling Lager, but by most descriptions, it's in the style of your typical american lager (ie Bud, Miller, Coors...), being made with a lot of corn and relatively little hops, but perhaps a little more body than is typical.

I wouldn't say Yuengling is at all in the style of a typical American lager. Amber instead of pale, much more barley and much less corn. And no rice, unlike Bud.

jclovebrew beat me to it -- beeradvocate's list of american ambers/red lagers is right on for comparative beers.
posted by desuetude at 3:04 PM on January 15, 2007

I absolutely adore Yuengling Lager, and am lucky that living in Baltimore, I have a ready supply of it, and a few of the other varieties. Don't believe anyone who tells you that it's anything like Coors, Bud etc. - from everything I've learned, those are pilsners, not lagers.

Other lagers that I quite enjoy, and might be more readily available in your area, are Samuel Adams and Harp.
posted by Adelwolf at 7:35 AM on January 16, 2007