The news this week was the Yuengling is planning to bring its beer to Massachusetts, where their Traditional Lager is quite famous by its absence. I've had this beer many times, and it's a solid lager deserving of loyalty. In Pennsylvania, this is THE lager. Meaning you can walk into a bar and say "lager" and get a Yuengling.
Not long after the news dropped, Narragansett, New England's local lager*, took to Facebook with a message of "bring it on".
The match up is a natural one. Two regional, beloved, and low price point lagers will certainly be in direct competition. My personal thoughts (echoed by other, more famous beer bloggers) is that Yuengling will do quite well, at least, as a novelty. There are definitely plenty of people that don't have easy access to Yuengling up until now (or a brother with a girlfriend that travels back home to NJ to get it) and will probably buy a couple of racks of it once they see it on the shelves. Hell, I'll probably buy some and have a nostalgia six-pack night. But, beyond that initial splash, I have to wonder how Yuengling will compete in the MA market, where Narragansett is already well established and the craft beer market is already pretty saturated to begin with.
There are a few other factors to consider. One, of course, is price. Narragansett Lager is almost criminally cheap for a craft beer (and I have long touted it for having the right idea), and while Yuengling will probably be quite affordable, I'll be interested to see how much it will go for during an initial market push. Another factor is those dang green bottle Yuegling Traditional Lager comes in. Beer bottles are (usually) brown to impede light causing oxidation, and thereby "skunking" the beer... and I've had enough Yuengling in my life that I've got a few bad ones. And yes, Yuengling also comes in cans... but not tallboys like Narragansett. And you can't party without tallboys, yo.
Finally, there's the issue of variety beyond the flagships. While I think I've only had Yuengling's Black and Tan (and don't recall being super impressed), I've had plenty of Nargansett's seasonal offerings. I'm drinking a Narragansett Fest while I'm writing this, every year I get excited for their Porter to drop, and I've recently become a fan of their new regular, Bohemian Pilsner. This, I think, is where Narragansett wins hands down. While Yuengling will do fine, especially for novelty and among ex-pats from regions more familiar with their beer, I don't exactly see it taking the market by storm. Still, you have to believe they're picking now to finally distribute here for a reason, and more competition for affordable craft beer can only be a good thing. May even help with that craft beer bubble I keep ranting about.
Yuengling, I eagerly await your arrival in my local store, and I hope you bring your full line-up. I'm willing to be proven wrong and try them all.
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