Yuengling lager has always been as synonymous with Tastykake and scrapple when it comes to beloved local treats from Pennsylvania, and when distribution expanded to the rest of the mid-Atlantic and east coast about a decade ago the rest of the country also started to get in on the Yuengling craze. Yuengling’s popularity stems from it being a decent, reasonably priced beer, however the brand is not winning over beer drinkers by wearing its politics on its sleeve.
On Monday Richard “Dick” Yuengling Jr., the fifth-generation owner of Yuengling, welcomed Eric Trump to the site of America’s oldest brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania during a campaign stop. The second eldest son of Donald Trump told reporters, “My father’s going to make it a lot easier for business to function. We’re going to do it right here in the U.S.” Yuengling likewise made it clear that the brewery supported the Republican candidate by telling Trump: “Our guys are behind your father. We need him in there.”
In the swing state of Pennsylvania, highly sought after by both candidates, political affiliations tend to run the gamut of extremes, and many liberal beer drinkers were decidedly not happy when news of Trump’s visit started to make the rounds Tuesday afternoon. Not surprisingly, people quickly began declaring on social media that they intended to boycott Yuengling from now on.
https://twitter.com/brandonwenerd/status/791363679476445184
https://twitter.com/crickwooder/status/791401770211770369
https://twitter.com/TrumpCrafts/status/790674619132940288
https://twitter.com/theta1138/status/791359238257901568
Yuengling is anti-labor and gross. Y'all should've stopped drinking ages ago.
— Jane Roh 노진이 (@Jane_Roh) October 26, 2016
I will never buy Black & Tan again. Nice work, @Yuengling_Beer. https://t.co/5BffEycMDT
— Philly M. Nerd (@PhillyMovieNerd) October 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/fivefifths/status/791387070048722944
I was until you pushed me too far. Never Trump. Dump Yuengling https://t.co/qmwMlbUKH6
— Davon (@davonmagwood) October 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/writered21/status/791401572836126720
https://twitter.com/nuffsaidNY/status/791390420601282564
https://twitter.com/shgeldz/status/791396600551731201
Broke? Trying to save money? Want a beer? Grab a @PBR. Or a @Gansettbeer. No need to chug @Yuengling_Beer Trumpism.https://t.co/og4hzeCNjd
— Y-Love (@ylove) October 26, 2016
.@Yuengling_Beer I was a lifelong Yuengling drinker I mean LIFE. LONG. Will never touch it again, consider it poison https://t.co/1AloxdsncV
— Dan Espo (@dje432) October 26, 2016
.@Yuengling_Beer does this mean you're no longer making Black and Tan? https://t.co/ajjwKzFC7v
— Brian (@134Lounge) October 26, 2016
Not a big boycott guy, but why should i give Dick Yuengling even $1 to support Trump or his union-busting? https://t.co/XEJIP25he5
— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) October 26, 2016
Whether or not Yuengling will actually see a decrease in profits over the boycott is another story, but at the very least it’s a cautionary tale to keep politics out of business that other companies like Chick-fil-A have had to learn the hard way.
(Via Reading Eagle, Philly Voice)
