Yuengling taking FLIGHT with new light beer, marketing effort

Pottsville‘s D. G. Yuengling & Sons, having long ago shed its image as a small, regional coal country brewery, is ready to take flight with a new, upscale light beer.

Called FLIGHT by Yuengling, the brewery is calling its new creation “the Next Generation of Light Beer.”

Jennifer Yuengling, vice president of operations, said FLIGHT by Yuengling is much different that the light beers the brewery had been making, Premium Light and Light Lager, in that it’s made to appeal to the tastes of today’s active lifestyle consumer.

“This is our version of an upscale light beer. It has a crisp and refreshing flavor, is easy to drink but still complements our existing brand,” she said.

The new brew concentrates on what modern consumers are looking for in a light beer, which includes both lower carbs and calories, she said.

Along with the new beer, Yuengling is launching a marketing campaign, “Raising the Bar,” that encourages consumers to “strive to be the best versions of themselves.”

They’ve brought two celebrity ambassadors on board, Lauren Alaina, an award-winning country singer and actress, and Rose Lavell, a professional American soccer player. They will represent the brand through personal appearances, performances and promotions.

This isn’t the first celebrity partnership that Yuengling has undertaken recently. The brewer has been working with celebrity chef Kelsey Barnard Clark of “Top Chef” fame on beer and food parings.

It’s also not the first new beer for the 190 year-old brewer. Last year it launched Yuengling Golden Pilsner, which was the first new year-round beer the company had released in 17 years.

It has also had some specialty seasonal beers, which has become a popular trend in the microbrew industry. Its most recent release was a partnership with another well-known Pennsylvania company, Hershey, to create a chocolate porter.

So the company is clearly stepping up its game to stay on the top of the craft brew business.

“We’re recognizing where the consumer is trending,” Yuengling said.

And while there has been a great deal of recent innovation at Yuengling, which is the nation’s oldest continually operating brewery, she said trying something new has always been something the six generations that have run the company have supported.

She noted that her father, Dick Yuengling, launched Yuengling Lager in 1987, and it quickly became the company’s best-selling beer.

“We’ve been around for 190 years. No business stays around that long without being innovative,” she said.

The new light beer will begin distribution in Yuengling’s entire 22-state market in 12-ounce bottles and be sold in six and 12 packs starting next month. It will be available in draught form later this year in select markets.

FLIGHT won’t likely be the last new product that the public should be expecting from the brewer.

Yuengling said “fans can expect more exciting announcements in 2020.”