Beer Styles

Which beer belongs to Pennsylvania? Above all, the copper-colored lager that Yuengling bottles as Traditional Lager. It's close to a Vienna lager: a beer with bread crust, light caramel sweetness, and moderate bitterness—smoother than a pilsner and noticeably fuller-bodied than an American industrial lager.

The second style is porter. Pennsylvania porter dates back to the era before Prohibition: the beer is dark, with roasted notes, yet without the heavy sweetness of some stouts. Yuengling Porter is considered one of the best-known surviving examples. We don't know what Robert Hare's porter actually tasted like—the recipe hasn't survived.

Then come the innovators. Victory's Prima Pils sticks to the German template: pale, dry, noticeably hopped. HopDevil represents the American IPA, offering more bitterness and more hop aroma than its English forebear. The classic pilsner is easy to distinguish from the IPA: one is bottom-fermented, cool, and clear; the other is top-fermented, warm, and aromatic.

And the Black & Tan? It's not its own style but a blend of lager and porter, which Yuengling has bottled pre-mixed since 1986, according to the brewery. The result tastes roasty like the porter and drinks as easily as the lager.

At the end of the day, Pennsylvania is less a style region than a bridge region. English porter, German lager, and American IPA all meet here in a single state, often even on a single street.