The 9 Oldest Breweries In The United States

Beer has been a staple of American culture since well before the United States officially became a country, and there are currently thousands of breweries operating within its borders. Many of them popped up in the past couple of decades, but there are also some historic ones that have stood the test of time.

These are the oldest continually operating breweries in the United States

There were more than 4,000 different breweries producing beer in the United States in the second half of the 19th century, but that number gradually fell before technically hitting zero when Prohibition rolled around.

The industry struggled to bounce back after the 18th Amendment was repealed, and it was in pretty dire straits in 1978, a year when the 89 breweries operating in America marked a historic nadir.

That was also the same year Jimmy Carter signed a law that legalized homebrewing in the United States, which played a significant role in the rise of craft beer as amateurs who honed their skills in private kitchens, garages, and basements decided to launch commercial operations.

There was a major explosion around the start of the 2010s, a year when there were 1,813 breweries in America. That number skyrocketed over the next decade or so before peaking at 9,902 in 2024, and while that number has started to decline after the bubble burst, there are still plenty of options to pick from.

That includes some breweries that have been pumping out beer for well over a century while securing their status as the oldest America has to offer.

Before we dive in, I should note that this list reflects breweries that were operating before Prohibition and resumed production after it ended. I’m disqualifying any that dealth with an extended closure (meaning Frankenmuth and Minhas Craft Brewery are out) and also focusing on breweries as opposed to specific brands that have changed hands (i.e. Pabst, Schaefer, and Narragansett),

9. Genesee Brewing Company (1878)

All of the breweries on this list were founded in the 1800s (the next oldest, Spoetzl Brewery in Texas, opened in 1909), and Genesee is the youngest member of this group of grizzled brewing veterans.

Located in Rochester, Genesee takes its name from the river it’s located on. It was founded by  Mathias Kondolf in 1878, and while it’s changed hands on multiple occasions since then, it’s had a presence in that city in upstate New York for nearly 150 years (there is an asterisk I’m overlooking, as it was rebranded as High Falls Brewing Company in 2000 before reverting back to the original namesake in 2009).

The company is best known for its cream ale (commonly referred to as “Genny Cream”) and also handles contract brewing for a number of brands, including Narragansett’s flagship lager.

8. Coors Brewing Company (1873)

There are a few brewing behemoths that make an appearance on this list, and we’ve got our first one courtesy of Coors.

Adolph Coors lent his name to the brewery he opened with fellow German Jacob Schueler in 1873 (the former purchased the latter’s share seven years later), and they started pumping out a lager in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado.

Coors slowly but surely expanded in the decades that followed, and it weathered Prohibition by focusing on the sale of porcelain, malted milk, and non-alcoholic “near beer” (which was legal to sell at .5% or less ABV).

It also achieved a bit of a cult status by focusing on distribution in the western half of the country (400 cases being transported from Texas to Georgia drive the plot of Smokey and the Bandit), but it became available across the country in the 1980s.

Coors Light is one of the top-selling beers in the United States, and while it may not be that popular with beer snobs, Banquet is widely regarded as one of the most satisfying macro lagers you can get your hands on.

7. Straub Brewery (1872)

Pennsylvania is home to two of the breweries on this list, and Straub, which is located in St. Mary’s, is the little brother in the Keystone State.

The Straub in question is Peter Straub, who bought a preexisting brewery from his father-in-law in 1872. It’s remained in the family ever since, as the current owners mark the seventh generation since its inception.

Straub brews a variety of different styles of beer, but its lager is probably its most popular.

6. Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (1867)

No state is better represented on this list than Wisconsin, and its first appearance comes courtesy of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

That man harnessed a recipe he brought with him from his native Germany and started making it after he opened the brewery in Chippewa Falls with John Miller in 1867. It’s been a subsidiary of multiple brewing conglomerates, but it is primarily still run by the Leinenkugel family six generations after Jacob got things running.

Most people are probably familiar with Leinenkugel due to its variety of shandy flavors, which have been the primary driver for the brewery for close to two decades.

5. August Schell Brewing Company (1860)

We’ve got our lone appearance from a brewery based in Minnesota courtesy of August Schell, who founded the brewery he named after himself in New Ulm in 1860 while harnessing the nearby Cottonwood River for water and ice.

The brewery also relied on near beer to make it through Prohibition and picked up where it left off once it ended. It faced some difficulties while attempting to navigate the closures and consolidations that gripped the industry during the tumultuous period I mentioned in the intro, but it ultimately powered through while keeping the business in the family.

Schell’s is also a sixth-generation affair as things currently stand, and its Deer Brand lager is its signature offering.

4. Stevens Point Brewery (1857)

We’re heading back to Wisconsin and to the town of Stevens Point, which gives its name to the brewery that’s been pumping out beer since 1857.

It was founded by Frank Wahle and George Ruder, who shipped some of their brews to soldiers during the Civil War. Its distribution was exclusive to Wisconsin for the bulk of its existence, but it grew to a dozen states toward the start of the 2000s.

The brewery has supplemented its offering with soda and hard ciders, but its Special Lager remains the thing it’s best known for.

3. Miller Brewing Company (1855)

Our next two breweries are a couple of heavy hitters, and we’ll be remaining in Wisconsin and heading to Milwaukee, which has been the home of Miller Brewing Company since 1855.

Frederick Miller founded the brewery, and it stayed in the family for more than a century before the first of a number of sales that have transpired since it traded hands for the first time in 1966. It is currently owned by Molson Coors, which oversees that massive facility that serves as Miller’s base of operations in the biggest city in the Badger State.

Miller Lite is its best-selling beer, and it’s very, very hard to go wrong with a High Life.

2. Anheuser-Busch Brewery (1852)

George Schneider opened what was initially known as the Bavarian Brewery when it opened in St. Louis in 1852, but Eberhard Anheuser put his name on the sign when he acquired it with a partner as the original owner was staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.

That partner eventually sold his shares to his son-in-law, Adolphus Busch, whose name was added to the company that debuted as “Anheuser-Busch” in 1879. As you very likely know, it ended up being a very profitable venture, as the Budweiser brand served as the backbone of a brewery that was sold for over $50 billion as part of a hostile takeover in 2008.

Its parent company, AB InBev, is based in Belgium, but the St. Louis location is one of a dozen that are still making its beer in the United States.

1. Yuengling (1829)

We’re closing things out with Yuengling, which is firmly the oldest brewery in the United States with a more than two-decade edge on its closest competitor.

David Gottlieb Jüngling opened Yuengling in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1829 (it was initially called Eagle Brewing). It pivoted to making ice cream during Prohibition while also peddling near beer, and it experienced a resurgence after the amber lager that serves as its flagship was resurrected in 1987.

It has a cult following in Pennsylvania and beyond, although it’s become easier to track down over the past couple of decades as distribution has expanded into the majority of states.