The Yuengling Is Coming! The Yuengling Is Coming!

I wonder if Sam Adams would get pissed at his buddy Paul Revere if he rode from town to town yelling to the citizens of Massachusetts that Yuengling is coming to the Commonwealth.

For those of you who don't know what Yuengling is (it's pronounced Ying-ling), it's a beer from Pennsylvania, from the oldest brewery in America. It's a quality beer, in the same class as Sam Adams. Taste wise it's interesting like Sam, only more drinkable. It's good in a bottle but fantastic from the tap.

And after a 20-year absence it's returning to the Massachusetts market.

Those of us who have been introduced to Yuengling and fell in love with it are rejoicing. For years we've depended on friends and relatives travelling from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to supply us with Yuengling. There's a grey market (not quite a black market) trade along I-90 and I-84 of Yuengling Lager being legally smuggled to thirsty residents of Massachusetts.

Why has such an acclaimed beverage remained absent from Massachusetts markets?

That is where the Myth of Yuengling truly begins. Everyone has a theory to explain it. Some say that Sam Adams pressures Mass. lawmakers to keep Yuengling out. Others suggest that there's some obscure regulation about imprinting bottles and that Yuengling doesn't want to spend the extra money to do that. Even "official" explanations are cloudy and vague. When reading about this story one explanation from Yuengling was that in 1993 they left Mass. because demand wasn't high enough. Another explanation said they left because demand was too high and their out-of-state operations couldn't keep up. Which doesn't quite make sense that they would leave because demand for their product was too high.

Nobody seems to know exactly why Yuengling wouldn't cross the Hudson. But now they're returning. I wonder when they try to ship beer to Mass. in 2014 if their trucks will vanish into thin air when they try to cross the border.

Yuengling Wing Sauce

I was introduced to Yuengling (pronounced Ying-ling, if you didn't know) when I went to college in upstate New York. It's a remarkable beer. It's delicious, but not so heavy that you can't enjoy a generous amount on a Friday evening.

We can't get Yuengling in Massachusetts. I'm not sure why, exactly. I've been told it has something to do with imprinting letters on the bottles. I've also been told that Massachusetts doesn't allow beer to be sold unless it's distributed by a Massachusetts based distributor. And Yuengling wants to distribute on their own. Whatever the reason, I'm sure we have some stupid regulations that prohibit the the beer from flowing.

It sucks. And now this lack of Yuengling sucks even more. They've come out with a line of sauces.

BBQ and wing sauces, just in time for the Super Bowl. Good God. It's torturous to look at this. I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. I want wings, some BBQ pork, and a dozen Yuenglings...

It's only a 3 hour drive to New York...

Nike's Irish Misstep

Nike decided to market their SB Dunk Low sneakers by nicknaming them "Black and Tans." Partially due to their color, and partially as a marketing ploy for St. Patrick's Day. Nike deployed advertisements that alluded to the drink, which is a mixture of a stout beer (like Guinness) poured on top of a pale ale (such as Bass).

The problem is "Black and Tans" was the nickname of a paramilitary group in 1920s Ireland that terrorized Catholics and Irish nationalists. They killed people, burnt towns, and once surrounded a village for a week to not let food in. In response to IRA attacks on British sponsored "police" units, the Black and Tans would indiscriminately kill civilians.

If you go to Ireland, don't order a "Black and Tan." Ask the bartender for Guinness poured on top of Smithwick's.

In 2006, Ben & Jerry's released an ice-cream flavor for St. Patrick's Day called "Black and Tan." Irish people didn't like it. Ben & Jerry's apologized.

And 6 years later, Nike's made the same mistake.

It's sort of like trying to pay homage to Polish people by calling a shoe "The SS Boot." Here's a drink/shoe/ice cream named after people who oppressed and murdered your ancestors. Enjoy!

Nike has apologized. And I'll admit it's an obscure historical reference to something that few people outside of Ireland are aware of. Then again, as one Irish politician asked, "Is there no one at Nike able to Google Black and Tan?"

Anyway, free advertising for Yuengling's Black and Tan, which is delicious, despite its name.