Yuengling and Victory Brewing make Super Bowl bet with Samuel Adams and Jack’s Abby
As everyone places their bets for Super Bowl LII, D.G. Yuengling & Son in Pottsville has joined in on a Twitter bet among fellow craft breweries over who will win the big game.
Before the Philadelphia Eagles face the New England Patriots at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota this Sunday, Feb. 4, Boston brewer Samuel Adams joked with Downingtown’s Victory Brewing Company near Philly that their hometown team would be winning:
Hey @VictoryBeer – the only winning that’s going to happen this weekend is #NewEngland.
— Samuel Adams Beer (@SamuelAdamsBeer) January 29, 2018
Asking Sam Adams to “put your money where your mouth is,” Victory proposed a “friendly wager” and asked Yuengling to join in, who responded, “Intriguing, but this bet is missing two things: stakes (because Philly will win) and more lager. So, we’re in if Jack’s Abby is in.”
The Massachusetts brewery known for their lagers agreed, and the bet was on:
Oh, it's on! You might as well start writing your checks now.
— Yuengling Brewery (@Yuengling_Beer) January 29, 2018
According to a press release from Yuengling, the final bet in their own words is as follows:
The losing breweries (ahem, Sam Adams and Jack’s Abby) have to wear the opposing team’s jerseys/colors at the brewery… AND wear the opposing team’s signature mask (e.g. those Boston brewers will be replacing their goat masks with dogs!). Don’t worry, we’ll follow up with photo.
TBD: Throughout the week, Victory and Yuengling will be taking donations at their taprooms to help preserve the Freedom Trail (it will be a long walk home for Boston!), while Jack’s Abby and Samuel Adams will take donations to help preserve the bald eagle (they don’t want to clip our wings spirits as we hope to fly high into the 2019 season!).
“We’re excited for our hometown team and this friendly wager with Sam Adams, Victory, and The Abby as a fun way for Philly and Boston football fans to show their passion for great beer during the big game,” stated Jennifer Yuengling, Vice President of Operations of D.G. Yuengling & Son, in that same release.
“I feel like we picked the best team of beer buds on the field, and now we raise our glasses in friendly competition. Cheers to our fans, the everyday winners who thirst for craft beer Victory!” said Bill Covaleski, co-founder of Victory Brewing.
“The birds have been underdogs for quite some time, and there’s nothing we’d like more than to see them taste victory, especially now that there’s a friendly wager in place! The passion that all of us brewers put behind brewing quality craft beer is only amplified when it meets a day as passionate as Sunday will be. Like the majority of Philly born and bred Eagles fans, we’re proud of our homegrown roots, so much so that we named our newest beer Home Grown. And you can guarantee we’ll be raising our glasses of Home Grown to these local legends this Sunday. On the road to Victory!” added Ron Barchet, co-founder of Victory Brewing.
“Like last year, we’re behind New England all the way as they head to the big game. To put our beer where our mouth is, we’re wagering a brewer’s bet with our lager-loving friends at The Abby against underdogs Victory Brewing and Yuengling. We know this one’s not going to be easy. Watching a thrilling game with a great craft beer in hand never gets old, and we hope to watch [NFL Commissioner Roger] Goodell hand over another trophy to our favorite New England team,” said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams.
Family owned and operated since 1829, D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. has already declared victory over the Boston Beer Company, brewers of Sam Adams, in sales. Over the last three years, Yuengling was named No. 1 on the Brewers Association’s annual list of the Top 50 craft brewing companies in the United States, based on beer sales volume. After merging with Southern Tier Brewing in New York to become Artisanal Brewing Ventures, Victory Brewing also made the Top 50 in 2017, coming in at 13, up from 26 when it was just Victory back in 2015.
As the oldest operating brewing company in the country, Yuengling reached No. 4 in the list of top-selling brewing companies overall, just behind Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, and Pabst Brewing Company. Despite the competitive nature of the business, it’s nice to see four major craft brewers have a little friendly fun leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, when all breweries benefit from a lot of drinking.
Ordered simply as “lager” in Northeastern Pennsylvania due to its overwhelming popularity, Yuengling will soon be available in 22 states as it continues to be brewed in Pottsville as well as Tampa, Florida. Its current lineup of beers includes Traditional Lager, Light Lager, Black & Tan, Premium, Light, Dark Brewed Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale, and Oktoberfest.
