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By Sam Greene | Managing Editor

A new dawn has risen over the vast planes of this state, and Ohio beer drinkers are rejoicing over the long-awaited arrival of the Yuengling brand and its seven brews.

America’s oldest brewery and a native of the Quaker State is finally making the leap into the Ohio market, ending the pseudo embargo that has led many Yuengling loyalists to cross state borders to pack trunks and pick-up truck beds with cases of the stuff like the rum runners of the prohibition era.

Because of this, Yuengling has maintained a certain amount of mystique among beer drinkers in Ohio. Until now, nearest states to purchase a case of Yuengling were West Virginia, Pennsylvania or Tennesee.

I’ve personally been asked on numerous occasions to bring home a case or two — or more — for friends when they’ve heard I was making a trip to one of those states. As a matter of fact, I was first introduced to the brand a few years ago when an older friend of mine returned home from a Thanksgiving weekend outside of Pittsburgh with the trunk of his Audi A4 packed to the top with the different varieties of the beer.

I dug it.

Then again, I was only 18 or 19, and my beer tasting experience at that point was mostly limited to Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Lite, Pabst Blue Ribbon and other cheap flavors of vaguely alcoholic tap water.

Since then I’ve grown up, been around the beer block and made some more adult decisions about my choice of adult beverages.

Admittedly, I’m no snob when it comes to beer, and I’m definitely no expert, but I do know what I like, and I’ve had enough different kinds of beer to know what’s good, what’s bad and what’s, well, meh.

I’ll say it: Yuengling is just meh.

Yuengling is inexpensive, and that is its best attraction. For roughly the same price-per-sixer as Budweiser, Yuengling clocks in at the bargain price point and despite what people from around here tend to tell you, that’s where it belongs.

The main attraction to Yuengling is its mystique. Any time something isn’t available in a particular market, it gains a certain amount of desirability because it’s rare.

The taste difference between Yunegling Lager and the also sub-$6-six pack of Budweiser is even more negligible than their price difference, but I’ve never heard of anyone willing to pay a premium for the ol’ red and white like they do with Yuengling, because you can get it everywhere.

Yuengling has made it to Ohio, and the people have already started going crazy, buying it up in the north eastern part of the state where it’s already available. It’s been reported that many locations haven’t been able to keep bottles and cans in stock due to the high demand.

That same frenzied purchasing of those green bottles will likely take place here next week when it hits shelves but I find myself rolling my eyes at the situation.

Yuengling has officially lost its allure for me and will now take its place in my heart, right in the same place it will on stores’ shelves when its novelty wears off for everyone else, too — the bottom shelf of the cheap, non-national brand cooler, right next to Hudepohl Amber Lager.

So, no, I’m not excited for Yuengling to come to Ohio, and I don’t think any other people who consider themselves fans of the stuff should be either.

While the thought of being able to walk down to the corner and pick up a Yuengling Black and Tan seems a lot more convenient than driving to across the state, in reality the best thing about the brand – that mystique factor — is being taken away from us.

I’m not saying I’ll never buy another pack of Yuengling, but I can tell you I won’t ever be excited about it again. As someone who doesn’t drink enough beer to feel the need to save money with the cheap stuff, I can’t see myself reaching down the bottom shelf any more often than I already do for this generic American lager.