Yuengling's ice cream is back in stores

Nearly three decades after its plant shut down, Yuengling's ice cream has returned to stores.

The first cartons are to appear in grocers' freezers Monday, Feb. 10.

Though the Yuengling name may conjure up thoughts of beers, the ice cream company is run by a different branch of the Pottsville-based family.

There's also no beer in the ice cream - though one flavor is "Black and Tan" (chocolate and caramel ice cream).

My panel of taste-testers came away impressed with the chocolate marshmallow, which we sampled last week. One tester raved about the chocolate marshmallow, praising its wide ribbon of marshmallow. Another said she that if she had to describe that flavor in one word, it would be "dangerous. ... If I didn't scoop out an amount, I could easily eat nearly the entire container in one sitting. The chocolate isn't overpowering, neither is the marshmallow. Seems to be the right ratio. Definitely better than Turkey Hill's rocky road in my book."

We also sampled vanilla, which we found OK, though perhaps too sweet. One tester opined: "It would be perfect in a root beer float, or a base for a sundae – doctor it up with some syrups, fruit cookies. But as a standalone flavor, it's lackluster."

The Yuenglings opened Yuengling Dairy in 1920 during Prohibition as a way to compensate for the loss of beer sales. It closed the ice cream operation in 1985.

Leiby's Dairy in Tamaqua produces the 10 flavors, which are being sold at Acme, Weis and some independent grocery stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia.

Retail price is $4.99 to $5.99 a quart, so it's not cheap.