Troegs

Beer Style Resolution

Friday, January 20, 2017 | Anchor, Boxcar, East Coast Beer Co., Evolution, Fat Head's, Finch's, Fuller's, Fun, Goose Island, Hoegaarden, Ithaca, Keegan Ales, Kona, Lancaster Brewing, Long Trail, Magic Hat, New Belgium, Old Dominion, Redhook, Rogue, Spencer Trappist Brewery, Starr Hill Brewery, Susquhanna, Troegs, Uinta, Victory, Widmer

Want a New Year’s resolution you won’t want to abandon in a couple months? Why not challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone and try new styles of beer. It’s easy to decide you like a select few varieties and rarely try anything that doesn’t fit in that box, but you never know what you might be missing.

Here we’ve listed a number of different common styles, as well as a few examples of each. An easy way to go through the list is just to pick one from each category and try it, but if you’re up for more of a challenge, try going through all the list before the end of the year is up. Could be you find your new favorite brew.

Amber/Red Ales:

Troegs Nugget Nectar

Goose Island Autumn Ale

Blonde Ale -

Victory Summer Love

Kona Big Wave Golden Ale

New Belgium Whizbang

Brown Ale -

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale

Bock/Doppelbock -

Lancaster Billy’s Bock

Starr Hill Snow Blind Doppelbock

Extra Special Bitter -

Magic Hat Wooly

Redhook Extra Special Bitter

Gose -

Victory Kirsch Gose

Uinta Ready Set Gose

Long Trail Cranberry Gose

Hefeweizen -

Troegs Dreamweaver

Starr Hill The Love

India Pale Ale -

Evolution Lot #3

Ithaca Flower Power

Fat Head’s Head Hunter

American Lager -

Kona Long Board Island Lager

Anchor Steam Beer

Susquehanna Goldencold Lager

Marzen -

Victory Festbier

Susquehanna Oktoberfest

Goose Island Oktoberfest

Milk/Sweet Stout -

Lancaster Milk Stout

Pale Ale –

Spencer Trappist Ale

Prism ParTea Pale Ale

Victory Headwaters

Pilsner -

BeachHaus Pislner

Troegs Sunshine Pils

Porter -

Fuller’s London Porter

Anchor Porter

Lancaster Shoo-Fly Pie Porter

Saison -

Goose Island Sofie

Old Dominion Gigi’s Farmhouse Ale

Victory Helios

Stout -

Old Dominion Morning Glory Espresso Stout

Magic Hat Heart of Darkness

Troegs Javahead

Tripel -

Old Dominion Candi Tripel

Victory Golden Monkey

Wild Ale -

Goose Island Lolita

New Belgium Le Terroir

Rogue Beard Beer

Witbier -

New Belgium Tartastic

Hoegaarden Original White

Holiday Party Drink Pairings

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 | Anchor, Food, Fun, Lancaster Brewing, Long Trail, Magic Hat, Rogue, Shock Top, Troegs, Victory

So you’re throwing the holiday party this year. Maybe it’s your first year and you want to make sure everything goes smoothly, or perhaps you want to out-do last year. Rest easy with this list of beers and food pairings to serve. Whether you’re intending a sit-down meal or a lineup of hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening, we’ve got you covered.

Victory Winter Cheers – A fresh and semi-soft cheese plate would go wonderfully with the clove, banana and citrus notes in this beer. Ricotta, smoked gouda, havarti, and feta are all good choices. For an entree, lighter seafood is the way to go. This Greek seafood stew would suit the beer, as well as this sautéed tilapia with a lemon peppercorn sauce.

Troegs Mad Elf – The strength of the cherry, honey and cocoa flavors in this beer needs to be matched with equal strength. For an entree, glazed ham is perfect. For lighter fare, a spread of aged cheddar, roasted chestnuts, dates, figs and pear slices would not only be attractive, but allow for a variety of good matches.

Anchor Christmas – 2016′s Christmas Ale is a winter warmer, so chocolate truffles make a great finger food pairing. This recipe for turkey with a blueberry sauce holds up to the strong flavor as well. This beer also makes a great gift, as it changes from year-to-year.

Lancaster Winter Warmer – This one pairs well with a roast Christmas duck, a more novel alternative to traditional turkey. And chocolate torte with a raspberry sauce makes a great dessert option.

Shock Top Ginger Wheat – Honey ginger shrimp can be served either as an entree over pasta or just with toothpicks. A pear ginger crumble is a festive dessert that would also pair well.

Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve – Beef bacon rolls measure up to this red ale easily and make great appetizers. And either a beef or pork roast would do fine for an entree.

If you’re doing a gift exchange, a warm Long Trail hoodie, a winter Victory Hat or a Magic Hat ornament are all great seasonal gifts. And if you’re looking for something to gift all your guests, make mixed six-packs of all of the beers listed above for them to try.

Troegs’ Splinter Cellar

Friday, September 16, 2016 | Troegs

The folks over at Troegs have been known for the detail they put into designing their beer and brewery–their gorgeous modern tasting room and snack bar, the self-guided and guided tours, slick, minimalistic labels… so it’s no surprise that they would come up with such a beautiful way to wood age beer. Their new Splinter Cellar is a testament to the art and science of brewing. Three 21-foot-tall foeders, like ancient trees, stand in a high-windowed corner where guided tours meet. Each of these magnificent giants was made by Giobatta & Piero Garbellotto, 200-year-old Italian barrel manufacturers, and holds 9,300 gallons. The wood–a mix of Italian, French and Hungarian oak–imbues notes of vanilla and coconut onto the beers inside.

And just above the cellar is the new Troegs art gallery, featuring pieces from Art of Troegs contests and commissioned work from artists up and down the East Coast.

Watch this video of the Splinter Cellar construction now to see all the love that went into it.

Summer Troegsway

Friday, June 17, 2016 | Fun, Troegs

The beginning of summer promises the beginning of adventure; walking the streets of an unfamiliar city, floating down a lazy river, scaling that mountain you’ve only seen from a distance. And Troegs wants to celebrate that spirit. From now through mid-August, they’ll be picking out their favorite #troegsway summer photos each week, and the winners will score a carefully curated prize pack, full of summer necessities like beach towels, sunglasses, bandanas and more.

Simply tag your photo–be it sunny beach selfie, perfect backyard BBQ or campsite snapshot–with #troegsway on Instagram and you could be a winner. If you need inspiration, take a look at what’s been posted already. And don’t wait until summer is almost over. Grab some Troegs cans and some friends, and boldly venture out to your next great feat.

Art of Troegs

Monday, April 18, 2016 | Contest, Fun, Troegs

Do you have the drive to create art? Well, here’s a way to be rewarded for it and get rid of some of those Troegs caps you’ve got hanging around.

Troegs is having a contest wherein you create a piece of art from a piece of Troegs–bottle caps, cans, labels, etc. A winner chosen by the brewery will win $500 and will have their name in shining lights when they open their art gallery in Hershey this summer. Take a look at their blog for inspiration. Submissions due by May 14th. For further details, click here.

Want to pursue your art in a casual fashion? Troegs will be having a few tap takeovers that double as an outlet for your vision. Color on your own or join the community canvas to create something wonderful. Don’t miss out, because they will be giving away Troegs adult coloring books and colored pencils as well.

Events:

Railroad St. Bar & Grill
4/20
7:30 pm

Butcher & Barkeep
4/21
6-8pm

Aging Beers

Friday, March 25, 2016 | Fun, Goose Island, Troegs, Uinta, Victory, Widmer

Most beers are best drunk fresh, particularly those on the hop-forward side of things. But as with every rule, there are exceptions. Like fine wines, some beers dig deeper into their flavors with age, blooming into something truly extraordinary. Today, we’ll go over the best methods for choosing a beer to age, and what conditions are best for bringing out the most in your bottle.

Will It Age Well?

The flavors that hold true over time are breadiness, earthiness, blackcurrant, straw, woodiness, wine and sweetness. If you choose a beer that is strong in these flavors already, chances are they will only grow. However, do consider that metallic and cardboard flavors can develop in some beers. Also, beers with higher ABV (7% and up) tend to age better than those with less alcohol.

Don’t be afraid to experiment! Just as taste in beer style is relative, the styles that you may like aged are probably different than your neighbors’ or friends’ preferred aged styles.

So, here’s a quick rundown of the styles that might be good for aging.

Barleywines
Saisons
Winter Warmers
Sours
Lambics
Krieks
Gueuzes
Stouts
Porters
Oak-Aged Beers

Where and How to Store

There’s a reason that this process is often referred to as ‘cellaring.’ Beer of any variety hates heat and light. This is the cause of ‘skunkiness,’ or that stale, horrible flavor that one equates with a bottle that’s been found sitting on a porch after several weeks. This is why craft beers are stored in dark bottles or cans. So you’ll want a cool, dark environment to let your beer sleep. Temperatures in the low 50s are thought to be best, thought consistency in temperature is also key. If you have a corner of your basement that keeps cool year-round, that might be the places to set up your little aging center.

It’s best to keep your beer upright for several reasons. Although wine cellars have a tendency to store their bottles horizontally, vertical orientation helps to keep the beer from over-oxidizing and ruining the flavor. Also, if you are choosing the age a corked beer, that same cork can impart some not-so-pleasant flavors into the brew. Sommeliers refer to this as a wine being ‘corked.’

Deciding to age a beer can be fraught with impatience. The time that you store a beer is ultimately up to you. However, we so humbly suggest buying several of your chosen beer, and tasting it as it progresses, starting with a fresh sample, then aging one year, two years and so on to see how the flavor changes. Keeping note of the changes can be a fun project, as well as allow you to know what the best aging time is for your next go ’round. Plus, if you don’t wait as long as planned (there is that impatience again), you will still have a back up so you can taste what you otherwise would have missed.

Our Suggestions

Of course we have a few suggestions for as to what you might like to age. If there is something on this list you’ve liked fresh, maybe put a bottle or two away to see how your favorite flavors develop with age. There’s a few of these that will be off shelf for the season, so try and grab them while you still can.

Goose Island – Sofie

Troegs – Mad Elf

Uinta – Anniversary Barleywine

Widmer Bros. – Old Embalmer

Victory – Storm King Stout

Evolution – Bourbon Migration

Dark Beers for Winter

Friday, January 22, 2016 | Anchor, Evolution, Fuller's, Keegan Ales, Lancaster Brewing, Old Dominion, Rogue, Troegs, Victory, Wyndridge Farm

We still aren’t done with winter, folks. With the cold season still coming on strong, let’s take a moment to look at the best beer styles to warm the soul when the weather is frigid: stouts and porters.The strong, roasted flavors of these styles provide a rich escape from the realities of the cold outside, and notes of cocoa or coffee keep the mind on warm beverages.

Porters are first mentioned in the early eighteenth century as a style of well-hopped ale made from brown malt and strong in both flavor and alcohol. They derived their name from being popular with porters, which allowed breweries to make this style in a variety of strengths. Stouts actually began as a type of porter, referred to as ‘stout’ or ‘double stout’ porters, due to their higher ABV than standard porters. Even today, there is some debate on whether the two styles should be separated as they are, as the difference between them is largely their alcohol content.

Anchor Porter: A rich and well-balanced drink with a deep roasted malt flavor and touches of chocolate and dark fruit. 5.6% ABV

Dominion Oak Barrel Stout: Infused with vanilla bean and oak chips, this brew is smooth, with woody, chocolatey and caramel notes. 6% ABV

Ithaca Super Stout: A coffee oatmeal stout is full-bodied and packed with bittersweet chocolate and coffee flavors. 4.9% ABV

Lancaster Double Chocolate: Cocoa nibs and pure chocolate were infused into this slightly sweet milk stout. 6.7% ABV

Fullers London Porter: Fuller’s has been brewing ales since 1654, so it stands to reason that their classic porter is one of the best representations of the style. 5.4% ABV

Evolution Lucky 7: Smokey and chocolatey with toffee and dark fruit notes, this porter is top notch. 5.8% ABV

Troegs Java Head: Locally roasted espresso and Kenyan coffee beans make this oatmeal stout taste like another delicious brew we know. 7.5% ABV

Keegan Mother’s Milk: A silky milk stout with licorice hints above a coffee and chocolate base. 6% ABV

Rogue Chocolate Stout: This one is chocolate all the way down without being overly sweet. Top of its class. 5.8% ABV

Victory Storm King Imperial Stout: Huge hops lay over the darkest roasted malts you’ll ever encounter for a rich espresso-chocolate profile. 9.2% ABV

Wyndridge Farm Farm Dog Chocolate Vanilla Imperial Porter: Madagascar vanilla beans and Ghana cacao nibs imbue this finely-crafted porter with the richest of flavors. 7% ABV

A Brief History of Pumpkin Ale

Friday, October 9, 2015 | Evolution, Long Trail, Magic Hat, Old Dominion, Redhook, Rogue, Shock Top, Starr Hill Brewery, Troegs, Uinta

To look at the market, one might assume that pumpkin ales are a recent invention, riding on the coattails of certain spiced coffees and dessert items. Culturally, pumpkins are synonymous with Halloween, Thanksgiving and all things autumnal. But the history of pumpkin ales stretches even back further than the history of this country, when European colonists first began to settle in the Americas, and Native Americans shared the secrets of the crop.

Most school children learn of the hardships of the pilgrims, and how their the Native Americans aided in their plight with knowledge of the land and the crops which could be grown there. Pumpkins are a perfect example of this exchange. When planted alongside corn and beans (the three sisters, as the natives referred to them), they were simple to grow and yielded many fruit for minimal effort. This squash was an easily-cultivated alternative in a lot of foods, from baked goods to soups. Pumpkins were so prolific, one of America’s first folk songs mentions their necessity.

“Instead of pottage and puddings and custards and pies,
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies;
We have pumpkin at morning and pumpkin at noon;
If it was not for pumpkins we should be undone
… Hey down, down, hey down derry down….
If barley be wanting to make into malt
We must be contented and think it no fault
For we can make liquor, to sweeten our lips,
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.”

So it’s not surprising that when malted barley, the main source of sugar in fermentation, was hard to come by, pumpkins were used as a readily available resource. As easily grown as pumpkins were, pumpkin ale remained a regular beverage into the 18th century. But the long-held view of pumpkins as a poor-man’s food overcame the popularity, especially as good quality malt became more accessible, and pumpkin ale went out of fashion. Occasionally, it had a small revival as a flavoring agent, but none so great as the one that has bloomed in the last thirty years when home brewers and craft breweries have taken such inspiration as from George Washington’s pumpkin ale recipes or trying to capture pumpkin pie in a bottle to create a new, flavorful generation of pumpkin ales. Adding spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and clove has become commonplace, and most pumpkin ales are not fermented pumpkin sugars, but simply use pumpkin as an adjunct. Though the newest rendition of the style may be far different, it still harkens back to a time when pumpkins were the only crop to be used in a variety of dishes.

If you’ve somehow managed to miss this phenomena, here’s a few pumpkin ales worth a try:

Jacque au Lantern – Evolution

Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Long Trail

Wilhelm Scream – Magic Hat

Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter – Redhook

Pumpkin Patch Ale – Rogue Ales

Pumpkin Wheat – Shock Top

Boxcarr Pumpkin Porter – Starr Hill

Master of Pumpkins – Troegs

Punk’n – Uinta

Pumpkin Ale – Susquehanna Brewing

Baked Pumpkin – Lancaster Brewing

Country Pumpkin – Ithaca Beer

Pumpkick – New Belgium

Brewing for Independence

Thursday, July 2, 2015 | Anchor, Anheuser Busch, Rogue, Troegs, Victory, Widmer

With the 4th of July being this Saturday, you’ve likely made plans, either for your own party or to attend another’s. Whether you’re holding your own event or going to a friend’s/family’s, you can’t forget what goes best with BBQ and patriotism; a cold, refreshing beverage. Let’s go through a list of the best options to put in your cooler.

Anchor Liberty Ale – This effervescent IPA is crisp, piney and balanced perfectly with a firm backbone of sweet malts. It was first brewed as a celebration of the Bicentennial of Paul Revere’s famous ride to Lexington and Concord.

Rogue American Amber – Caramel and roasted malt character is accentuated by assertive hops in this American Amber Ale. Quite drinkable, a great craft brew for the uninitiated and craft fiends alike. As another plus, it’s available in cans for ease of cleanup and safe outdoor parties.

Victory Summer Love – This American Blonde Ale just screams summer with its bright, floral hops and bit of honey malts. It pairs well with pretty much any sort of grilled dish you can think of, but stands well enough on its own. So good there won’t be any leftovers. Now available in cans for the first time.

Budweiser – It’s a classic choice for the Fourth, and particularly in their beautiful Statue of Liberty emblazoned cans. Fill up a cooler (or two) with this and you’ll be sure to make a great party.

If you want to put a twist on the usual, there are some unique ways to incorporate beer into the festivities. Chances are when you were a kid, your drink of choice for the 4th was lemonade. Why not harken back to the good old days with a more adult version. Check out this list of shandies, including a few recipes to make on your own.

Another unique way to incorporate beer would be to add it to your cooking. Here’s a recipe for beer can chicken, with the suggestion of either Victory’s Prima Pils or Troeg’s Sunshine Pilsner. Or if you’re looking for an all-purpose marinade or mop, try this recipe and use either Troegenator or Widmer Bros’ Drop Top Amber Ale.

Wheat Beer Summer

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 | Hoegaarden, Lancaster Brewing, Troegs, Widmer

When the days are hot and long, your early evening calls for something bright and juicy, and wheat beers may just hit the spot. Citrus, banana or bubblegum flavors, often mixed with spicy clove or cinnamon dominate the wheat beer styles. So if you’re looking for that big, bold taste, here’s six wheat beers to get you started.

Hoegaarden Belgian White – This traditional witbier has an almost peppery aroma and a sweet and sour lemony flavor with yeast at the forefront and light hops.

Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc – A French witbier with tart citrus flavor and light spiciness. A more delicate palate than many of the style, but there is much to appreciate.

Lancaster Strawberry Wheat – A smooth strawberry flavor comes with a bit of tang in this American wheat beer. It’s a delicious melding of wheat and fruit.

Widmer Hefe – Lemon and clove are the dominant features in this Hefeweizen, along with a light, refreshing hop character.

Troegs Dreamweaver – This fan favorite is a Hefeweizen that brings that big, fruity banana flavor, along with sweet clove and just enough hoppiness to balance it.

Ithaca Apricot Wheat - This wheat ale is light in body and color, great for summer heat, with a touch of apricot that carries the wheat flavor through and keeps your mouth watering.

Greatest Beers of the World