Tröegs is an American

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

located on Hersheypark Drive in

Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to the Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey ...

. John and Chris Trogner founded the company in 1996. Tröegs is a craft-brewery, or

microbrewery Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

focusing their production on specialty and seasonal beers. Tröegs also is a limited distribution brewery, only distributing beer to states within proximity to maintain beer freshness.

History

Tröegs was founded in 1996 in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...

, by brothers John and Chris Trogner. The name Tröegs is a combination of a nickname derived from the surname Trogner and the Dutch word ''kroeg'' ("pub"). The 'o' carries a gratuitous umlaut as an exercise in

foreign branding In advertising and marketing, foreign branding is the use of foreign or foreign-sounding brand names for companies, goods, and services to imply they are of foreign origin, generally to make them appear to come from a place that seems attractively ...

. The brewery was originally located at 800 Paxton Street in

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

. Their first keg was sold to a Harrisburg restaurant in July, 1997. Tröegs began construction of their new brewery in 2010 and moved from Harrisburg to Hershey in Fall 2011. Grand opening celebrations were held during November of that year. At approximately the new brewery is about three times the size of the original facility and includes a tap house (tasting room) with a full view of the brewhouse. The tap house bar serves most beer by the glass, although a select few, including "corked-and-caged" beers, are sold by the bottle. Most of Tröegs' beers are available "to go"—as 4-packs, 6-packs, cases, growlers, and, most recently, as "crowlers" ( aluminum cans filled from a tap and then sealed; a portmanteau of "can" and "growler"). However, a few bottled beers have been available for consumption only in the tap room. The tap room also features an upscale " snack bar." Every year, Tröegs is one of the sponsors of Harrisburg Beer Week with proceeds benefiting the Harrisburg River Rescue & Emergency Services. Held every year, it's a 10-day, multi-venue series showcasing breweries, restaurants, pubs and more through craft beer-centric events, demonstrations, and education throughout the greater Harrisburg area. Self-guided tours are available daily during regular business hours. Guided tasting tours are also available by appointment. In 2012, Tröegs produced ; by 2016, the volume had more than doubled to .

Beers

Tröegs currently has sixteen beers in regular production. These are split between year-round and seasonal offerings. Seasonal beers are further split between "once a year" and "hop cycle," the latter being an annual rotation of hoppy beers.

"Scratch" beers

Tröegs also produces "Scratch" beers, an experimental series focusing on new techniques and non-traditional ingredients. These are available on a limited basis (often for only a few days or weeks) and have included weizenbocks,

lager Lager (; ) is a Type of beer, style of beer brewed and Brewing#Conditioning, conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be Pale lager, pale, Amber lager, amber, or Dark lager, dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially availab ...

s, and barleywines, as well as barrel-aged beers. As of November 2020, over 425 beers have been offered as part of the Scratch Beer series. Several later entered regular production.

Canned beers

In late 2013 Tröegs began limited production of canned beers. Previously, Tröegs had only distributed its beer in kegs and glass bottles. As of December 2013, Perpetual IPA and Troegenator Double Bock have been made available in cans (12-ounce and 16-ounce cans, respectively).

Cork and caged beers

In fall 2013 Tröegs introduced its first cork and caged beers. As of August 2016 at least four cork and caged beers have been produced: LaGrave, a Triple Golden Ale; Master of Pumpkins, made with

saison Saison ( French, "season," ) is a pale-colored ale that is highly carbonated, dry, fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned. It was historically brewed with low alcohol levels, but modern productions of the style have moderate to high leve ...

yeast and roasted

pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...

; Jovial, a Belgian Dubbel Ale; and Wild Elf, a barrel-aged version of the seasonal Mad Elf. LaGrave and Jovial are part of a year-round production, while Master of Pumpkins is seasonal. Wild Elf, introduced in the summer of 2016, is also the first offering from the Splinter Cellar project

"Splinter" beers

The "Splinter" series of beers are barrel-aged and (prior to completion of the Splinter Cellar) were produced on a very limited basis. In mid-2016 Tröegs completed its Splinter Cellar expansion, an addition on the northeast side of the facility. This contains three 20-foot tall wooden fermenters ("foeders") imported from Italy. The addition features a glass exterior, allowing a full view of the foeders from the outside. These have dramatically increased the brewery's capacity to produce wood aged beers. The addition also includes an art gallery and a new entrance for guided tours. As of August 2016, expansion of the outdoor "

beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...

" is underway, and parking lot improvements are under consideration. Working on this project are Dave Maule Architects and Pyramid Construction, who were both involved in the Hershey build four years ago.

New artwork

In late 2015, Tröegs revealed new artwork which would be featured on their beers and packaging. Chris and John Trogner collaborated with Philadelphia-based designer Lindsey Tweed to come up with the fresh new look. Along with the new artwork came a redesigned website and brand new merchandise.

Awards

Tröegs distribution states

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

* New York *

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

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Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

References

External links

Tröegs Brewing CompanyRateBeer RatingsBeerAdvocate RatingsCystic Fibrosis FoundationBeer ad
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troegs Brewing Company Companies based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Beer brewing companies based in Pennsylvania