"troegs beer" news and stories

After dwelling in New York for a decade, I've grown to despise the brutal month of February. The barren landscape is as gray as the sidewalks, with the Arctic winds chilling me to the bone. But during these depressing days, there's still one event that flips my frown: the release of Tröegs' Nugget Nectar, a seasonal beer that's like the promise of a coming spring.

Now, Harrisburg, Pa.'s Tröegs puts out numerous knockouts. The coffee-infused Java Head Stout combines a.m. and p.m. pleasures, while the DreamWeaver Wheat is tangy and banana-tinged. Then there's the Hopback Amber Ale, so-called because the beer circulates through a hop-packed vessel. It's a heady and aromatic home run. But Hopback's bigger brother, the Nugget Nectar, is a grand slam.

"We wanted to take some of the traits inherent to Hopback Amber Ale -- mainly the sweet finish of the caramel malt -- and interpret that into something different," explains brewery manager Ed Yashinsky.