Friday (Thursday?) Drankin’: Tröegs Independent Brewing

Football is back, so of course our Friday Drankin’ segment is back. For those unfamiliar, I am a big fan of craft beer. Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati is a great place to pick up something new every time I go down for a Reds game, so my cooler tonight will be full of my latest hauls. football and beer go together, so each week during the season I try to link a craft brewery in the home town of our opponent. It was a bit harder for Penn State. I did Happy Valley Brewing three years ago when Purdue visited Penn State, but the brewery options are limited in State College. Antifragile and Voodoo are listed as breweries, but there is not a lot of information on their websites.

Fortunately, I was able to do some research for a good backup a few years ago. In 2018 the family and I went to the Purdue at Rutgers game and on the way we stopped in Hershey, PA to tour the World of Chocolate. We also stopped at Troëg’s Independent Brewing. It is about 70 miles away from State College as the crow flies and about 100 once you wind around the ridges, but it is worth it.

Troëg’s Indepedent Brewing

200 Hersheypark Dr.

Hershey, PA 17033

For those in the Indy area, Troëg’s is not available in this state, but I can confirm that they are available at Jungle Jim’s. In fact, one of the ones in my cooler tonight is their Oktoberfest Lager, which will be enjoyed in the H Lot sometime around 6:30pm. When we stopped there in 2018 it was an excellent experience, as they had good beer and good food on the premises. We had a beer with dinner and took a few with us to try. Here is what stood out to me.

Dreamweaver Wheat - 4.8% ABV - I love a good hefeweizen, and this is excellent for a late summer beer. I gave it a 4 star rating on Untappd and would happily buy it again.

Master of Pumpkins - 7.5% ABV - This is a seasonal not available yet this year, but if you can find some, get it. It is hands down the best pumpkin beer I have ever had, and I have no problem making a Jungle Jim’s run in October to get a few. When my family went to South Carolina for fall break in 2020 we stopped in Cincinnati explicitly to get it. It is a true pumpkin in that it does not overwhelm with nutmeg and allspice as so many other pumpkin beers do. DRINK. THIS. BEER.

Sunshine Pilsner - 4.5% ABV - I gave this one a 3.25 rating and it was a pretty average pilsner. It is a good clean pilsner that is wonderful on a late summer evening.

Oktoberfest Lager - 6.1% ABV - I have not tried this one yet, but I am sure it is going to be good. Troëg’s says it is brewed in a decoction style to make it a toasty sweet lager. Sounds like a good way to kick off the season.