HERSHEY, Pa. — Tröegs Independent Brewing is bringing back a perennial fall favorite for its yearly release.
The Hershey-based brewer's autumn concoction, Master of Pumpkins, "showcases Pennsylvania longneck pumpkins grown especially for Tröegs at nearby Strites’ Orchard," the company said in a press release.
Longnecks are a hearty heirloom variety that are similar to butternut squash and can weigh up to 20 pounds each. Every year, Tröegs uses 3,000 pounds of these local longnecks to brew Master of Pumpkins.
“To us, a pumpkin beer should have pumpkin,” Brewmaster John Trogner said in a statement. “We’re a Pennsylvania brewery, and pumpkins grow really well here, so using Pennsylvania pumpkins just makes sense. Our fans definitely appreciate the connection to local agriculture.”
The brewery’s kitchen staff preps and roasts the pumpkins in-house before passing them off to the brewing team, who purées the entire lot and adds it right into the mash.
The result, Tröegs says, is a subtly-spiced pumpkin ale with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel.
"Here at Tröegs, we started working with local ingredients back in 2002," the brewer said. "And now, nearly 20 years later, we’re using more than we ever imagined possible. Every year, we brew with more than 200,000 pounds of Pennsylvania grain. Our holiday favorite Mad Elf is sweetened with 25,000 pounds of local honey. And every fall, when pumpkin beer season arrives, we brew Master of Pumpkins with 3,000 pounds of Pennsylvania longnecks grown 10 miles from the brewery."
Master of Pumpkins is available on draft and in 16oz. cans everywhere Tröegs beer is sold.
For a deeper dive into the creative process for Master of Pumpkins, visit Tröegs' blog.
