1st BATCH OF FILES AVAILABLE NOW!

The name Troegs Pennsylvania Lager always hinted at a bigger future for the 5% ABV all-malt lager initially released early this yr solely at co's Hershey, PA brewery. Now, here it comes, rolling out in namesake PA this mo. Neighboring states in Troegs' tight distrib footprint coming next yr, co announced yesterday. Sporting clean, simplified branding that emphasizes "Troegs" and "LAGER," the beer shows up in 6 pks of 12-oz bottles as well as unique 12er of 16-oz cans co calls the "PA Pounder." Logic behind the Pounder pk is straightforward, offering both point of difference and perceived value, co-founder Chris Trogner explained to Craft Brew News. Bottles may "get beat up" a bunch these days, but they felt right for this "old school lager." And "knowing that wasn't going to be our volume pack," Troegs opted for 16, not 12 oz cans for the 12 pk in part because they don't see other craft brands there, just some domestic mainstream brands. It's also the largest volume that core grocery and c-store retail partners are allowed to sell in PA, Chris pointed out, "maximizing their ring."And with aim to price the pack in line with more standard 12-oz 12 pks, it "could be perceived as a good value buy" for consumers who get 30% more beer. It's a way for co to "show some value" vs core competitors "without putting us in the cheap beer category, 'cause that's not Troegs," Chris explained. Early reception from distrib and retailer partners "have all been incredibly positive," a nice change of pace amid dour craft outlooks these days, he reported.The brand also builds on co's longtime reputation for lagers, hearkening back to co's history as well as beer's. "Lagers have been a huge part of our DNA since the beginning," co-founder and brewmaster John Trogner commented in statement, citing major brands for the co, Troegenator and Sunshine Pilsner. The new lager is "refreshing, no-frills beer," but also "nuanced enough" for the geeks, he continued. Brewing it is a "complicated process" and "not a cheap" one, Chris underscored, pointing to "decoction mash for toasted grains, open fermentation for our heritage yeast to shine and proper lagering." Retail signage riffs on old school animated beer advertising from heyday of regional American lager brands. And no-frills packaging in dark green with gold accents points back to color scheme of co's first flagship pale ale, Chris reminded."Hanging On" and "Optimistic" About End of Yr Potential, Tho Likely "Flat to Slightly Down" This Yr Overall, "we're hanging on," Chris told us, feeling like co is "doing well this year" in tough mkt. Top brand Perpetual IPA keeps growing and end of yr brings a pair of big seasonal products, Blizzard of Hops and Mad Elf. Like last yr, Chris is "continuing to see seasonal cuts, but our seasonals are selling out faster and we're having gaps between our seasonals now," mounting to 2 or 3 wks between certain entries in certain mkts. So he's been wondering if some of the "industry cutbacks" there have "been a little too far."Big difference maker for Troegs' trends this yr comes from major launch of Graffiti Highway IPA brand last yr. That pushed co's total trend into strong growth territory in 2024, and "we're coming up against those numbers," Chris acknowledged. So he expects total volume to "be flat to slightly down" by yr end, nothing to crow about but clearly gaining share in soft overall craft and beer mkts. Troegs is still seeing "a lot of success in Pennsylvania, in Maryland," he ticked off and remains "very optimistic" about the last couple mos of the yr.

"Optimistic" Troegs Takes Retro-Styled Pennsylvania Lager Beyond Taproom in 16-Oz "PA Pounder" 12 Pks

Publishing Info