Mad Elf - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Tue, 25 Nov 2025 23:26:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Mad Elf - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 A Pennsylvania Craft Beer Thanksgiving: Maple-Brown Ale Glazed Turkey (Featuring Troegs, Victory, and More) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/11/25/a-pennsylvania-craft-beer-thanksgiving-maple-brown-ale-glazed-turkey-featuring-troegs-victory-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-pennsylvania-craft-beer-thanksgiving-maple-brown-ale-glazed-turkey-featuring-troegs-victory-and-more Tue, 25 Nov 2025 23:14:12 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16696 A Pennsylvania Craft Beer Thanksgiving: Maple-Brown Ale Glazed Turkey (Featuring Troegs, Victory, and More)

Thanksgiving at The Beer Thrillers household usually means one thing: yes, the kids are arguing over who gets the wishbone, the pies are cooling on the counter, and the Macy’s parade is droning in the background — but most importantly, a Pennsylvania craft beer is getting cracked and poured into whatever dish I’m cooking. Because if you’re not using local beer in your holiday feast… what are you doing?

This year, we’re going with a full-on PA-powered centerpiece: a Maple–Brown Ale Glazed Turkey, roasted low and slow, basted in a malty, caramel-rich glaze made with one of Pennsylvania’s best fall beers: Troegs’ Troegenator Doppelbock or Victory’s Festbier (both work beautifully and are easy to find statewide). The result is a turkey that’s juicy, glossy, sweet, savory, and unapologetically Pennsylvanian.

Below is the complete recipe, along with a few craft-beer-pairing side suggestions to turn your Thanksgiving table into a full flight of PA brew goodness.

Maple–Brown Ale Glazed Turkey Recipe Card

For More Thanksgiving Themed Articles

See our other Thanksgiving themed articles:

Maple–Brown Ale Glazed Turkey (Made with Pennsylvania Craft Beer)

Beer Recommendation

Pick one of these PA craft beers depending on your flavor goals:

  • Troegs Troegenator Doppelbock – Dark fruit, caramel, toffee; slightly sweet.
    Perfect for a deep, rich, almost BBQ-like glaze.

  • Victory Festbier – Clean, bready, slightly sweet malt.
    Lighter, more delicate, but still beautifully malty.

  • Weyerbacher Merry Monks – If you want a more Belgian, fruity twist.

For the recipe below, I’ll assume Troegenator, because very little says “Pennsylvania in November” more than that purple-labeled doppelbock.


Ingredients

The Turkey

  • 1 whole turkey (12–16 lbs), thawed

  • 2 tbsp kosher salt

  • 1 tbsp black pepper

  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika

  • 2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp dried thyme

  • 1 tsp dried sage

  • Olive oil or melted butter (2–3 tbsp)

Aromatics (for inside the turkey)

  • 1 orange, quartered

  • 1 small onion, halved

  • 3–4 garlic cloves

  • Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage

The Beer–Maple Glaze

  • 1 ½ cups Troegenator Doppelbock (or your PA beer of choice)

  • ½ cup pure Pennsylvania maple syrup

  • ¼ cup apple cider

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

  • 3 tbsp butter

  • Pinch of salt & pepper


Instructions

1. Prep the Turkey

  1. Remove giblets and pat the turkey dry.

  2. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and sage.

  3. Rub the turkey generously with olive oil or butter, then coat with the seasoning blend.

  4. Stuff the cavity with the orange, onion, garlic, and herbs.

  5. Place on a roasting rack in a large pan.

2. Make the Beer Glaze

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine Troegenator, maple syrup, cider, soy sauce, Dijon, and brown sugar.

  2. Bring to a simmer and reduce by roughly one-third (about 15–20 minutes).

  3. Whisk in the butter until glossy.

  4. Remove from heat and set aside — it will thicken slightly as it cools.

This stuff smells like caramelized heaven. Resist the urge to drink it.

3. Roast the Turkey

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

  2. Roast the turkey uncovered for 1 hour.

  3. Start basting with the beer glaze every 20–30 minutes.

  4. Continue roasting until the internal temperature hits 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh (usually about 3–3.5 more hours).

  5. If the bird is browning too quickly, tent with foil.

Your kitchen will smell like a brewery decided to host Thanksgiving. This is a good thing.

4. Finish & Rest

When the turkey reaches temp, remove from oven and let it rest 20–30 minutes before carving. Brush once more with warmed glaze for that Instagram-ready shine.


Flavor Notes (Because This Is The Beer Thrillers)

A Troegenator glaze gives you:

  • Deep caramelized sugar from the doppelbock malt

  • Notes of date, fig, and dark fruit

  • Rich mahogany color

  • A slightly sticky, sweet–savory crust

  • Incredible drippings for gravy

If you go with Victory Festbier instead, the turkey comes out lighter and more bready-malt forward — still spectacular, just less intense.


Suggested Pennsylvania Craft Beer Pairings

Serve your turkey with any of these PA craft beer gems:

  • Troegs Blizzard of Hops – juicy, bright, seasonal, balances the turkey’s sweetness

  • Neshaminy Creek Shape of Hops to Come – for hopheads who want bitterness with the rich glaze

  • Rotunda Cran-Gose (Annville) – tart, salty, and the sleeper hit of the meal

  • Imprint’s Schmoojee Cranberry variants – dessert in a glass, but pairs amazingly well


Bonus: “Beer in Every Side” Pairing Ideas

Because why stop at the turkey?

Hop-Infused Mashed Potatoes

Stir ½ cup of slightly warmed Troegs Sunshine Pilsner into your mashed potatoes with butter and cream — it adds a grassy, herbal brightness.

Brown Ale Stuffing

Use Lancaster Brewing’s Winter Warmer or Yards Brawler in your stuffing liquid. Absolute game-changer.

Stout Sweet Potatoes

Glaze roasted sweet potatoes with Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (still PA! still craft-adjacent enough!). Chocolate + sweet potato = chef’s kiss. (If you have any left. They stopped making this two years ago. A good new substitute would be Troegs Chocolate Elf.)


Final Thoughts: A Thanksgiving Made the PA Way

If you’re a regular reader of The Beer Thrillers, you know that Pennsylvania isn’t just a craft beer state — it’s the craft beer state. From the giants (Tröegs, Victory, Yuengling) to the small-town killers (Boneshire Brew Workst, Rotunda, YAH Brew, Sworn Brewing, Sterling Pig, Forest & Main), the Commonwealth knows how to brew something for every season.

And Thanksgiving — with all its comfort, nostalgia, chaos, and warmth — is the perfect canvas to show off what Pennsylvania beer can do in the kitchen.

If you end up making this recipe, send pictures or tag us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. And let me know which PA beer you picked — I’m always curious what everyone’s pouring and cooking with.

Happy Thanksgiving, and cheers from The Beer Thrillers!

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Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Troegs Brewing to Release Mad Dreams This Winter https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/09/04/troegs-brewing-to-release-mad-dreams-this-winter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=troegs-brewing-to-release-mad-dreams-this-winter Wed, 04 Sep 2024 15:11:47 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=15661 Troegs Brewing to Release Mad Dreams This Winter

Troegs Independent Brewing – Mad Dreams

Its all a Mad Dream….

For the first time ever, Troegs Independent Brewing is canning Mad Dreams – a combination of Mad Elf and DreamWeaver. A fan favorite in the brewery (and at homes and bars willing to make it), Mad Dreams is a blend of Mad Elf and DreamWeaver. (Other similar concoctions are “Chocolate Elf” which is Grand Cacao and Mad Elf, or Pumpkin Elf; which would be Master of Pumpkins and Mad Elf; and some have done various other ideas over the years like Java Head Stout and Mad Elf, Grand Cru Mad Elf and DreamWeaver, etc.)

Served at the bar either as a 50 / 50 (50% of each) or 60 / 40 (60% Mad Elf / 40% DreamWeaver) for those who want it a bit more ‘cherry’ or ‘higher abv’.

This is the first time though that Troegs Brewing has canned it to go!

Troegs Brewing to Release Mad Dreams This Winter

Exciting news is brewing at Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, PA, as they prepare to launch Mad Dreams, a new variant of their beloved Mad Elf holiday ale. This innovative brew combines the rich flavors of cherries and local honey, resulting in a delightful 50/50 blend of Mad Elf and DreamWeaver wheat. With an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 7.9%, Mad Dreams promises to be a standout in the winter beer lineup, packaged in convenient 12oz cans.

What to Expect from Mad Dreams

  • Flavor Profile: A harmonious blend featuring the sweetness of cherries and the floral notes of local honey.
  • Alcohol Content: 7.9% ABV, making it a robust choice for winter festivities.
  • Packaging: Available in 12oz cans, perfect for sharing or enjoying solo.

As the holiday season approaches, keep an eye out for more details on this exciting release! Tröegs has a tradition of crafting exceptional seasonal beers, and Mad Dreams is sure to become a favorite among craft beer enthusiasts. Be sure to check your local retailers and Tröegs’ distribution channels for availability. Stay tuned for updates on the release date and where you can grab your cans of Mad Dreams this winter!

Mad Dreams vs. Mad Elf: A Flavorful Comparison

Tröegs Independent Brewing’s new release, Mad Dreams, offers a unique twist on the classic Mad Elf ale, making it an exciting addition to the winter beer lineup. Here’s how these two beloved brews differ:

Alcohol Content

  • Mad Elf: This holiday ale boasts a robust 11% ABV, delivering a strong punch that many craft beer lovers appreciate.
  • Mad Dreams: In contrast, Mad Dreams has a slightly lower 7.9% ABV, making it more approachable for those looking to enjoy a festive beer without the higher alcohol content.

Flavor Profile

  • Mad Elf: Known for its rich flavors, Mad Elf is brewed with cherries and honey, complemented by subtle hints of spice. The cherry and honey notes are present but not overwhelming, allowing for a smooth finish with a slight alcohol warmth
  • Mad Dreams: This new variant enhances the original by blending Mad Elf with DreamWeaver Wheat, introducing a refreshing twist. The addition of local honey and cherries remains, but the wheat base adds a lighter, more effervescent character to the beer, making it distinctively different from its predecessor.

Brewing Approach

  • Mad Elf: Traditionally brewed as a once-a-year holiday ale, Mad Elf has become a staple in winter seasonal offerings, celebrated for its complexity and depth.
  • Mad Dreams: As a blend of two existing beers, this variant represents Tröegs’ innovative approach to brewing, showcasing their ability to create new experiences from beloved recipes.

Packaging

  • Both beers are available in 12oz cans, making them convenient for sharing during holiday gatherings or enjoying by the fire.

In summary, while both Mad Dreams and Mad Elf share foundational ingredients of cherries and honey, Mad Dreams offers a lighter experience with its wheat blend and lower ABV. This makes it an excellent choice for those seeking a festive yet refreshing winter beer. Keep an eye out for the release of Mad Dreams to experience this delightful twist on a classic!

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 164 unique beers listed (despite their being over 500 Scratches). (A lot of vintage and variants get consolidated into single unique listings as well.) They have 2.4 Million ratings and a global average rating of 3.79 (as of 9.4.24). Their Untappd bio reads:

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.

You can find them at the following social media pages:

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Troegs Independent Brewing logo

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Craft Beer Hot Toddies https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/05/16/craft-beer-hot-toddies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=craft-beer-hot-toddies Thu, 16 May 2024 13:23:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=15024

The Hot Toddy

The Hot Toddy

The Hot Toddy, a comforting and soothing beverage enjoyed by many during cold winter nights, has a history that stretches back centuries. Its origins are somewhat mysterious, with various theories about how and when it was first concocted. One prevailing belief is that the Hot Toddy originated in Scotland in the 18th century, where it was initially used as a medicinal drink to ward off the cold and alleviate common ailments such as sore throats and congestion.

The basic components of a Hot Toddy typically include warm water, whiskey or another spirit, honey, and lemon, although variations abound. The warmth of the beverage, combined with the soothing properties of honey and the tartness of lemon, create a comforting elixir that can provide temporary relief from cold symptoms and offer a moment of relaxation during chilly weather. Some recipes also incorporate spices like cinnamon, cloves, or ginger for added flavor and warmth.

Over time, the Hot Toddy evolved from a medicinal remedy to a beloved winter cocktail enjoyed for its comforting qualities and rich flavors. It became particularly popular in regions with cold climates, where the need for warmth and comfort during the winter months was especially pronounced. Today, the Hot Toddy remains a staple of winter drink menus in bars and homes alike, offering a timeless combination of warmth, flavor, and comfort that continues to delight drinkers around the world. Whether sipped by the fireside on a snowy evening or enjoyed as a festive holiday treat, the Hot Toddy remains a cherished tradition that embodies the spirit of warmth and hospitality.

Reasons to Drink a Hot Toddy

There are myriad reasons why one might reach for a hot toddy, beyond just seeking warmth on a chilly evening. For starters, a hot toddy can be a soothing remedy for a sore throat or a nagging cold. The combination of warm liquid, usually spiked with whiskey or another spirit, along with honey and lemon, provides a comforting elixir that can help alleviate congestion and provide temporary relief from symptoms. The steam rising from the mug carries with it a comforting aroma that can clear the sinuses and offer a moment of respite from the discomfort of illness.

Furthermore, a hot toddy is not just a beverage; it’s a ritual. Whether enjoyed alone as a form of self-care or shared with loved ones, preparing and sipping on a hot toddy can be a moment of relaxation and indulgence. It’s a chance to slow down, unwind, and savor the flavors and aromas that come together in the comforting embrace of a warm mug. From cozy evenings by the fireplace to festive gatherings during the holiday season, the hot toddy has a way of bringing people together and creating moments of warmth and connection amidst the chill of winter. So whether you’re seeking comfort, relief, or simply a moment of relaxation, there’s always a reason to reach for a hot toddy.

Do Hot Toddies Help with Colds

While hot toddies are often touted as a remedy for cold symptoms, it’s important to understand that they do not cure colds or treat the underlying viral infection. However, hot toddies can offer some temporary relief from certain cold symptoms and provide comfort during illness.

The warmth of a hot toddy can help soothe a sore throat and alleviate congestion by loosening mucus, making it easier to breathe. Additionally, the steam from the hot beverage can help clear nasal passages, providing temporary relief from stuffiness. The honey and lemon commonly found in hot toddy recipes may also offer some throat-soothing properties and provide a boost of vitamin C, which can support the immune system.

Furthermore, the addition of whiskey or another spirit in a hot toddy can provide a warming sensation and may help promote relaxation, which can be beneficial when you’re feeling under the weather.

However, it’s essential to drink hot toddies in moderation, especially if you’re using alcohol as a component, and to stay hydrated with plenty of water or other non-alcoholic beverages. Additionally, hot toddies should not be used as a substitute for proper medical treatment when dealing with a cold or any other illness. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms or if your cold persists for an extended period, it’s best to consult with a healthcare professional.

Craft Beer Hot Toddies

Some great craft beers to make a hot toddy with

There are many great craft beers you can make a hot toddy with. Mad Elf by Troegs Independent Brewing is a personal favorite. Years ago Anchor Steam’s Christmas Ale was also a fantastic choice. Any “Winter Warmer” that has a good spice blend, and preferably high in ABV will do well for a hot toddy.

Craft beer hot toddies offer a unique twist on the traditional hot toddy by incorporating flavorful craft beer into the mix. Here are a few recipes that could attract attention:

  1. Spiced Winter Warmer Hot Toddy:
    • Ingredients:
      • 1 bottle of winter warmer craft beer (such as a spiced ale or barleywine)
      • 1 oz bourbon or dark rum
      • 1 tablespoon honey
      • Juice of half a lemon
      • Cinnamon stick and/or cloves for garnish
    • Instructions:
      1. In a saucepan, heat the craft beer over low heat until warm but not boiling.
      2. In a mug, combine the warm beer, bourbon or rum, honey, and lemon juice. Stir until the honey is dissolved.
      3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or cloves for added flavor and aroma.
      4. Serve hot and enjoy the cozy winter flavors.
  2. Citrus IPA Hot Toddy:
    • Ingredients:
      • 1 bottle of citrus-forward IPA craft beer
      • 1 oz whiskey or bourbon
      • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
      • Juice of half an orange
      • Orange slice and rosemary sprig for garnish
    • Instructions:
      1. In a small saucepan, heat the craft beer over low heat until warmed through.
      2. In a mug, combine the warm beer, whiskey or bourbon, maple syrup, and orange juice.
      3. Stir well to combine and dissolve the maple syrup.
      4. Garnish with an orange slice and a sprig of rosemary for a pop of color and flavor.
      5. Serve hot and savor the refreshing citrus notes with a hint of warmth from the whiskey.
  3. Chocolate Stout Hot Toddy:
    • Ingredients:
      • 1 bottle of chocolate stout craft beer
      • 1 oz Irish whiskey
      • 1 tablespoon honey or chocolate syrup
      • Pinch of cinnamon
      • Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish
    • Instructions:
      1. In a saucepan, gently heat the chocolate stout over low heat until warm.
      2. In a mug, combine the warm beer, Irish whiskey, honey or chocolate syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon.
      3. Stir until the honey or chocolate syrup is fully dissolved.
      4. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings for a decadent touch.
      5. Serve hot and indulge in the rich, chocolaty flavors with a hint of whiskey warmth.

These craft beer hot toddy recipes offer a delightful combination of flavors and are perfect for cozy nights by the fire or holiday gatherings with friends and family. Feel free to adjust the ingredients and proportions to suit your taste preferences. Cheers!

Pints and Panels breakdown of a Hot Toddy (photo and drawing courtesy of Pints and Panels)

Traditional Hot Toddy

A traditional hot toddy is a simple yet comforting beverage that combines warm water or tea with whiskey, honey, lemon, and sometimes spices. Here’s a classic recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 1/2 oz whiskey (bourbon, Scotch, or Irish whiskey are commonly used)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • Optional: cinnamon stick or lemon wedge for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Start by heating water until it’s hot but not boiling. You can do this on the stove or by heating water in a kettle.
  2. While the water is heating, add whiskey, honey, and lemon juice to a mug.
  3. Once the water is heated, pour it into the mug with the other ingredients.
  4. Stir the mixture until the honey is fully dissolved.
  5. Optionally, garnish with a cinnamon stick or a lemon wedge for added flavor and presentation.
  6. Allow the hot toddy to cool slightly before sipping, as it can be quite hot initially.
  7. Enjoy the warm, soothing flavors of the traditional hot toddy.

Feel free to adjust the ingredients and proportions according to your taste preferences. Some people like their hot toddies a bit sweeter, so you can add more honey if desired. Similarly, you can adjust the amount of whiskey to suit your preference for a stronger or milder drink.

The Hot Toddy

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Mad Elf Clone (Homebrew Recipe) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/01/31/mad-elf-clone-homebrew-recipe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mad-elf-clone-homebrew-recipe Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:34:04 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=14529

A Mad Elf inspired homebrew. A Mad Elf clone homebrew recipe.

Troegs Mad Elf is a beloved holiday beer known for its rich malt profile, complex blend of cherries and honey, and the warmth from its high alcohol content, typically around 11% ABV. While the exact recipe for Troegs Mad Elf is proprietary, I can provide you with a homebrew recipe inspired by its characteristic profile. This recipe will aim to replicate the key flavors of Mad Elf, focusing on a 5-gallon batch size.

Inspired Mad Elf Clone Recipe

Ingredients:

Malt Bill:
  • 10 lbs (4.5 kg) Pilsner Malt
  • 2 lbs (0.9 kg) Munich Malt
  • 1 lb (0.45 kg) Caramel/Crystal Malt 60L
  • 1 lb (0.45 kg) Chocolate Malt (lightly use for color adjustment, consider around 0.25 lbs or 113g)
  • 1 lb (0.45 kg) Special B Malt
Sugars (for Fermentation and Flavor):
  • 2 lbs (0.9 kg) Honey (add at flameout or during primary fermentation to retain aroma)
  • 2 lbs (0.9 kg) Cherries (sweet or tart, depending on preference; can use puree, added during the last 5-7 days of fermentation)
Hops:
  • 1 oz (28 g) Hallertau Hops (60 min from end of boil)
  • 0.5 oz (14 g) Saaz Hops (15 min from end of boil)
Yeast:
  • Belgian Strong Ale Yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale or White Labs WLP500 Monastery Ale Yeast)
Spices (Optional):
  • 1 tsp Allspice (added during the last 10 minutes of boil)
  • 0.5 tsp Cinnamon (added during the last 10 minutes of boil)

Instructions:

  1. Mash: Heat your water to around 152°F (67°C) and mash the grains for 60 minutes.
  2. Sparge: Sparge the grains with hot water (around 168°F or 76°C) to collect approximately 6.5 gallons (24.6 liters) of wort.
  3. Boil: Bring the wort to a boil, and follow the hop schedule as follows:
    • Add 1 oz Hallertau at the beginning of a 60-minute boil.
    • Add 0.5 oz Saaz with 15 minutes left in the boil.
    • If using, add spices during the last 10 minutes of the boil.
  4. Honey and Cooling: Add the honey at flameout, ensuring it dissolves thoroughly. Then cool the wort as quickly as possible to around 68-70°F (20-21°C).
  5. Fermentation: Transfer the cooled wort to a fermenter, pitch the yeast, and ferment at 68-72°F (20-22°C) for about 2 weeks, or until fermentation activity has slowed.
  6. Cherries: Add the cherries (or cherry puree) into the fermenter during the last 5-7 days of fermentation, allowing for additional fermentation and flavor extraction.
  7. Bottling: After fermentation is complete, including the additional time for the cherries, bottle the beer with priming sugar and let it carbonate for 2-3 weeks.
  8. Aging: This beer will benefit from some aging, so consider letting it mature for a few months to allow the flavors to meld and the alcohol warmth to mellow.

Notes:

  • The cherries and honey are crucial to achieving the characteristic flavor profile of Mad Elf. Adjust the amounts according to your taste and the intensity of the ingredients you have.
  • The optional spices can add additional depth and a holiday character but use them sparingly to avoid overpowering the cherries and honey.
  • Monitor the fermentation temperature closely, as higher temperatures can lead to more pronounced esters and phenols from the Belgian yeast, which can complement the fruit and honey but also risk dominating the flavor profile if too strong.

Enjoy the process, and hopefully, this recipe brings a bit of holiday cheer reminiscent of Troegs Mad Elf!

Homebrewing Recipes

We are circling back to include more homebrew articles. We have gotten some requests for recipes, so we have decided to write them up and post them here. Be sure to check for other Homebrew articles and recipes as well!

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Cordial Elf Grand Cru Releases Thursday https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/01/31/cordial-elf-grand-cru-releases-thursday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cordial-elf-grand-cru-releases-thursday Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:56:38 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13735 Cordial Elf is Back, and This Time Its Gonna be Grand

The Cordial Elf is back for your Valentine’s Day needs, but this year – its gonna be grand!

This year Cordial Elf is using the Mad Elf Grand Cru base (rather than regular Mad Elf like last year), and they will be using a chocolate syrup in the recipe rather than cocoa nibs as an addition. These changes will be giving the beer a more robust, poignant, and rich taste.

Cordial Elf Grand Cru will be releasing tomorrow – Thursday – February 1st, 2024. It will be sold in 16 oz cans, in four packs, cases, and singles, at the Hershey brewery only. This will be a brewery exclusive to the Hershey Troegs Brewery.

On Valentine’s Day there will be a special ‘booked tour’ beer dinner in their barrel room. This will be a multiple course meal and will come with a different Troegs beer pairing for each course. As of right now, the only known beer that will be served is the Cordial Elf Grand Cru.

Tomorrow is the release of Cordial Elf Grand Cru at the Hershey’s Troegs Brewery. The brewery is located at 200 E Hershey Park Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania. It will be on draft, as well as for sale in the general store. No word on to – go limits as of now.

Troegs Independent Brewing just released Little Nator on Monday, as well as their Perpetual Exploration Variety Pack. Both are available in the general store. They will be releasing First Cut at the end of February.

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 153 unique beers listed (despite their being over 500 Scratches). (A lot of vintage and variants get consolidated into single unique listings as well.) They have 2.3 Million ratings and as of 1.31.24 have a global average rating of 3.79. Their Untappd bio reads:

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.

You can find them at the following social media pages:

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

 

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Winter Beers https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/01/07/winter-beers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winter-beers Mon, 08 Jan 2024 04:56:50 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13513
Winter Beers: Stout Season

First Snowfall of 2024

So it Begins….

As Ben posted on our Instagram page – The Beer Thrillers on Instagram – yesterday (Saturday, January 6th, 2024) we had our first snowfall of the year, and “so… it begins….”. (It is Pennsylvania Farm Show time of year after all, which all but guarantees its going to snow right?) It also made for absolutely perfect weather to meet up with Lew Bryson of “Seen Through a Glass” to do a podcast at Boneshire Brew Works.

Ah Yes, the first snowfall of 2024 for Central PA.  Temperatures keep dropping and it puts me in the mood for a nice toasty beer to warm me up.  It’s time to crack open the warmer beers.  I feel like I need to put on my big fuzzy slippers, an oversized robe and “I do enjoy a snifter of port at Christmas.” 

Do you drink?

I love a high ABV (when I’m home or not driving!) warm beer when this time of year hits.  It absolutely does NOT mean your girl won’t enjoy an IPA during winter, especially a hazy IPA!  As soon as crisp air hits I start craving a warm stout, porter or barley wine.  I kicked off the season with the Santa’s Bake from YAH Brew, (see my recent article – YAH Brew: Desserts and Beer Pairings). There are so many wonderful options for high ABV winter beers – stouts, porters, barleywines (Ben’s favorite), pastry stouts, barrel aged beers (typically bourbon barrel aged stouts), Belgian Strong Ales (SueAnn’s favorite obviously being Mad Elf by Troegs Independent Brewing), schwarzbiers, and so many more. Stouts in particular are my favorite at this time of year.

Stout Season

George knows what time it is – Stout Season

Last week for New Years we dove into Chonky Boi by Rusty Rail and Valley of the Kings by South County.   The Chunky Boi is a Barrel Aged Imperial Smores milk stout and the Valley of the King is also a smores stout  CB comes in heavy with 11% ABV and VotK comes with 8% ABV.  Both are sweet, satisfying and will warm you up on a cold winter’s night.  The CB comes at you just a little bit boozier from being barrel aged. 

There is a special place in my heart for a barley wine.  And usually on a cold night it finds it’s way!  I introduce to you, Mistress of Evil by Ever Grain.  This behemoth comes in at a 14.2% ABV.  After seeing the ABV I no longer question why this was sold in the 12 oz cans.  I purchased this precious on Christmas Eve after Ever Grain posted about it on Facebook I knew it had to help us jingle in the Christmas holiday. 

 

Also because it is stout season I decided to crack open two different types of stouts with Grandmas SueAnn today. 

We enjoyed Luminous by Rusty Rail, a white chocolate and Macadamia golden stout.  We also enjoyed the Rocky Road Stout by Pothole City.  Grandma SueAnn was trying to be cute by having me guess which one she opened first, but the golden stout was easy to pick out because it is a golden or blonde color.  Luminous is light and fluffy with a tinge of sweetness from the white chocolate and the flavor different from the Macadamia.  I know I’ve had this one before and it should be a part of the yearly rotation.  Luminous is a 8% ABV. 

That second stout we split was a little heavier at 10% ABV.  Rocky Road Stout is that delicious ice cream favorite but in stout form.  It goes down way to easy and smooth to be a 10%. It was a perfect afternoon splitting a few stouts with Grandma SueAnn.

 

We highly recommend trying out a few warmer beers this winter season. Hopefully the above pictures give you some ideas and act as some good recommendations for you. (Click each image to see the name of the beer and brewery.)

Also be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see all of our beer related pictures, for more suggestions and ideas.

  • Drink More Beer!
  • Amy

Amy’s Column Series

Since getting back to writing for the blog after a short hiatus, Amy has started up a weekly column style writing for the blog. You can find these articles here:

(And please take a moment to fill out Amy’s survey on her ‘Holiday Weekend and Bomber Bottles‘ column.)

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

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Munching on some Thanksgiving leftovers?  https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/11/23/munching-on-some-thanksgiving-leftovers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=munching-on-some-thanksgiving-leftovers Thu, 23 Nov 2023 15:20:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13109 Munching on some Thanksgiving leftovers? 

Yes, me too.  But we also make some leftovers into other things.  I feel the Bubba montage about shrimp from Forrest Gump coming on.


Forrest Gump

 

I remember years past my Grandma would serve Turkey, gravy and waffles.   And later on, Turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, an entire thanksgiving meal casserole, hot turkey sandwiches, etc.  We made turkey chowder with the leftovers this year.  But let’s not forget leftover stuffing, I mean if there is such a thing.  I recently tried stuffing waffles. I am way to impatient and need to buy a stronger waffle maker!

Allusion Brewing Company – Baker Street Brown Ale

If you are nibbling on the typical roast turkey dinner your go to is going to be an Belgian Dubbel  or Amber/brown ale. Our go to is Baker Street Brown Ale by Allusion Brewing Company (see above picture). (See Amy’s article: We Can’t Always Be a Glutton Right? – Perfect Portions and Allusion Brewing Company). A full bodied beer like the BSB pairs perfectly with the traditional stuffing and gravy.

The other beer we paired it with was Mad Elf by Troeg’s.  Tis the season!  This happens to be the hostess’s favorite beer so we didn’t even think to show up without a case of Mad Elf for her.  This is a Belgium but a strong dark ale. Mad Elf is another way I feel is a great way to kick off the holiday season. (Grandma SueAnn does love her Mad Elf.)

And as for the leftover pie, I am lucky enough to be nibbling on a pumpkin cheese cake.  I paired it with a Veneration of the Dead from Evergrain.  VotD comes in with a 14.2% ABV to knock you on your butt and keep you humble.  VotD is described on Untapped as “For our 7th Anniversary, a rich and luxurious Imperial Stout aged extensively in apple brandy and bourbon barrels and then conditioned on toasted hazelnuts, cocoa nibs, whole vanilla beans and a touch of maple syrup.”  The light and airy pumpkin cheesecake pairs perfectly with this rich and bold stout.  I really wish I wasn’t out of VotD and same with the Brown Street ale.  Both of these will need restocked in our fridge!

  • Drink More Beer!
  • Amy

Thanksgiving

Ben’s note: Thanksgiving this year a very low key get together, but a wonderful day for all. It was Scarlet’s second Thanksgiving, as she just turned 1 on November 11th. I enjoyed several Troegs Independent Brewing beers throughout the course of the day – Mad Elf, Troegenator, and Blizzard of Hops. As well as a nightcap of the Veneration of the Dead. We had gotten this as a crowler from West Connection Beer Vault in Hummelstown / Hershey a few months ago, and it’s still held up well. Grandma SueAnn hosted us, and it was Amy, myself, Scarlet, as well as my parents, and then friends of Amy and SueAnn’s – Deb and Shawn. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, baked corn, stuffing, gravy, and more that I’m forgetting this late at night after a few beers. Scarlet very much enjoyed her second Thanksgiving.

Amy has been very busy wrapping up her walk season, and taking care of the end of the walk season work events for her job, as well as doing so much more, that this is the first she’s really gotten a chance to do her weekly column. Sometimes life (especially life with a one year old) gets to be a bit hectic and gets in the way of writing unfortunately, as we certainly were hoping to get time for her to write this past Sunday and a few other days as well, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. But she was able to find time tonight, while Scarlet slept, and I was in a turkey / beer induced coma watching the boring San Fran – Seattle game.

Cheers All!

Thanksgiving Articles

Some recent Thanksgiving articles we’ve written:

Black Friday Articles

Tomorrow is Black Friday, and we have two articles to help you deal with that:

Amy’s Column Series

Since getting back to writing for the blog after a short hiatus, Amy has started up a weekly column style writing for the blog. You can find these articles here:

(And please take a moment to fill out Amy’s survey on her ‘Holiday Weekend and Bomber Bottles‘ column.)

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

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Recipe: Crispy Beer Roast Turkey (using Troegenator) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/11/22/recipe-crispy-beer-roast-turkey-using-troegenator/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=recipe-crispy-beer-roast-turkey-using-troegenator Wed, 22 Nov 2023 23:00:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13098 Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Which we all know means we need to eat plenty of turkey, mash potatoes, stuffing, cranberry, and of course – drink lots of beer. So we would be amiss if we didn’t share a fantastic Turkey Day recipe for you all!

We suggest using Troegenator by Troegs Independent Brewing; but you can use any beer you want – we would just suggest a darker beer to impart more flavor.

Why Use Beer

There’s just something to roasting with beer; it just gives the turkey skin that perfect crispy skin and makes the meat so juicy and tender. Falling off the bones tender.

Beer is a fantastic marinade, and can be used for burgers, chicken, turkey, chili, you name it. Honestly, the options are endless. At work people have talked about Mad Elf Cookies, Grand Cacao Chocolate Cake, etc. Fourscore Beer Company in Gettysburg turns some of their most popular beers into frozen yogurt / ice creams. Perfection in the summer!

Take the time to allow the turkey to soak overnight in a drunken mix of Troegenator (or your favorite beer of choice), smashed garlic cloves, and any herbs you like. Remember to pull it out of the fridge and let it unchill for about an hour or so.

Roasting

Personally, I prefer to let my turkey roast under foil, for about 90 minutes. This gives it that right amount of time to let the meat to get juicy and tender, and to let the beer really soak in. This should properly let it cook through. Now remove the foil (make sure you remove the foil) before putting it in your oven grill.

Here it becomes a bit less science and more “fly by your pants”. Let it in until the skin gets a nice golden, crispy, delicious looking brown. This is your call and your preference. So you decide when to remove it – but I suggest making sure its a golden brown. This insures that the skin is at its crispiest.

I suggest buying the case of 19.2 oz Troegenators at your local beverage distributor. They make for the perfect size for cooking the turkey. Not just for use in the recipe – but also for drinking while cooking – and the remainder can be served at the dinner!

Ingredients

(Serving size of six people.)

  • 6 Turkey cutlets (drumsticks and thighs), washed and patted dry with paper towel
  • 2 x 19.2 oz cans of Troegenator by Troegs Independent Brewing **
  • 8 whole garlic cloves , crushed (Smash them with the flat side of a knife and the heel of your hand. DO NOT mince them.)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable stock powder
  • Salt to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 sprigs of thyme , finely chopped
  • 1 sprig of rosemary , finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • Extra herbs to garnish

(** = Option is up to you on this; what beer you use and the amount you use. I recommend two 19.2 oz cans, but you can use more or less, and you can use a different beer than Troegenator. I would suggest darker beers – bocks, double bocks, schwarzbiers, non – adjunct heavy stouts, porters, nut brown ales, barleywines, etc.)

Instructions

Place the turkey into a large baking dish. Pierce 1-inch slits through the turkey skin into the meat (about ½-inch deep). Pour in the beer; add the crushed garlic, stock powder and salt; turn the turkey skin side down; cover with foil and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight for a deeper flavour. (Rotate the turkey once while soaking in the brine to ensure an even flavour when baking.) You can use a large conatiner for proper brining if you wish, but I find this method works and fits in our refrigerator!

When ready to roast; preheat oven to 200 °C | 390°F. Drain half of the beer marinade, leaving the remaining liquid in the pan. Cover with foil and make sure the sides of the pan are completely sealed. Place into the oven and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. Remove from oven, uncover and rotate each portion. Change oven setting to grill (or broil) on medium-high heat and continue to roast until the skin is golden and crisp. Rotate to crisp the underside. Allow to rest 10-15 minutes to redistribute the juices.

Serving

Thanksgiving Dinner (photo courtesy of Troegs Independent Brewing)

Its Thanksgiving, so of course you are going to be providing mash potatoes, yam, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and all the other Thanksgiving foods. Whole potatoes go great with the Crispy Roasted Turkey recipe here.

And of course we suggest serving with your left over 19.2 oz Troegenators as well as Mad Elf for a desert beer. What a perfect Thanksgiving turkey meal and drink! Maybe the Bourbon Barrel Aged Impending Descent to cap off the night as the final touch down is scored? Or…. maybe some vintage Bourbon Barrel Aged Mad Elf? (Did we mention, that on Black Friday – Troegs Independent Brewing is releasing 2023’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Mad Elf?)

Either way, enjoy your Thanksgiving and Cheers Everyone!

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 148 unique beers listed (despite their being over 500 Scratches). They have 2.3 Million ratings and as of 11.22.23 have a global average rating of 3.79. Their Untappd bio reads:

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.

You can find them at the following social media pages:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tröegs Independent Brewing Mad Elf Grand Cru Returns In Limited Cork and Cage Bottles https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/11/01/troegs-independent-brewing-mad-elf-grand-cru-returns-in-limited-cork-and-cage-bottles/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=troegs-independent-brewing-mad-elf-grand-cru-returns-in-limited-cork-and-cage-bottles Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13016

Tröegs Mad Elf Grand Cru Returns In Limited Cork & Cage Bottles
(photo courtesy of Troegs Independent Brewing)

Mad Elf Grand Cru

Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of Mad Elf Grand Cru, a limited “director’s cut” of its iconic holiday ale, Mad Elf.

Do you like Mad Elf? Do you like it for the cherries, the honey, the sweetness? Maybe wish it was a bit tarter? To give you a little bit of a pucker? Then if so – you’ll love Mad Elf Grand Cru. The easiest way to discern the difference between the two is Mad Elf is sweeter and Mad Elf Grand Cru is tarter.

Mad Elf Grand Cru has Munich, chocolate, and pilsner malts and features a large addition of local Pennsylvania wildflower honey. It’s also fermented with the same in house Belgian yeast strain as Mad Elf, which gives it flavors of cinnamon, clove, and allspice.

Tarter

To get that tarter flavor for Mad Elf Grand Cru – instead of using the five cherries they do in Mad Elf, they restrictively only use Balaton cherries to impart notes of tart pie filling. They also leave the skins of the cherries on which adds to the tartness, whereas with Mad Elf they remove the skins of the cherries before brewing.

Relying on this sole cherry with the skin on also imparts a more maroon, burgundy, rich coloring than the redder hue that Mad Elf has.

Both the Mad Elf Grand Cru and the Mad Elf itself come in at 11% ABV. Similar IBU’s as well.

Cork and Caged

Unlike the regular Mad Elf – the Grand Cru (2023 vintage) only comes in the cork and caged four packs (or single bottles). The cork and caged bottles are 375 ml bottles (in past years, namely 2020 and 2018, Mad Elf Grand Cru also came in the 750 ml bottles).

In the general store at Troegs Brewery a four pack of Mad Elf Grand Cru costs 19.99$.

Putting this beer in cork and cage bottles helps give it that extra special touch. The corks are great at keeping pressure in and oxygen out. Since Grand Cru is a beer many people like to age, that’s a big plus.

Chris Trogner – Tröegs co-founding brother
The Mad Elf Grand Cru by Troegs Independent Brewing (photo courtesy of Troegs Independent Brewing)

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 148 unique beers listed (despite this release putting them over scratch batch number 500). They have 2.3 Million ratings and as of 11.1.23 have a global average rating of 3.79. Their Untappd bio reads:

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.

You can find them at the following social media pages:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

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Mad Elf Set to Release on October 9th https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/10/07/mad-elf-set-to-release-on-october-9th/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mad-elf-set-to-release-on-october-9th Sun, 08 Oct 2023 03:39:23 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=12666 Mad Elf is Being Set Free This Monday

This Monday – October 9th 2023 – Mad Elf is coming back out of hiding and is set to be released at the Troeg’s Brewery in Hershey. On Columbus / Indigenous People’s Day; get ready for Mad Elf to be on the shelves when the brewery opens at 11:30 AM.

Releasing with less fanfare than normal this year – as well as releasing a bit earlier than in past years – the Mad Elf is hitting the Troeg’s General Store shelves and floor space on October 9th. Spend your extra Monday off getting Mad Elf at the brewery. But just beware – the Mad Elf is a bit impish.

The Mad Elf

The iconic Mad Elf, helped solidify Tröegs Independent Brewing as one of the top breweries not just in Pennsylvania, but in America; was created in 2002. Mad Elf was once even featured in a Playboy article.

The Mad Elf has gone through some changes and facelifts over the years. Troegs Independent Brewing is currently on their “third elf” logo and design. (So keep ahold of those original Harrisburg era 2000s Mad Elf memorabilia.)

Mad Elf captures so many things about the holidays for so many people, and not just beer lovers. A lot of people who typically don’t drink beer have a special connection with Mad Elf.

Co – Owner and Co – Founder of Troegs Independent Brewing – Chris Trogner

Troegs Independent Brewing says what truly makes Mad Elf – Mad Elf – is the cherries. As Troegs promotional material puts it: “the essence of Mad Elf, the ruby red, once a year holiday ale is born from five varieties of tree – ripened cherries: Bing, Lambert, Van, and Royall Ann; all contribute to a bright and juicy sweetness, while Montmorency adds a touch of tartness to the beer.”

Of course – the other big ingredient of Mad Elf is honey. Specifically Pennsylvanian honey. 25,000 pounds of natural wildflower honey from The Happy Beekeeper – from Carlisle Pennsylvania – is used for the seasonal delight.

It’s a beer that’s become synonymous with the season. We like to say that it’s not the holidays until you’ve had your first Mad Elf.

Chris Trogner

Mad Elf is available in 12-oz. bottles and cans at the brewery starting October 9th. Soon thereafter the beer will be found throughout Troegs Independent Brewing’s distribution path. Kegs are usually prepared a few weeks after the bottles and cans; so look for draft of Mad Elf to start appearing end of October or early November. Troegs is also released Mad Elf Grand Cru at the same time.

October 9th, 2023

Troegs Independent Brewing opens their doors at 11:30 AM on Monday – October 9th, 2023. (Recently changed their hours from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Mondays.) But they are closing early – at 7:00 PM – so that the employees can sample the new fall menu which will be starting on Tuesday October 10th, 2023.

Upcoming Scratches

I can’t really let the cat out of the bag – just not yet anyway – but there is some heavy duty scratches coming out soon. Originally planned for this week they’ve been pushed back and looking to be released on the 19th. Look for new posts about that upcoming.

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 148 unique beers listed (despite them nearing scratch 500). They have nearly 2.3 Million ratings and as of 10.07.23 have a global average rating of 3.79. Their Untappd bio reads:

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.

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