Seasonal Beer - The Beer Thrillers

Noche Buena: Mexico’s Seasonal Beer That Heralds the Holidays

B. Kline — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 15:49:48 +0000

Noche Buena: Mexico’s Seasonal Beer That Heralds the Holidays

Every beer lover knows there are year-round classics and then there are seasonal legends. In Mexico, there’s one beer that truly belongs to the holiday season—a dark, rich brew that locals look forward to all year: Noche Buena.

Noche Buena by Heineken Mexico (Photo Credit: Heineken Mexico)

A Beer Wrapped in Tradition

Translated literally as “Good Night,” Noche Buena references Christmas Eve, the most celebrated night of the yuletide season in Mexico. While most commercial Mexican lagers are pale and light, this beer stands apart. A dark Bock-style seasonal, it only appears on shelves late each year, usually from October through December, making it one of the most anticipated beer releases of the year south of the border.

Unlike Mexico’s ubiquitous pale lagers, Noche Buena leans into something deeper and richer—a malty character with a smooth body and complex flavor profile that pairs beautifully with hearty winter and festive foods.

From House Brew to Holiday Favorite

The story of Noche Buena stretches back to the early 20th century. Brewed by Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, a historic Mexican brewery now part of Heineken México, this beer was originally created as a special winter brew and has been produced as a holiday tradition for generations.

What makes it stand out is not just its seasonal scarcity, but the way it’s become culturally woven into the holiday calendar. For many Mexicans, opening a bottle of Noche Buena isn’t just having a beer—it’s a signal that the festive season has begun.

What to Expect in the Glass

Traditional Noche Buena pours a dark amber to deep reddish-brown, with aromas that evoke caramel, roasted malt, and gentle Christmas spices. On the palate, it carries a medium-to-full body with a balanced sweetness, light bitterness, and flavors that can include toasted malts, chocolate, and subtle fruit notes. Its alcohol content hovers around 5.9% ABV, giving it a warmth that suits cooler weather and festive gatherings.

This beer’s profile makes it a great companion to rich holiday fare—from spiced breads and roasted meats to darker desserts—but it’s also just as rewarding enjoyed slowly on its own as part of a seasonal beer tasting.

Why It Only Comes Once a Year

Like many winter seasonal beers both in Europe and North America, Noche Buena carries a tradition that ties it to specific climatic and cultural rhythms. Bocks historically were brewed for cold weather harvest and celebration seasons, and Noche Buena continues that pattern by appearing only during winter.

Its limited availability—combined with genuine affection from drinkers—means many beer lovers treat its release like the arrival of holiday lights: it just wouldn’t feel like December in Mexico without it.

Whether you’re lucky enough to track down a bottle in Mexico or see special seasonal imports crop up in select markets, Noche Buena is a fascinating example of how beer and tradition can become inseparable.

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Troegs Brewing Releasing Field Study IPA with Revamped Packaging

B. Kline — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 10:56:54 +0000

Troegs Brewing’s revamped Field Study IPA packaging

Troegs Brewing Releasing Field Study IPA with Revamped Packaging

Its that time again of the year where Field Study IPA is released by Troegs Independent Brewing. Though this time its coming out with revamped and new packaging. Same beer, same recipe, just new packaging, new look. Its still the seasonal once a year Field Study IPA you’ve always loved, just now its recognizing that its thee Summertime IPA. It also goes from a green, more hop vine inspired logo and artwork to a teal, more bold, more colorful and eye catching look. This also helps distinguish it from the numerous other Troegs beers that have a similar look, color, or “hop” name (though Field Study IPA doesn’t have a “hop” name). Troegs Brewing certainly has no shortage of ‘hop’ names in their current and past library – Hop Horizon, HopBack, Hop Knife, Hopora, Blizzard of Hops, HopCyclone, etc.

The new packaging really makes it stand out and is bold.

The beer will be releasing shortly at both the brewery and their full distribution footprint. It will be sold in 12 oz bottles and 12 oz cans. Packaging for cans will be in six packs and twelve packs, and the same for the bottles.

You can find it using their Brew Finder.

Field Study Summertime IPA

“In the hop fields we daydream and study, and at the brewery we tinker and test. For Field Study, dry-hopping delivers notes of ripe grapefruit, mango, pear and melon. Add a backbone of local rustic pale malt, and Field Study is just what we were after: a slightly hazy yet bright summer daydream come true.

We taste: ripe grapefruit, pear, hint of melon. Hops: Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado.”

Field Study IPA is a 6.2% American style IPA.

It is a popular seasonal beer from Troegs Brewing with an average Untappd rating of 3.79.

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 151 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 4.2.24 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:

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Troegs Brewing Company Adds Hopora IPA to Their Seasonal Hop Cycle Series

B. Kline — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:09:00 +0000

Hopora IPA by Troegs Brewing Company (photo courtesy of Troegs Independent Brewing)

Troegs Brewing Company Introduces Hopora IPA

Troegs Brewing Company has introduced Hopora IPA – their newest seasonal beer as part of their Hop Cyclone Series. Releasing today when the brewery opens, Hopora IPA is a 6.2% ABV Hazy tribute to all things Hops.

Hopora is a tribute to the hop spirit for a bountiful crop. Built on pale malt, oats and wheat, this IPA showcases Solero hops. Radiant notes of tropical citrus are supported by grapefruit rind and subtle pine from Citra and Chinook. Immerse yourself in the juicy aura of our crisp seasonal ale.
Troegs.com – Hopora IPA

Tröegs Independent Brewing announced the release of Hopora IPA, a new offering in its popular Hop Cycle series of rotating IPAs. It joined seasonal fan – favorites Field Study, Hop Cyclone, and Blizzard of Hops.

A tribute to the hop spirit for a bountiful crop, Hopora was designed to showcase the radiant tropical fruit and citrus notes of Solero hops, the Hershey-based brewery said in a press release on Monday.

Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Company has been long known for making some remarkable IPAs; seasonal and year round, as well as one off scratch releases. Some ‘hall of fame’ favorites from the local community are Nimble Giant, Perpetual IPA, Lollihop, Blizzard of Hops (and its bigger, bolder, badder cousin Double Blizzard of Hops), Field Study, Cultivator, Crimson Pistil, Hop Horizon, Hop Knife, etc, etc, etc.

Troegs Brewing Company is set to hit their 26 year anniversary this week as well, and will also be re – releasing their original Pale Ale as well.

Hip Hip Hopora

Hopora IPA

Hopora IPA releases today – July 17th – at the Troegs Brewery in Hershey Pennsylvania, and will be going out to all the distributors as well. It comes in both cans and bottles, and will also be featured in their upcoming sampler package including Perpetual IPA, Oktoberfest, and Lollihop.

I like to think Hopora captures the best of both IPA worlds – West Coast and hazy. It’s got just the right amount of bitterness that rolls into tropical aromas with notes of mango and passionfruit. Plus, it’s super tasty and the name is fun to say… HOPORA!
Tröegs brewmaster and co-founding brother John Trogner.

Built on a backbone of pale malt, oats and wheat, Hopora IPA clocks in at 6.2% alcohol by volume. Citra and Chinook hops round out the hop bill with supporting notes of grapefruit rind and subtle pine.

Like many of Tröegs’ recent beers, Hopora was developed through its three-barrel “Scratch Lab” brewhouse and fermentation tanks.

With the Scratch Lab, we can break up 15 – barrel brews into smaller trials. It has allowed us to test things like dry-hop combinations and yeast strains side-by-side at a faster rate. We used to have to wait a few weeks between batches.
Tröegs brewing manager Tim Mayhew

The Stats

Hopora IPA in 12 oz bottles

Let’s break down the new beer and take a look at its stats:

ABV: 6.2%
IBU: N / A
Availability: Hop Cycle (Seasonal)
Color: Hazy Gold
Hops: Citra, Solero, Chinook
Grain: Pale, Oats, Wheat, Unmalted Wheat
Yeast: London 3
Untappd Rating (Updated: 7.18.23 – 3:15 PM) 3.93
Untappd Description: Hopora is a tribute to the hop spirit for a bountiful crop. Built on pale malt, oats and wheat, this IPA showcases Solero hops. Radiant notes of tropical citrus are supported by grapefruit rind and subtle pine from Citra and Chinook. Immerse yourself in the juicy aura of our crisp seasonal ale. We tatse tropical citrus, grapefruit rind, subtle pine.

Find out more information on Hopora IPA at the Troegs Brewing Company web page for Hopora IPA: Hopora. Or on the Untappd page: Hopora IPA.

You can locate Hopora IPA at distributors, bars, or restaurants using the Troegs Beer Finder here: Find – a – Troegs: Hopora IPA.

You can also read up on Hopora IPA at Troegs Brewing Company’s blog: Fun to say and even more fun to drink… it’s Hopora IPA! (Troegs Blog).

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 139 unique beers listed (despite them being up to well over 400 different scratch beers released). They have nearly 2.3 Million ratings and as of 7.17.23 have a global average rating of 3.79. Their Untappd bio reads:

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.

-B. Kline

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, 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!

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

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!

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.

Seasonal Beer - The Beer Thrillers

Noche Buena: Mexico’s Seasonal Beer That Heralds the Holidays

Noche Buena: Mexico’s Seasonal Beer That Heralds the Holidays

A Beer Wrapped in Tradition

From House Brew to Holiday Favorite

What to Expect in the Glass

Why It Only Comes Once a Year

Sources

Follow The Beer Thrillers

Thank You For Reading

Troegs Brewing Releasing Field Study IPA with Revamped Packaging

Troegs Brewing Releasing Field Study IPA with Revamped Packaging

Field Study Summertime IPA

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Thank You For Reading

Troegs Brewing Company Adds Hopora IPA to Their Seasonal Hop Cycle Series

Troegs Brewing Company Introduces Hopora IPA

Hip Hip Hopora

The Stats

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

Thank You For Reading