Press Release:

(Hershey, PA) – Tröegs Brewery has just released an experimental, small batch beer made with mushrooms grown in Pennsylvania. The project was a collaborative effort between Tröegs, the American Mushroom Institute (AMI), the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Pennsylvania mushroom farmers.

Tröegs brewed the distinctive ale using locally sourced Pennsylvania mushrooms. “The concept of brewing a beer with local ingredients isn’t new,” said John Trogner, co-owner of Tröegs Brewery. “Incorporating non-traditional ingredients creatively as part of the brewing process presents a challenge.”

Tröegs enlisted a group of co-workers and local mushroom farmers to form a sensory panel, which served as the starting point of the project. “We initially sampled a bunch of mushroom varieties to see which flavor and aroma profiles worked well with beer,” said Trogner. “As a brewer, I’m constantly searching for umami.”

Tröegs brewed the resulting Mushroom Ale with an exotic blend of champignon, maitake, shiitake, and portabella mushrooms. In order to utilize the mushrooms in the brewing process, they were dried and then ground into a powder.

The limited beer was released at Tröegs Brewery as part of its Scratch Beer Series of experimental beers brewed in small batches using new brewing techniques and non-traditional ingredients.

According to the AMI, mushrooms are one of the highest value crops in Pennsylvania and account for 62 percent of all domestic mushrooms produced in the United States. “The local industry continuously focuses on establishing new markets to enhance growth of this unique agricultural product,” said Laura Phelps, President of the AMI.

Founded by brothers Chris and John Trogner in 1996, Tröegs Brewery is an independent regional craft brewery. Located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Tröegs’ beers are distributed in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.

Pour through www.troegs.com to see what else is brewing at Tröegs.