HERSHEY, Pa. — Just in time for Valentine's Day, Tröegs Independent Brewing announced this week the release of Cordial Elf, a decadent twist on its iconic holiday beer, Mad Elf.
Last year, the brewing team at Tröegs began to brainstorm ways to take Mad Elf – a staple of the brewery for two decades – into new and exciting directions.
“It started as an experiment that stemmed from Chocolate Elf, a 50/50 blend of Mad Elf and our chocolate stout, Grand Cacao,” said Tröegs brewmaster and co-founding brother John Trogner in a press release.
For Cordial Elf, the Tröegs brewing team started with the base beer for Mad Elf, which features five varieties of sweet and tart cherries, locally sourced Pennsylvania wildflower honey, and a spicy Belgian yeast.
After the beer aged on cacao nibs and vanilla, the brewing team added the same blend of cherries after fermentation to elevate the fruit characteristics of the finished beer.
This process of adding fruit began with the introduction of Tröegs brewery-only Shabang series of fruit-forward ales.
“The essence of Mad Elf is still there,” says Trogner, “but it’s got more of a chocolate-covered cherry vibe… almost like a bon bon.”
Cordial Elf is available exclusively at Tröegs on draft and in 16-ounce cans limited to two four-packs per person.
