Tröegs Independent Brewing has released Nugget Nectar, its annual Imperial Amber Ale, which returns each winter. The beer is brewed with an emphasis on dry hopping and is tied to the brewery’s annual hop-selection trip to Yakima, Washington, where Tröegs sources “fresh-off-the-bine” hops.
Nugget hops are the primary variety used, contributing pine and grapefruit characteristics. Simcoe hops add notes described as ripe mango and creamsicle. The beer is balanced with kilned malt, which provides body and a modest sweetness. Nugget Nectar is a golden-orange colored beer, brewed to 7.5% ABV.
Following positive feedback to last year’s “21 Years of Nugget Nectar” throwback packaging, Tröegs has updated the label artwork again this year. The refreshed design draws on elements of the original label while introducing new visual details.
“For Nugget’s label refresh, I wanted to capture the playfulness of the original label art but add some new artistic flair,” said Rachel Conville, Tröegs’ graphic designer. “The font is scaled larger and stacked to be eye-catching, and the familiar hop-squeezing hand is joined by a bright burst of orange that really jumps off the shelf.”
To mark the release, Tröegs will host a Nugget Nectar event on Saturday, January 24, at its brewery in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Draft offerings will include Nugget Nectar, Double Nugget, and Nitro Nugget, a nitrogen-carbonated version. A gravity-fed firkin of Nugget Nectar will be tapped at 4:00 p.m. in the Tasting Room.
Additional activities at the brewery will include live screen-printing, giveaways, music, and an After the Tone phone booth and photo lounge, where visitors can share memories of their first experience with Nugget Nectar.
Similar Nugget Nectar events will take place throughout Tröegs’ distribution footprint, with select locations also featuring Double Nugget and Nitro Nugget.
“To this day, Nugget is still one of our most popular and sought-after beers,” said Tröegs co-founding brother and brewmaster John Trogner. “Along with Troegenator and Mad Elf, it’s one of the beers that helped put our brewery on the map.”
Nugget Nectar is available on draft, in 12-ounce cans and bottles, and in 16-ounce cans wherever Tröegs beer is sold.