(Courtesy Tröegs Independent Brewing)

With the winter holidays nearing an award-winning brewery has teamed up with one of Pennsylvania’s largest food chains to deliver a cheese that celebrates the state’s dairy roots and its newest year-round beer

Here’s the deal…

Central Pennsylvania is as famous for its dairy products as it is for its breweries.

And over the years, Hershey, PA-based Tröegs Independent Brewing has embraced these rich traditions with specially branded artisan cheese featuring the award-winning brewery’s most famous beers.

In 2019 Giant Food Stores brought together Tröegs and Caputo Brothers Creamery of Spring Grove, Pa to create Troegenator Beer Cheese. The limited release cheese which was made with the brewery’s Troegenator Double Bock became a huge hit for all parties involved.

In 2020, with COVID-19 compounding problems for dairy farmers in Pennsylvania, the partnership launched another beer cheese collaboration. Perpetual Beer Cheese was made with another Tröegs bestseller, Perpetual IPA.

And later last year in anticipation of the holiday season, Giant, Caputo Brothers and Tröegs released a limited edition cheese offering made with 100% Pennsylvania cow’s milk and the brewery’s Mad Elf Belgian Strong Ale with cherries which sold out almost immediately.

And now with the winter holidays nearing Tröegs has partnered with  Giant and Caputo Brothers once again on its fourth limited-edition beer cheese – this time using the Hershey, PA brewery’s newest year-round, a beer built on a rich foundation of chocolate malt, caramel malt and roasted barley.

Cold-steeped to perfection on Peruvian cacao nibs, Grand Cacao Chocolate Stout is an approachable 6.5% ABV Stout with a creamy smooth mouthfeel and a rush of chocolate and vanilla which brings nuance and added complexity to this year’s holiday beer cheese.

Grand Cacao Beer Cheese starts with 100% Pennsylvania cow’s milk. Then at Caputo’s York County creamery, cheesemakers bathe the curds in Grand Cacao, with its rich notes of milk chocolate, roasty grain and sweet cream. And the addition of Calabrian pepperoncini adds flecks of color and an elevated spiciness to the already heady mix.

The result is a sweet and creamy cheese with bright pops of heat and subtle chocolate notes.

“The addition of pepperoncini really sets this cheese apart,” says Chris Trogner, founding brother of Tröegs. “I love the blend of sweet and creamy cheese with the subtle chocolate notes and heat of the pepper. “

So say “cheese” everybody…