The Beer In Me

Interview with Tröegs Brewing Company
Conducted By: Andy of The Beer In Me
Interview With: Ed Yashinsky, Operations Manager
Date: May 2008



T.B.I.M: Where are you located?
Tröegs: We are located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, just off Route 83 at the Second Street Exit.

T.B.I.M: When did Tröegs open its doors for business and what is the history behind the brewery?
Tröegs: The brewery was incorporated in 1996 and we sold our first keg in June 1997.



The brewery was started by brothers Chris and John Trogner. John, older by 18 months, is a graduate of LaSalle University in Philadelphia. After graduating from college John was working in commercial real estate in Philadelphia and Chris convinced John to move to Colorado where Chris was going to school.

John landed a job at the Oasis brewpub cleaning tanks, and in three years was running their production facility.

Chris was finishing up his degree in business and managing a restaurant. The restaurant experience made Chris and John decide they didn’t want to open a brewpub.

T.B.I.M: Why did Tröegs open in Pennsylvania?
Tröegs: Chris and John are Central Pennsylvania natives. Initially they thought about opening a brewery in Colorado, but there were already a lot of breweries there, so they decided to move back home where there was an opportunity in a less-crowded market.



T.B.I.M: Who or what inspired the owners to establish Tröegs?
Tröegs: One inspiration was the Trogners’ desire to run a business together. The second inspiration is their love of beer. Even before they were living together in Colorado, Chris and John were both interested in beer and brewing. They kept tasting notes on all beers they drank and did a fair amount of pilot brewing at their house after work. Those pilot batches were the stepping stones for their brewery, and those batches paved the way to their production recipes.

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