New Trail Brewing Co. a ‘collaborative effort’
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New Trail Brewing Co. has been crafting hazy IPAs for brew enthusiasts with an outdoor spirit since spring 2018. A brewery "founded to merge great beer with the great outdoors" according to Don Rieck, New Trail Brews promise to start and end any adventure on a good note.
"We make a lot of Hazy IPAs, led by everyone's favorite, Broken Heels," said Rieck, the Marketing Director for New Trail Brewing Co. "We also constantly experiment and rotate in this style, and you are more likely than not to find a fresh Hazy IPA or Double IPA from us. Our brewers love to make lagers like Crisp American Lager, Lazy River Pilsner, and State Light Lager."
Spreading canned brews across Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia, New Trail is quickly becoming the most popular hazy IPA brewery on the East Coast.
Originally founded by Dave Hertwig, Charles Imbro and Tony Ecker, Mike LaRosa joined as a partner in New Trail Brewing Co. soon after its creation.
"Mike LaRosa is our Director of Brewing Operations," Rieck said. "Mike was a homebrewer 16 years ago. He had his college internship and then his first brewing job at Rock Bottom in King of Prussia, where he developed very deep roots and garnered some national medals in traditional beer styles...Our Production Manager is Marc Campolongo. Marc came to us from Iron Hill Brewing Company in Chestnut Hill. He brings a lot of experience in both traditional and modern beer styles."
New Trail sports a team of ten brewers operating a massive 60-barrel brewhouse as well as the original 15-barrel brew house. Having to expand to keep up with demand, the 60-barrel building is now the main production site.
"1 barrel is 2 large kegs," Rieck explained. "This is where the grains are boiled and sugar and other nutrients are extracted. This is also where hops are added to balance sweetness with bitterness...From the brewhouse, this 'wort' is transferred to fermentation tanks where yeast turns sugar into alcohol and CO2. Fermentation is generally 2 weeks for an ale and 4 weeks for a lager. When you make a lager, you are using less hops and usually less malt so two things shine through – the quality of your ingredients and the technical proficiencies of the brewer. There is nowhere to hide any flaws, and brewers love to taste extremely well-made simple beers. We have a lot of fermentation space so that we may service all of our fans!"
Aside from the barrel brewhouse operation, New Trail has a tasting room where adventurous fans can sample, drink, and carry out cans of New Trail Brews.
"We make a lot of different beers for a lot of different people and occasions," Rieck said.
"Broken Heels is our most popular offering. That's a Hazy IPA hopped intrepidly with hand-selected citra and mosaic, leading to high aromatics of luminous citrus, rich conifer, and refreshing tropicals. This beer packs a full mouthfeel with low bitterness that is soft on the palette. Almost every week there is a new beer here at New Trail... a mix of brand-new experimentations, and re-releases of past favorites. Once that batch is all purchased off the shelves, you may have to wait a year to find it again!"
The Tasting Room is open Wednesdays through Sundays and welcomes both supervised children and well-trained, leashed pets. They also offer cocktails, local wines, and non-alcoholic craft sodas.
When asked what the best part about working with the New Trail Brewing team was, Marc Campolongo said, "The best part of making beer at New Trail is the collaborative effort put in by each department from conceptualization to shipping. Each unit has an important role to play, and they all come together in a beer you can enjoy, connect with, and search out again by name."
For more information on available beer selections, upcoming events, and Tasting Room hours, visit newtrailbrewing.com or visit the brewery yourself at 240 Arch St., Building 18, Williamsport.