We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: We never know where our next beer will come from.
This time, inspiration struck us right in our own backyard!
Just a short trip from the brewery, an abandoned stretch of road was once a Pennsylvania counter-culture hot spot. It was more than just asphalt; it was a gathering place for like-minded artists to make their mark and contribute to a colorful mosaic in an otherwise fading landscape. The spray-painted pavement remained a surface level reminder of our area’s history until 2020, when it was buried forever. While some called it a visual wonderland, the 3/4-mile stretch of road was a true destination… and always led to an adventure!
Enter Graffiti Highway IPA. A homage to this former Central PA landmark, the beer wanders off the beaten path, where twists and turns of citrus and tropical aromas merge with hoppy, fruit-forward flavors.
Like art, brewing can be colorful, expressive and meandering. Starting with an extensive knowledge of hops and processes, our brewers set out to find the right steps and ingredients in our Scratch Lab.
“The Scratch Lab is a 3-barrel system that allows us to test hop combinations, times, and temperatures side-by-side,” says our Brewing Manager Tim Mayhew. “We’re able to taste the chromatic of these trials and find new inspirations.”
These explorations of flavors are a piece of our DNA. They’re mini adventures that are part of our independent spirit.
“Each time we taste a pilot batch, it’s like finding a new color of the rainbow,” adds our co-founding brother and brewmaster John Trogner.
To break out of the crowd, we tagged an artist whose style fit the inspiration. Jewels Despines has been a muralist and designer for more than 15 years, and runs a print shop in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA.
“While I do make other things outside of painting, I feel I’m truly at my best with a brush or a spray can in my hand,” says Despines.
His colorful work matched the vibe of the original graffiti highway – fun, funky, and ready to be seen by many.
“The background of the can artwork layers classic graffiti elements like drips, arrows, and bubbles. The font in particular comes from my childhood art teacher and is a basic comic book font that stuck with me and I’ve redrawn a ton of times,” says Despines.
“While I never got to visit it, I viewed the Graffiti Highway as an important piece of Pennsylvania folk art. Hopefully, I honored that spirit with my design.”
With notes of juicy citrus, tropical fruit and a hint of mixed berry, we think Graffiti Highway IPA speaks to the artistic spirit in all of us.
Whether you’re working on your next masterpiece or hanging out with friends, we want this beer to be part of that journey.
Riding side-by-side with Graffiti Highway is its counterpart, Graffiti Highway Double IPA… also available year-round. Featuring a similar flavor profile of juicy tropical fruit, this amped-up version clocks in at 9.5% ABV and is available exclusively in 19.2-oz. tall boy cans! You can also find it in the cooler section of your favorite convenience store.
Pick up some Graffiti Highway in 6-packs and 12-packs of 12-oz. cans everywhere our beer is sold. You can also ask for it on draft at your favorite bar or restaurant.
Take your tastebuds on a journey with our juicy, hazy IPA and double IPA, both primed for adventure… and remember to tag us on social media, @troegsbeer.
