Image courtesy of Full Frame Studios.

ABV: 4% | IBU: 20

When the temperatures begin creeping into the 70s here in Ohio each spring, we begin shedding our winter coats and making plans for summer. As we put our fuzzy mittens into storage, we start opting less often for stouts and other heavy beers and reaching instead for lighter, sunnier fare. For those of us in the Dayton area, that often means Warped Wing Trotwood Lager.

Though only three years old, Warped Wing Brewing Company has already become the largest brewery in the Wright Brothers’ hometown, and in less than a year since it was introduced, Trotwood Lager has become its top seller. Seasoned brewmaster John Haggerty explained the beer’s origin and appeal when I talked with him in December: “It was originally supposed to be a short-lived beer. But the response was so overwhelming, we’ve made it ever since. It’s taken over as our best-seller.”

An easy drinking light lager, Trotwood is smooth and crisp, with some sweet grain and mild noble hop character in the aroma and flavor. Though the beer features an all-malt grain bill, I can trick myself into thinking I taste some mild corn sweetness in the finish. The beer shows a mix of nostalgia and refinement, traits echoed in other heritage lagers being released by craft breweries, such as Upland Brewing’s Champagne Velvet. It’s the perfect gateway pint for someone first testing the waters of craft beer after a lifetime of macro brews.

We can’t talk about Trotwood Lager without discussing the gorgeous, sky blue can design, which earned Warped Wing national recognition in 2016 when it was featured on The Dieline, a prestigious design and marketing publication. The can’s distinctive color and simple design is echoed in the paint job of Warped Wing’s traveling event vehicle, a 1957 Trotwood Trailer from the eponymous company that manufactured camping trailers in Dayton for decades before closing in 1980. When the brewery found a sixty-year-old Trotwood camper in need of restoration last spring, it not only became their event vehicle but the inspiration for their new lager. It is now the centerpiece of their annual Trotwood Lager Urban Campout, which will see its one year anniversary on June 10. The all-day, outdoor event features live music, games of corn hole and grilled food, and is strictly BYOCC (bring your own camp chair).

Trotwood Lager is a refreshing summer brew that proves not every craft beer has to be complex and challenging. Sometimes simple and clean is just what we need. As the sun shines a little longer each day here in western Ohio, I’m looking forward to a long summer of Trotwood Lagers.

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