I’ve seen a lot of collaboration beers in my day. For the very few of you out there that don’t know what that is, a collaboration beer is generally a partnership between two (or more) craft brewers where they team up to brew. Unheard of before the advent of small breweries in America, such efforts are generally, again, a joint effort between brewers. Leave it to Milton, Delaware’s Dogfish Head brewery and Woolrich, a…clothing company???...to bring us a different kind of togetherness: Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo, a pale ale brewed with Pennsylvania spruce tips.

I first spied bottles of Pennsylvania Tuxedo in November of 2015 and socked one away to enjoy that fall or winter. Things didn’t go as planned, however, and the beer got pushed to the back of my WIP (work in progress) bin until December of 2016, when I saw it at the back of my beer fridge and realized I needed to drink it. The beer was delicious but full of sediment, so I reserved judgment until I could obtain a fresher sample. Moral of the story, this is not one to age folks.

That is exactly what I did at Taco Mac in mid-February when Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo showed up on tap. I do love spruce beers, though they are rare today. Spruce beers date back to colonial times in America, and Pennsylvania’s Yards brewing makes one they claim is based on a recipe by Benjamin Franklin. Some hop varieties impart notes of resin and pine, and what’s more resiny and piney than a fir tree?

From the label:

PENNSYLVANIA TUXEDO pays homage to the flannel-suited hunters and gatherers who dwell deep in the back country of north-central PA. Brewed in collaboration with family-run outdoor clothing company Woolrich, Pennsylvania Tuxedo has a grassy citrus kick complemented by the resinous conifer notes of fresh green spruce tips.

Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo has an alcohol content of 8.5% by volume with 50 IBUs. I paid $7.75 for an 11-ounce glass at Taco Mac and it runs $10.99 a 4-pack in bottles.

My glass of Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo arrived deep amber in color with a thick head of foam and piney, sappy spruce in the nose. Taking a sip, I get nice caramel malt up front, then a big bold infusion of woody, piney, resiny spruce notes and a long dry bitter finish. The beer literally tastes like a Christmas tree, and the spruce defines it.

I’ve had more than a few beers made with spruce, but this is one of the few I would classify as a true spruce beer. Although pricey, Pennsylvania Tuxedo features the spruce as it should be. I have a bottle I bought last December that was packaged on 11/02/2016, and I will drink it soon. Photos, and thoughts of the beer at about 6 months or so, to follow.

Update 7/22/2018: Well, I did it again. I hung onto my bottle of Pennsylvania Tuxedo for Christmas in July-of 2018, not 2017. This one actually aged longer than the last bottle, but aged far better. It was still nicely woody, piney, resiny and smooth malty. Maybe you can age this one after all, but I did keep this one constantly refrigerated rather than cellared.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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