Central Pennsylvania breweries release limited-edition ‘717 Collaboration’ beer

A new beer on tap at several local breweries celebrates the camaraderie among brewers in Central Pennsylvania.

• Haley O'Brien/WITF
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  Haley O'Brien joined WITF in 2026. A native of Scranton, she enjoys exploring Pennsylvania's diverse communities. Haley previously worked at NPR/PBS stations in Northeast Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, and has won awards for video storytelling and beat reporting.

A new beer on tap at several Central Pennsylvania breweries celebrates the camaraderie among the region’s craft brewers.  

The 717 Collaboration beer, released mid-July, is an annual tradition that took a bit of a break but was revived last year. This year’s creation is a New Zealand-style pilsner described as hoppy but light, with 4.7% ABV and notes of melon, grape and citrus.  

The beer is on tap for a limited time at Troegs Independent Brewing, Appalachian Brewing Company, Pizza Boy Brewing, Wolf Brewing, Yah Brew, Zeroday Brewing, Boneshire Brew Works and Cartel Brewing & Blending. 

Brewers from across the 717 area code met regularly to share ideas for the recipe and gathered at Troegs Independent Brewing in Hershey to brew it. 

“Anyone who brews in the 717 area code is invited,” said John Trogner, co-owner of Troegs. “It’s just a community celebration of making delicious beer.” 

Pennsylvania’s craft beer industry generated nearly $5 billion in 2025, ranking second in the nation for economic impact. 

“It’s my favorite state for beer,” said Maalik Stark, head brewer at Zeroday Brewing in Harrisburg. “And in this area, there are so many breweries around.” 

These brewers aren’t competitive. They say the abundance of beer enthusiasts benefits everyone. 

Derek Wolf owns one of the newer breweries in the area, Wolf Brewing. 

“There are so many amazing breweries in Central Pennsylvania so to bounce ideas off of each other and come up with a unique beer… It’s an honor to be a part of,” he said. 

Cliff Plank, brewmaster at Appalachian Brewing Company, says the craft beer industry thrives in this region because brewers work together. 

“Most people don’t look at other breweries as competition,” he said. “And also if somebody’s traveling and they want to go to your brewery, they’re going to go to mine.”