Sheetz Put Its Coffee into a Craft Beer

It's not uncommon to pop into a convenience store for a quick coffee to-go or to grab some beers for later. Doing so in one errand? Maybe a little less common. Doing so by buying onlyone product? That's what Sheetz hopes customers will do as it rolls out the brand's very first craft beer which features its own coffee beans in the mix. Hey, ifDunkin' can do it, why not?

Altoona-based Sheetz, which operates 585 stores in the midwest and east coast regions, teamed up with another Pennsylvania business, Mifflinburg-based Rusty Rail Brewing Company, to create Project Coffee Hopz IPA. The beer is brewed with Sheetz Brothers Sumatra coffee beans and "features light and floral taste notes with a subtle coffee presence," according to a statement.

“We are lucky to collaborate with Rusty Rail Brewing Company, a well-known brewery born in central Pennsylvania, to create this limited-edition craft beer,” Ryan Sheetz, AVP of Brand at Sheetz said in a statement. “We have worked for years to make beer available in our store locations across Pennsylvania and now, with beer in more than 140 stores across the state, we are excited to take the next step in this journey.”

The beer will launch on May 16, 2019 at a party — between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Sheetz located at 4599 Library Rd in Bethen Park, PA — before being widely released on May 21. Four-packs of 16-ounce cans of Project Coffee Hopz will sell for $7.99 and be available at 55 Pennsylvania-based Sheetz stores while supplies of this small batch beer last, so check with your local outlet or, if you're not in the Keystone State, ring up a friend who is and see if they can score you a pack.

Of course, no Sheetz story can escape comparisons to another Pennsylvania-founded hangout, Wawa. This story is no exception, especially considering that Wawa did a similar stunt back in December. First,Wawa announced it would be releasing a Winter Reserve Coffee Stoutin its stores as part of a collaboration with 2SP Brewing Company. The result? Long lines aswaiting up to two hoursto score some cans. Looks like Sheetz is hoping lightning strikes twice, albeit in a completely different location.