Pittsburgh Area Breweries-in-Planning

Yeah, but if you're distributing, then your production has to support that. And if you are mass producing, then you're getting a better price per pint on your ingredients. Ingredient cost when you're local/small and not purchasing in mass quantities likely offsets the distribution cost savings...so all things become equal like you said. That's my guess anyway...

So you would buy X beer over Y beer simply because it's locally made...maybe a little fresher?

OR TO TRADE IT

 

Im pretty sure Roundabout plans of selling pints eventually. Which would be the best idea for them. I don't think they could sustain on just growler sales alone. Does anyone know if its that hard to get licensing to sell pints on premesis? You would think more breweries would want to do that since profits would be much higher that way. I have no clue about the legal aspect to it though.

 

The short version is that a separate license is required to charge for beer that is consumed on site. In addition to the red tape involved, to get that license you have to serve food.

Draai Laag gets around this by serving a $25 can of soup. Still cracks me up...

But most others are trying to open actual kitchens (to some degree).

 

I can say this with certainty...once they do manage to bottle/can (with regularity anyway, since Hop Farm has been sporadically selling cans), there will undoubtedly be shelf space available for them, right @randylangford?[/QUOTE]

I'll do what I can

 

Pun intended?

 

good catch!!!

 

What's everyone's thoughts on East End? I want to love them. I really do. I live .7 miles from the brewery. They are always really nice to talk to when I go in. But I just can't get behind their beers. Gratitude is pretty great. But outside of that, I think Big Hop and Bigger Hop are mediocre IPAs, Homewood Reserve was pretty harsh, Backstrap is only ok, etc.

 

Im a big fan of Blackstrap and Monkey Boy, plus fresh Pedal Pale Ale. I'm also happy to find Big Hop at more and more local establishments, even ones that arent necessarily known to be craft beer destinations.

East End has also committed to having "session" beers, across different styles, since before beers like "Session IPAs" became the hip thing to do. I just wish they'd make the Gose/Lichtenheiner again. No, they're not doing a ton of ZOMG BARREL AGED STOUTZ!!1 (although they are increasing their barrel program).

I believe East End deserves some credit for help blazing the trail that's lead to new brewers such as Roundabout and Hop Farm to open in the city.

 

I just wish everything I try from them I wouldn't feel like I could do a better job in my garage with a coleman cooler and a turkey fryer.

Care to elaborate on this?

 

I'm not a big East End fan. I rarely even bother trying his offerings when I'm back in town. Also, is it just me, or does he run into more problems than any other Pro Brewer who has been at the game as long as he has? I'm talking about Gratitude being off, Gratitude not carbonating, infections, dumped batches, etc. Just from following him on Twitter, it seems like these happen way too often.

Overall, I am trying to be more positive about the Pittsburgh brewing scene. It's getting better, slowly but surely.

 

Liiiiiiike this?
https://twitter.com/EastEndBrewing/status/415120593970016256/photo/1

 

East End: "dumping barrels since 2010"

 

I'm heading to Harris's tomorrow for a Sunday Funday and I see they have East End Pedal Pale Ale on draft. I'll have to try it.

BTW, has anyone tried Helltown's Pale Ale? It's really excellent.

 

I have heard mixed reviews about Hitchhiker but haven't gotten to try it myself. I have absolutely no interest in the Brew Gentlemen. The place looks nice but none of the beers they have sound like anything I'd be interested in. On a side note check in at Roundabout soon. They have a saison hopped with Mosiac that is finishing fermentation. I got to try a taste of it uncarbed and not quite finished but it tasted like its going to be pretty great.

 

At Roundabout right now enjoying a Pacific Ring IPA right now. Really impressed.

 

Was there last night and got a growler of it. They also had a Brett Stout on that was pretty good. He said it was almost finished though.

 

I went to hitchhiker last week. Place was packed. IPA was decent. Black IPA was OK (not my style at all). Nothing that really impressed me so far. I'll probably go back from time to time if they keep releasing new beers.