My buddy is on a work trip to the Pittsburgh area and he just sent me a text saying he could grab a couple goodies for me if I could list some stuff to look for. Having never been, I was able to list off a couple breweries available there and a couple things I'd be interested in. Was wondering if any local BAs could offer up suggestions of beers he should be on the look-out for, either seasonal goodies or standard off the shelf beers. Not too interested in saisons or sours, but anything else is game. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.
Other information on how I can research this myself would be helpful as well. Right now my only resource is here and seekabrew.com.
East End has Blabber & Smoke and Smokestack Heritage Porter still available in 1L bottles; both are well worth trying if you like smoked beers. Would also recommend: Fat Head's Headhunter IPA Troeg's Perpetual IPA Lavery Brewing - Belfast Black (watch for carbonation on this though) Sly Fox Brewing - I like everything I've had, particularly Succubus, Phoenix Pale, and Royal Weisse Victory - good all around, specifically recommend Headwaters Pale, Hop Devil, Hop Wallop. There are also some reasonably priced bombers of Otto in Oak floating around the city ($10 at D's, e.g.) Full Pint - Rye Rebellion if you can find it, Chinookie IPA, TRI-PA, have heard good things about Night of the Living Stout but haven't actually had it IC Light Mango Yards (out of Philly but widely distributed in Pgh) makes some good stuff also
Depending on his transport situation, he could conceivably get to D's in Regent Square or Carson Street Deli in the Southside for single bottles; otherwise, there should be at least one distributor in walking distance (the one I'm thinking of that would be closeby is Pistella's in Friendship, but I'm sure there are others).
Yeah, I'd second looking for Troegs, Victory, Weyerbacher, Sly Fox products for PA stuff, and Draai Laag for Pittsburgh products themselves. I'm a fan of the Javahead Stout, Troegnator Doppelbock, and Perpetual IPA from Troegs, Prima Pils, Summer Love (if still floating around), and Golden Monkey from Victory, Royal Weisse from Sly Fox, and Merry Monks, Tiny, and the Imperial Pumpkin (if you're into that kind of thing) from Weyerbacher. Draai Laag only has a couple beers bottled and they're both pretty delicious, Aureus and Simon Girty.
Big Black Voodoo Daddy from Voodoo Just about anything from Great Lakes, but especially their Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Top priority, IMO, should be Fathead's beers. Particularly their Headhunter IPA. They just recently started bottling after buying Troeg's old brewhouse. I haven't seen anything else yet in bottles, but by looking at their website I believe they intend to be bottling other stuff too. Headhunter is the real deal. It came in 3rd place last year at GABF, and "American IPA" is the most competitive category... I think their was something like 171 entries last year? 3rd place ain't too shabby. And I think in 2010 they might have taken 2nd. Beyond that, there's a relatively new and quite small belgain style brewery in the Pittsburgh area called Draai Laag. They do a Belgain Style pale called Aureus that I'd recommend. They're doing some really interesting stuff. If Troeg's isn't in your area, you really can't go wrong with their entire portfolio. Particularly Perpetual IPA, but their Hopback Amber is a real nice, every-day drinkin' beer, their Dead Reckoning Porter (seasonal for the month of August) is also quite good, and their Java Head Stout would be worth a try. Another new brewery in the area, Helltown, is making some real nice IPA's, particularly their Double, called "Idle Hands". But they don't bottle yet, so he likely won't be able to bring any of that back to you without filling a growler. I think I just echoed a few of the suggestions you got above, but I hope that helps!
Helltown just started bottling their first, Devious, a Belgian-style pale. Not their strongest offering, IMO - their IPAs are really the way to go. Pretty sure Fathead's bottles some of their other stuff, not sure exactly what. Think I've seen Sorcerer BSDA, Spooky Tooth Pumpkin, Sunshine Daydream IPA, Gudenhoppy Pils, & Holly Jolly Christmas Ale.
