Pittsburgh Breweries - 2018

The sour event and spicy food event at Caliente might draw me out, though the latter would be entirely for the food as I find most of the spicy beers out there to be pretty atrocious. Piper's had their Imperial Breakfast on Wednesday and I enjoyed that more than I would any of these PCBW events.

Really though, you have a craft beer week in a city with this much of a density of craft breweries....and its centered around a pizza chain instead of the breweries themselves? Dancing Gnome made a stout for Piper's event the other day, and the contrast of that coming right before PCBW where there is little fanfare/focus on local breweries is pretty damning. I get that this is a celebration of craft in general, not just local, but the optics just aren't good when you see such a seemingly mutual level of indifference. Honestly, the new brewers guild should just put on their own craft beer week at some point, a bunch of locally focused events with special tappings/collabs/whatever they feel like doing from our local breweries would probably get people a lot more interested.

 

I agree with all the sentiments above. With how far the brewery/craft beer scene in the city has grown, you’d think craft beer week would be a lot better.

Though I guess every week is craft beer week for most of us on here.

 

With great craft beer available all over the city, there's just no reason for it. In theory, it would be nice to have a concerted effort being put forth by the entire industry to do something cool for the fans, but it's really not necessary.

 

Hey all,

My brother is staying in Shadyside for a work trip early next week. He arrives tomorrow, 4/23 and has to leave by noon Wednesday, 4/25. Obviously the time of the week is not ideal as most breweries locally here in MD are closed Monday/Tuesday, but can anyone recommend a good place, brewery or bottle shop, to pick up some local hops and stouts? Noticed this week was Pittsburgh craft beer week and wasn't sure if anything was going on that early in the week.

Thanks!

 

Voodoo in Homestead is probably the most notable brewery that's open Mon/Tues - easy drive from Shadyside. I would also recommend The Independent Brewing Company in Squirrel Hill, just a mile from Shadyside. Not a brewery (despite the name) but has the best selection of local brews in the area, good food, and they're open every night I believe. Plenty of beer bars serving up local brews in Shadyside: Urban Tap, Mad Mex, Harris Grill, The Yard, etc. I would also recommend Piper's Pub and Fathead's in the South side. But if he's focused exclusively on breweries, the only other breweries I can think of that are open Mon/Tues are Southern Tier (Northside near the stadiums), Penn Brewery (german brews, troy hill), and Full Pint's pub in Lawrenceville.

 

The Market District in Shadyside has a really good beer section and should have a decent amount of local stuff (at least for what gets canned/bottled and distributed).

MD Shadyside is also doing their battle of the barrels event tonight and will have 6 barrel aged stouts on tap, and I believe they’d had some Voodoo BA stouts for this before.

 

Is anyone looking for a ticket to Beers of the Burgh on June 2nd? I have an extra, I got it at the pre-sale so it’s only $40.

 

Hey Randy is it a VIP ticket? I'm definitely interested

 

It’s General Admission.

 

Headed up to downtown this week Wed/Thurs/Fri. Definitely be interested in checking out some good Pittsburgh Craft Beer... I an IPA/NEIPA guy at heart. What should I make sure I hit? Probably only going to be able to get to one or two. Anything close by downtown?

 

If you can only hit up one or two, I would hit up Dancing Gnome (Sharpsburg) or Brew Gentlemen (Braddock), as those two are very focused on the NEIPA style and can hold up against anyone nationally. They aren't close to each other though, so if you go to DG, I would also hit up Hitchhiker down the street, who have really been stepping up their game (and/or Grist House, which is on the way too). If you hit up BG, then Voodoo in Homestead is 10 minutes away, another solid brewery, although not specific to the Burgh (more regional to western PA). DG will have a can release of Lustra on Thurs, one of their mainstay pale ales, if you're into that sort of thing. The only real walkable option from downtown is Southern Tier (between the stadiums), which is a nice place.

Hope you have a good time!

 

Basically what 3genpanther said, except I would go the Dancing Gnome, Hitchhiker route and also stop at Grist House and Strange Roots. On your way back or to Sharpsburg.

 

Interesting that I mentioned Southern Tier and not Rivertowne when talking about breweries close to downtown. Frankly, I forget that Rivertowne is even down there.

Apparently, others do too:
http://triblive.com/local/westmorel...towne-brewing-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy

None of their beers ever really stood out to me (although, to be said, I haven't had all that many). While I'm sure that's partly to blame, their horrible service at the north shore location has to be part of it too. I can't tell you how many times I've heard (and experienced) people going in there and no one serving them, or taking way too long to do so. Plus the food was meh and their menu was severely reduced recently. Once Southern Tier moved across the street, they needed to step up their game on multiple fronts and weren't able to do so. But their demise may very well go beyond that location, I'm not sure.

 

Can't remember the last time that I even drank a Rivertowne beer. Just not interested in what they're doing. Haven't had the reworked recipes, though.

As far as Southern Tier goes, I tend to like their stuff, but I definitely don't go out of my way for it. Their Overpacke'd mixed pack is usually a good value and I'll drink 2XIPA if I see it on at a place that isn't craft centric.

 

I actually really enjoy Nu Skool and the dessert beers are pretty solid... picked up a 4p of the samoa version not too long ago. The mixed 15 pack is solid for a party, I've done that a few times. The food at STBC is solid too -- the establishment is a good place for the north shore in general. But I'm not exactly going to stand in a (hypothetical) line for a ST brew either.

 

How was it? Have seen it around, but I'm scared to pull the trigger on a 4 pack.

 

Samoa cookies are like crack to me, so I'm probably biased, but I think it's very good (in line with chokolat, a tad better than thick mint, have not had creme brulee). Clearly a dessert beer but not over the top sweet, definitely resembles the cookie. That whole stout line drinks awfully smooth for 10%. I've seen singles around fwiw.