Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week

This is a very good question. I literally made it nowhere last year for this. I'd like to just even make a good tasting night if I could.

 

The only things I have marked right now is a Sierra Nevada Tap Takeover at the Wexford Ale House and Gobbleritto/Pumking day at Shadyside Mad Mex. I think Fat Heads is going to be doing some cool stuff too. Just check out the website for the full schedule. As for me, law school finals begin that week... so its a pretty shitty time for craft beer week.

 

I am coming down to Pittsburgh from Rochester this weekend (April 19th) if anyone is interested IP trades/sharing.

 

Anyone going to the Release the Firkins festival?

 

I wish I was going to the firkin festival, sadly it's sold out. Sounds pretty bad ass with the list of breweries that are gonna be there. Might try to find a ticket or two.

 

Is there anywhere better to go for specifics on each event than the official PCBW website? There are very few specifics, at least that I've found. Some events sound interesting, but without knowing exact beers, I'm not sure that they would be worth driving 1.5 hours to get to.

 

Mad Mex is having various reps from breweries throughout the week offering tastings. I'm not sure if they're doing complete tap takeovers. Breweries I recall being listed were Founders, Bells, Great Lakes, Church Brew Works, Boulder, Brooklyn, Helltown, Fatheads and some more.

I know Great Lakes is bringing a few brewpub only beers. Founders is giving tastings of beers and deconstructing the ingredients in them.

 

A lot of the events sound vague so they could bring that awesome one off or just regular stuff it hard to tell.

 

Here is the calendar of events. I'm not sure which I am going to yet but I would like to make it to some. Also, I have a bottle of KBS if anyone is interested in meeting at an event and making a trade.

http://pittsburghcraftbeerweek.com/calendar

 

I'll be in town on Monday if anyone is interested in an ip trade or to meet up at an event. I'm coming from Philly area and could hit up pizza boy along the way. I heard that Houghs is having a good barrel event on Monday night.

 

I'm really tempted to go to Pipers on Weds for the breakfast but I really dunno if I want to be drunk by 10am on a Wednesday. Heh.

 

Thursday the 25th from 7-9 at The Library we are having a pretty good lineup of Founders stuff. KBS, Bolt Cutter, Curmudgeon's Better Half, Backwoods Bastard, and 2010 Nemesis. Should be fun if i remember it..

 

Still a few spots available for the sour & wild ales fest on the 27th.

 

Anyone hit Release the Firkins this afternoon?

 

Was a pretty cool event sans the crappy, obscenely loud and unnecessary punk music being played. Venue worked pretty well for the crowd size, everyone was friendly and well-behaved.

Highlights for me were 2hearted, FP Rye Brown, 2x dry hopped Centennial, 2x Simcoe Head Hunter, Helltown Anniv stout, Thornbridge Bedeca, and Church Ambrosia.

Firkin list:

 

Ambrosia on cask, huh? Sounds interesting. Did you try Hart's beer? Or Indigo Imp's ?

 

Hart's was good, missed the other homebrew cask.

Indigo Imp...man, I dont understand how they are still around.

 

ReleasetheFirkins was a good time. East End brought an unannounced firkin of 2013 Gratitude. I heard that because of bottle conditioning issues, this will be one of the few opportunities to get your hands on it. Also, I was surprised how much I liked the ambrosia from CBW and the helltown beers.

I agree with Stigs on alot, but my highlights were: thornbridge beadeca (porter), church ambrosia, headys, helltown belg stout, and dragons milk. also, the flying dog oyster stout was incredible on cask.

I did a write up on the event. check it out!
http://thefullpint.com/events/pittsburgh-beer-week-release-the-firkins-real-ale-fest-recap-w-pics/

 

I've heard otherwise.