Planning my first beer trip, suggestions please?

House of 1000 Beers in Pittsburgh is also a beer Mecca. Vintage Estates is a site to behold for sure. If you make it to Pittsburgh, we have awesome local breweries that are spreading their wings. Full Pint ships to Ohio and Florida now and Rivertowne cans 6 beers. Hit their cannery, not one of their restaurants in town. Again, Penn Brewery is also an awesome place! In fact, the Giant Eagle in Settler's Ridge has an AWESOME beer selection as well!!!

 

Agree with that.

 

House of 1,000 Beers - awesome selection, higher prices (go if you have the coin)
Vintage Estates - worth the drive. You'll get a better selection for cheaper, even though you'll spend more on gas.
Giant Eagle's Market District - great selection, but not as many singles as I'd like to see

 

Have fun on your beer run.

don't forget to pick up some Iron City. Just Kidding. Haven't been to Pittsburgh in a while, but if you can get Columbus brewing IPA there, get some. It's very good. No one has mentioned Ithaca Brewing - Flower Power yet on this post. That's a recommended must try as well if you like IPA.
In addition I agree and support buying FatHeads, Bells, Founders (All Day IPA is out this month), and Maine Brewing Lunch (but I don't think it makes it to Pittsburgh yet - someone will correct me if I'm wrong) if you can't get them in WVA.

 

Whoa, slow down there chief. That's a serious drive you got formed there. Founders to Surly is like a 10 hour drive. Almost two separate trips. Sure, there's the two ferry boats doing daily trips to Milwaukee (also a great beer state and worth it's own trip) but they ain't cheap.
Minneapolis is a beautiful city and come summer time, worth the trip alone. Good beer. Good people. Excellent art museums. Great food scene. And lakes. Lots of them.
Michigan's West Coast which is like a little beervana paired with an equal number of excellent regional wineries. Most of them are within a few hours of one another, with Bells and Dark Horse being the furthest, so it's lots of day trips and good pacing. My partner and I did that two falls ago. We sadly missed out on Odd Side ales who were closed and shorts was just a bit too far for a day trip after a good day drinking session.
To the OP. PA trip equals PA beer. Get what you cannot find anyplace else. Seriously. Most of what you mentioned brewery wise is fairly widely distributed. Get PA beer. It'll be fresher and you're supporting the locals. Also. Look for the small places who don't distribute at all and soak it in. That's really the most fun part of traveling with beer in mind.
Denver is excellent. More breweries than you can hit up and very bicycle friendly. Our air bnb friends over there are great hosts and love a good beer.
Boulder is actually on Denver's transit system. i.e. CHEAP! And their beer scene just in the city and its walkability are really something to behold.
Portland is another category where you'd need a week to get up to speed. Also very bicycle and transit friendly. Our air bnb host there has a garden which she sources nearly everything she feeds you with and loves a good beer and a chin wag.

 

do not pass on Founders stouts or Oskars deviant/ten fiddy....then get some Stone and Lagunitas.. after that ur on ur own

 

Asheville in NC is an great trip for you also. Probably not to far and full of great beer options.

 

The trifecta road trip is Dark Horse, Bells, Founders. Pure Michigan.

 

House of 1k Beers in New Ken certainly has the most rarities and whatnot in our area. As a matter of fact, I get off work in 40 minutes and will be heading there today.

D's Six Pax & Dogz in Swissvale also has a pretty sick selection.

Sharp Edge has a few locations around town and specializes in Belgiums. Pricey, but weekdays 4:30 - 6:30 is happy hour where all Belgium drafts are half off. Good way to try some expensive stuff on the low like ABT 12 and Chimay.

Fatheads, Piper's Pub, and Smokin Joes all have good selections on the south side. Among other places...lots of bars on the SS.

Also, the Church Brew Works is pretty sweet.

 

If you are going to be in Pittsburgh, get to the East End Brewing tasting room and/or to their stand in the Pittsburgh Public Market in the Strip District. It will be some of the freshest stuff you can find. You can do tastings and growlers and it is a cool place to check out. They don't bottle much but I think it is some of the best stuff brewed by a Pittsburgh brewer. The website has all the hours and details. I am from the area so any questions, please let me know.
http://www.eastendbrewing.com/

 

Unavailable in the 'Burgh.

 

I have no personal experience with Church Brew Works but:

· It won the awards for large Brewpub of the year at the 2012 GABF
· A professional brewer local to me stated that the Church Brew Works beers he drank at the 2012 GABF were excellent.

I would visit the Church Brew Works if I went to Pittsburgh.

Cheers!

 

This Just In: West Virginia borders Pennsylvania.

 

I'm drinking a Fat Heads Headhunter as I type. Go there. It's on the southside. If you want the best nachos of your life go to the Double Wide grill.

 

Only on the stuff no-one else carries. The rest of the inventory (read: the stuff you can find anywhere) is priced comparably to &, in many cases, lower than other bottleshops (with the exception of Giant Eagle).

 

Church Brew Works is best appreciated for the aesthetics, IMO.

I'd do East End, Draai Laag, Rivertowne, and then CBW.