Pittsburgh has an impressive craft beer scene that I’ve been anxious to check out this summer. There are easily fifteen breweries that I wanted to check out, but that number seemed a little too ambitious for a weekend tour. Instead I chose the six that friends recommended most highly, picked up my friend Martin, and took off for a full day of beer sampling that I hoped wouldn’t get the best of me…
HITCHHIKER BREWING CO. 190 Castle Shannon Blvd Pittsburgh PA 15228
The first stop was Hitchhiker Brewing Co., where I was immediately impressed by the huge open window looking out over the sidewalk. Their craft beers are brewed right on site with up to ten on tap at any given time. (They also have a focus on creating a low environmental impact.) The interior of the brew pub has a great industrial feel with plenty of wood and metal, and I couldn’t help but comment that if I were to design a taproom it wouldn’t be far off.
Martin and I tried a flight of three handcrafted beers, we had to pace ourselves after all. The Wheatmill was my favorite with Tumbleweed and The Barbarian in second and third. Since our tour I’ve been back to try even more brews and check out their secluded patio area out back.
THE BREW GENTLEMEN BEER COMPANY 512 Braddock Ave. Braddock, PA 15104
Across town The Brew Gentlemen was waiting for us (along with the gyro truck in the parking lot). A successful Kickstarter campaign is behind this small brewery and taproom that focuses on combining classical brewing and the culinary world. Most of their brews seem more complex than their peers, we tried both chai- and cucumber-inspired beers and I really enjoyed both. The space itself used to be an electrical supply store and now has a modern industrial feel to it with lots of wood and stainless steel. Walk around the corner from the bar and you can look down through a set of large windows to the brewery itself.
FULL PINT BREWING COMPANY 1932 Lincoln Highway North Versailles, PA 15137
Full Pint was the only brewery I’d tried before the tour, Martin had some White Lightning at his house one day. I really liked it, so had high hopes for their other brews. This stop was most like breweries I’d visited on the west coast, basically a set of huge converted garages in an industrial park – taproom on one side and brewery on the other. Lots of bright colors with the logos of each beer painted on the walls. We sampled a healthy six styles with the highpoint being that I got to try my first sour! I wasn’t sure what to expect but absolutely loved it and have been actively seeking them out ever since.
ARSENAL CIDERHOUSE 300 39th Street Pittsburgh, PA 15201
The branded fence along the perimeter of Arsenal‘s outdoor cider garden couldn’t act as a better advertisement. I’d driven by countless times before our tour, but once I walked around the the other side wanted to kick myself for waiting so long. The day we visited there was amazing live music and a smokehouse truck, so we walked around the corner to the actual brick and mortar located in an old row house to grab some cider and then lounged for a bit. (Then we spent awhile wondering why we hadn’t bought a growler… oh yeah, because we still had two more places to check out!) I could imagine wasting an entire weekend here, no problem,
ROUNDABOUT BREWERY 4901 Butler Street Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Roundabout, while having my favorite overall selection of the day, is super small inside. It was also completely packed while we were there which didn’t allow for many photos. Picture it: a back wall bar with six brews on tap and three long tables with eight stools around each. About the width of that window in the photo above and twice as deep. I really liked that the table setup made you almost have to talk with your neighbors, the way a traditional beer garden works.
DRAAI LAAG BREWING COMPANY 501 E Ohio Street Millvale, PA 15209
We ended our day at Draii Laag, coincidentally the same day they opened their big and beautiful outdoor space. This brewery focuses on Belgian-inspired ales, some of my personal favorites, but they don’t conform to styles either. I tried the Goedenacht which could only be described as a cider-mead-farmhouse ale and it was delicious. There was even a German food truck pulled up in the parking lot, and had we not been so full of beer would have jumped at the chance to partake.
We’ll be reporting back with Part 2 as soon as we recover from Part 1!
Have you ever tried babka? There are a few versions, but the one I most often see and prefer is the Jewish variety. This babka is made from a doubled and twisted length of yeast dough and is typically baked in a high loaf pan. The dough usually contains cinnamon and/or chocolate and is topped with streusel. All good things.
Click on each image to go to the recipe. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
A good graphic rug can really pull a room together, whether as the focal point or as the common denominator of color. Aelfie has knocked it way out of the park with their collection of geometric floor coverings that are blowing up with color and shape.
While we’re still a few months away from 2016 calendar roundups/madness, I couldn’t help but share this Year Round Calendar Tape that can be used any number of ways. Plan a project or the next twelve months with eight rolls of the stuff right on your walls!
Lately I’ve been unwinding by doing Thomas Pavitte’s 1,000-dot-to-dots. (I know, I’m a wild woman.) The next logical step is clearly his Querkles, color by number for adults! At first glance they’re nothing but a random arrangement of overlapping circles, but hidden within each one is a famous face waiting to be revealed. You can keep it simple and use one pen or pencil, or you can go colorful with markers or paints. Not sold? There’s even a free download!
This week on Design Crush: Johan Barrios makes graphite and watercolor look better than could ever be expected.
Crushing on ENTLER‘s ceramic lighting collection in a big way. Yung Cheng Lin explores female body modification through this digitally manipulated series.
Get in my kitchen cupboards, Cosmic Diner Collection! Lorna Simpson‘s latest work touches on interactions, relationships, and experiences in contemporary America.
It’s time to pack your modern backpack! Amanda Happé‘s bright mixed media pieces are just what the doctor ordered.
I *finally* got the office in shape and am so excited to use it more!
Check out these 11 apps you need in your life.
ABCine // An education tool for children that encourages playful exploring of the alphabet while expanding their vocabulary.
30/30 // You set up a list of tasks, and a length of time for each of them. When you start the timer, it will tell you when to move on to the next task.
Vayable // Discover and book unique experiences offered by local insiders.
