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Category Archives: Pittsburgh

Big choices at Smallman Galley

Posted February 4, 2016 • 0 comment

One thing is certain: you won’t suffer for a lack of choices at Smallman Galley.

And that was part of the challenge for Will Groves, a veteran of a number of Pittsburgh restaurants, as he set out to set up a drinks program at the Strip District dining space — how does one bar cover enough ground to serve four distinct restaurants?

Smallman Galley, a two-month-old space at 2016 Smallman St., has four kitchens, four chefs and four menus, ranging from the meat-centric Provision PGH to the mostly vegetarian Carota Cafe; that could mean tough choices for Mr. Groves. But 20 taps that focus on selections that he calls “local-ish” — plus short menus of classically styled cocktails and broadly friendly wines.

With those 20 taps, assembling a rotating beer list to serve Smallman Galley was the easiest chore for Groves, because there is plenty of room for flexibility. It also helps, he said, that local breweries make great versions of straightforward styles; those beers are easier to pair with a variety of foods than are overly specific one-offs.

So whether you’re looking for a beer to go with braised sauerkraut and sausage from Aubergine Bistro or spiced mussels served on toasted ciabatta from Josephine’s Toast, Groves said you’ll be able to find something — among the taps or on the cocktail or wine lists — that will make you happy.

Post-Gazette coverage of Smallman Galley:

Category: Pittsburgh | Tags: beer and food, restaurants

For Fat Head’s fans, there’s no rivalry in beer

Posted January 7, 2016 • 0 comment

I remember my first Head Hunter IPA.

I had tasted another Fat Head’s beer before, a tripel contract-brewed in Belgium for the Carson Street saloon and craft beer bar, but this was something else entirely. I didn’t know all the details then, but I had heard about a new Fat Head’s brewpub in Cleveland … and I had heard the IPA was excellent.

And that was an understatement; loaded with rich citrus and sharp pine flavors, Head Hunter wasn’t for the faint of heart, then or now … but it is for anyone who appreciates an aggressive, well-built IPA.

Since then, the Fat Head’s empire — spanning from the South Side to Cleveland’s western suburbs and now to a new brewpub in Portland, Oregon — has grown exponentially. The brand’s portfolio grows each year and with it the list of awards it brings home from the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup.

There definitely aren’t any signs of a rivalry between Glenn Benigni, who founded Fat Head’s in Pittsburgh nearly 25 years ago, and Matt Cole, the Ohioan who oversees the Fat Head’s breweries. And although I wondered about the arrangement when I first heard of it, there was nothing contentious about starting the brewing side in Cleveland; that’s where Mr. Cole found investors and a location as he finished up a years-long stint at Rocky River Brewing, also in the Cleveland area. A Fat Head’s franchise was sold in North Olmstead, and the Fat Head’s beer soon began flowing to the South Side.

“We look at it has having two backyards,” Mr. Benigni says when asked about the two cities. “We have the best of both worlds.”

And so do we, regardless of which city we call home.

Post-Gazette coverage of Fat Head’s:

Category: Ohio, Pittsburgh | Tags: breweries, brewpubs, tap room

Spreading the cheer with beer

Posted December 10, 2015 • 0 comment

Craft beer is a solid gift any time of year, and with so many special releases to round out the calendar, you’re bound to be able to find something the beer lover on your list will appreciate.

But wrapping six packs can be tricky, and most of us don’t keep refrigerators under the tree. So I spent some time tracking down some cool beer-related gift ideas that should do better accompanying a card or tucked in a stocking.

PuzzlePax: It’s unique, it’s sturdy, it’s practically zero-waste and it’s made with lasers. We’re talking about a PuzzlePax six-pack carrier, constructed at TechShop in Bakery Square. Company founders Gio Attisano and Nick Thompson got PuzzlePax started a little over a year ago, after spending weeks coming up with a design that would hold up to repeated use and leave very little wooden waste behind. The pax, available with custom engraving through Amazon, have taken off, so get your order in soon.

East End Brewing Grains to Glass Tour: Want to know what goes into making that delicious glass of Fat Gary Brown Ale or Black Strap Stout? You can follow the process from start to finish on the aptly named Grains to Glass Tour at East End Brewing. Each tour will give users a look — and several tastes — of the craft-brewing process, from the malts used in each East End beer, to brewing, fermenting and packaging. Each tour includes several samples and a little credit to spend in East End’s gift shop or in its tap room. Book your tour in advance at the East End web site.

Boozy baking at Eliza’s Oven: What makes an apple pie even better? When a taste of whiskey is baked inside. The same goes for a steak-and-stout hand pie. Whether you’re a fan of sweet or savory, you’ll find a boozy treat you’ll love at Eliza’s Oven in Pittsburgh Public Market in the Strip. Owner Eliza Bowman began to develop a fondness for baking with beer and liquor when she realized exactly how many basic flavors have an alcoholic component, and she’s carried that expertise into dozens of recipes she serves at her shop in the market. She’s about to carry those recipes to a new storefront in Point Breeze as well; you can help out by giving her Indiegogo campaign a hand.

Carry home a crowler from Independent Brewing Co.: You probably know what a growler is, right? A refillable glass or metal container, usually holding a gallon, that brewers are happy to fill with their products. Crowlers are a newer thing, but they’re just as handy … and they may be even better for gift-giving purposes. A crowler is a 32-ounce can that is filled and sealed at a brewery or bar — in our case, with the help of Pete Kurzweg at Independent Brewing Co. in Squirrel Hill. The seal is generally tighter than the screw-on cap of a growler, so the beer inside will stay fresher longer; because it’s a can and not a glass container, there’s also no way for your precious cargo to be light struck and skunked. And if you find that your basement is filling up with dozens of growlers — or is that just me? — you’ll be pleased to hear that your empty, aluminum crowlers are simple to toss in the recycling bin.

Pittsburgh’s original Christmas beer: It doesn’t have fruit, nutmeg or cinnamon, and it’s definitely not released in October. But among all the excellent holiday beers or winter warmers, Penn Brewing’s St. Nikolaus Bock — and its big brother, St. Nikolaus Brewer’s Reserve Doppelbock — are worthy of the hype that follows winter seasonals. It’s rich and roasty, a gentle touch of sweetness and some alcohol warmth lurking in the background. Grab a six-pack at the store or a glass at the Troy Hill brewery … it’s the perfect way to spend an chilly December evening.

Category: Pittsburgh

Thankful for local beer on the table

Posted November 12, 2015 • 0 comment

Thanksgiving is just two weeks away and if you’re planning a full Thanksgiving dinner, you’ve got some decisions to make: How to cook the turkey? Sweet potatoes to go with the mashed? How many pies will be needed for dessert?

Oh, right — and what are we drinking?

Here’s a suggestion. Why don’t you skip the overly chilled bottle of chardonnay and track down a locally made beer to go with your bird?

Making the choice to serve beer isn’t hard; picking a specific beer or two, though, could feel a bit overwhelming. In the immediate area alone, there are dozens of breweries, each making multiple styles that would complement your feast. What’s the right choice to make?

Relax. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds. First off, it would be tough to come up with a wrong choice; personal preference counts for a lot in this case. But if you’re still struggling, let Meg Evans, Jake Voelker, Scott Smith, Steve Ilnicki, Michael Murphy and Andy Kwiatkowski — all pros at local craft beer businesses — give you a hand.

I asked each one for recommendations for a beer they brew or pour that would work well with a traditional Thanksgiving meal; I got responses ranging from a saison to a combination of spiced pumpkin beer and a sturdy stout. Why the picks? It might be a broad pairing with most of the dishes that will show up on your table; it might also be a notion that a hefty oatmeal stout would stand up to a smoked turkey breast.

(We asked our pros for another pick, one that they’re not responsible for making or selling; I’ll post those in a bonus video on the Beer Me Facebook page early next week.)

A bunch of choices. All available locally. I hope you can find a couple that would work on your Thanksgiving table.

Category: Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Region | Tags: breweries, brewpubs, pumpkin beers, seasonal beer, Thanksgiving

Down on the Hop Farm

Posted August 6, 2015 • 1 comment

At almost two years old, Hop Farm Brewing has a growing problem.

Owner Matt Gouwens isn’t having any problems growing ingredients for the beer he brews at 56th and Butler streets in Lawrenceville; the day we visited, he was dumping home-grown lime basil into a tank of saison that will be ready to drink in a few short weeks.

Instead, the issue was the tanks themselves — as in, Mr. Gouwens didn’t have enough of them. That was partially corrected earlier this year, when gleaming new tanks came on line, more than doubling the brewery’s storage capacity. There could be more on the way soon, if the plan — more capacity and an expansion of the brewery’s in-house tap system to include as many as 15 lines, including one that will be dedicated to barrel-aged beers — comes to fruition.

In the meantime, Mr. Gouwens will continue to churn out a full line of staples and inventive seasonals and one-offs. In the tanks this week is the aforementioned — and as yet unnamed — lime basil saison; while we talked this week, he mentioned that his first-ever hefeweizen would be replaced this fall by a dunkelweizen … or maybe even a pumpkin dunkelweizen. Those go well with the raspberry-tinged Copperhop IPA the brewery made earlier this year and a growing sours program (Remember 2014’s sour blonde Margot? A barrel-aged version will be available soon).

And if the beer isn’t enough to get you to the brewery there are a handful of events coming up in the next month or two that should. The Lawrenceville Rock All Night Tour on Aug. 15 will bring bands, beers and several food trucks to 56th Street outside the brewery. The Aug. 30 King of the Wing event is sold out, although Mr. Gouwens said a few tickets could be released later this month. And tickets for the big one — the brewery’s 2nd anniversary party Sept. 25, which will feature more than two dozen food-and-beer pairings — will go on sale towards the end of this month. And that sounds like an excellent anniversary to me.

Category: Pittsburgh | Tags: breweries, brewpubs