Post-Gazette Blogs

A smaller package, but a huge change

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Cases and 12-packs sit together on the shelves at Beer Express in Robinson.

Cases and 12-packs sit together on the shelves at Beer Express in Robinson.

It sort of came out of the blue a year ago. First, there was word that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board might issue an opinion that would change the legal definition of a package — as it pertains to the sales of beer — and that the change would allow distributors to sell 12-packs, for the first time ever in the state.

The following day, it was official, and the ruling set off a scramble on the part of distributors that wanted to take advantage of the newfound flexibility … and on the part of breweries that wanted to get the smaller packages into the hands of consumers.

The change came about largely because of an effort here, a push by Pistella Beer Distributors, Save-Mor Beer, Rivertowne Brewing, and the Malt Beverage Distributors Association of Pennsylvania. And the smaller packages have made a difference here as well, from the distributors that sell to the distributors — think the Vecenie Distributing warehouse in Millvale — and the distributors we visit when we want to take home some beer — think Beer Express in Robinson.

Tony Knipling, who manages a long list of craft beer brands for Vecenie, says that in the last year, he’s seen breweries step up to make new packages available to customers in Pennsylvania, even occasionally making special arrangements for mixed 12-packs that other states don’t get to enjoy.

Ryan Federbusch, the owner of Beer Express, has noticed the same thing from the breweries he carries. But he also sees the advantage to the smaller packages from the standpoint of the consumer: more variety, less expense … and a fewer stray bottles or cans from cases we grew tired of filling the beer fridge.

What they say is true: good things come in small(er) packages.

Category: Region | Tags: , ,

Reclaiming craft beer in Butler

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Mike and John Smith taste three Reclamation beers at the brewery’s pub in Butler.

Butler has always had bars, even some good ones.

But there is something different about a brew pub; it can inspire community and loyalty, and the beers themselves can become friends along with the regulars sitting next to you.

John Smith, his son Ben and their friend Ben Duncan built Reclamation Brewing on Main Street in Butler with Irish pubs in mind; not just in a physical sense — although the 125-year-old planks in the floor and the re-purposed tin ceiling tiles on the face of the bar contribute to a definite Irish feel in the space, which had been a gift shop. In the best pubs they found in Ireland — the ones that dotted the countryside towns, not the ones built for tourists in Dublin — were the community.

And that’s what they wanted for Reclamation. It’s right there on the brewery’s site:

The pub has always been and always will be a place for the community to gather, make connections, share ideas and perspectives, discuss the world, and have a great time together.

John and the Bens began brewing together years ago, as an easier alternative to the wine making they had dabbled with before. Some experimentation led to a few recipes that became regulars — a roasty milk stout, a slightly sweet pale ale and — of course — a dry Irish stout.

They’re all still regulars — Spurgeon’s, Promised Land and Egan’s, respectively — in Butler’s first brewpub, but they have regular company on the menu ranging from standards — Butler Brown, Everyman’s Red and a Belgian Wit called Wittenburg — to hot ginger pales and hefty limited-release barleywines and wee heavies.

That’s enough variety to keep regulars happy … and keep them coming back for more.

Category: Butler County | Tags:

Brewing for all Four Seasons

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Mark Pavlik

There’s nothing like a little hardware to give a new craft brewery a shot in the arm.

Latrobe’s Four Seasons Brewing Co. had made it through the hard part — finding a home, finding some capital and finding some equipment — and had been in business for not quite a year when, on a fall night in 2014, Mark Pavlik noticed that the brewery’s name kept popping up on social media.

The messages were from the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado, and they told Mr. Pavlik, the brewer and owner, that his oatmeal stout, Dark Side of the Pint, had won a silver medal for the style.

Things were going well at that point, Mr. Pavlik said, but the medal brought the kind of attention that money can’t buy. It wasn’t the only reason the brewery has been able to double capacity since then — and it’s not the sole thing behind Mr. Pavlik being able to convert what started as a growler shop into a full pub — but the hardware definitely helped.

You’ll find Dark Side of the Pint on tap — and maybe on nitro, a creamy treat — when you visit the Four Seasons pub on Lloyd Avenue Extension in Latrobe, along with some others that have become favorites of mine: Bang Bang Double IPA, a juicy bombshell that masks its alcohol-by-volume of nearly 9 percent, and Local, a crisp, hoppy American pale ale that is guaranteed to make a pizza taste twice as good.

You may also soon find Dark Side or Bang Bang in bottles or cans near you. Four Seasons recently took over an additional section of its leased building, and although he doesn’t yet know specifics, Mr. Pavlik has plans for packaging sometime soon.

And that’s great news, regardless of the season.

Post-Gazette coverage of Four Seasons Brewing:

Category: Westmoreland County | Tags: , ,

Never mind the calendar — we’re ready for spring

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You might think that it would be tough to talk about beers intended for warmer weather while it’s still snowing outside.

And you would be wrong. It’s actually easy.

And really, what’s not to like? A fluffy white ale with splash of bright, zesty ginger? An IPA with a rich, juicy — and let’s go ahead and call it dank — hop flavor?

Or a ridiculously easy-to-drink Austrian grapefruit radler?

The craft beer industry isn’t especially patient — or tied to what the rest of us think of as the seasons — which is why we see pumpkin beer on the shelves in August or why we can celebrate Halloween with our favorite Christmas ale. The industry’s spring season isn’t as well defined, but Hart Johnson, the guy who orders beer for Piper’s Pub on the South Side, says he starts thinking about a move away from heavier beers like stouts, porters or barrel-aged concoctions in February, because that’s when the sales reps that visit the pub start pushing fare that’s appropriate for warmer weather.

The profile of a spring seasonal isn’t as well defined as a malty Oktoberfest or a spiced Christmas beer either, although Mr. Johnson correctly points out there are some common threads; a turn towards lighter, brighter flavors, especially like the ginger in Roundabout’s Maui Wit or the the juicy character of the mosaic hops in The Brew Gentlemen’s Momo pale ale. It won’t be limited to spring, but you’re going to see even more pale ales and IPAs that are pushing citrusy hops — or just straightforward additions of citrus to the beer.

And, especially if we’re talking about German brewing traditions, there are styles, like marzens or maibocks, that show up when the winter weather starts to break.

And that radler? Yes, it’s true that we’re probably skipping over spring and jumping directly to mid-July with that light, fizzy and crisp mix of lager and grapefruit juice. But if you want a glass of sunshine, that’s where you can find it … even when there are still snowflakes in the air.

Category: Allegheny County | Tags:

Big choices at Smallman Galley

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will shaker

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: ,
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