CraftPittsburgh Issue #18

Spring is Beer!

Voodoo’s Volunteers Meeting of the Malts NEW: Brewer Sit Down have you tried... • cooking with beer • home brewing • upcoming beer events

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CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

Join us for Pittsburgh Craft beer Week

Kegs ‘n Eggs

table of contents

editor’s letter style profile - session ipa the hoppy couple - grist house

– Breakfast features until 2 pm

the locals - elizabeth klevens

– 100% Regional Taps

– PCBW Collaboration Brews

beer geer

– Beermosas and more!

Monaca — April 18 Robinson — April 25

upcoming events hand crafted voodoo’s volunteers

road trip - baltimore, maryland

Robinson Across from Target | 412-788-2333 | @BT_Robinson Monaca Next to Macy’s | 724-728-7200 | @BT_Monaca | bocktown.com

meeting of the malts III have you tried... brew n’ chew, pours it on brewer sit down - zach gordon home brewing - schwarzbier cooking with beer - berliner weisse salmon illustrated breweries of pa - hop farm

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staff

PUBLISHER P•Scout Media, LLC

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Rob Soltis rob@craftpittsburgh.com

MANAGING EDITOR Mike Weiss mike@craftpittsburgh.com

COPY EDITOR Melanie Huber

CONTRIBUTORS Brian Meyer, Dino Juklo, Beth Kurtz Taylor, Joe Tammariello, Amanda Stein, Mike Weiss, Mindy Heisler-Johnson, Hart Johnson, Suzanne Meyer, Frank Cunniff, Nils Balls, Jack Smith

PHOTOGRAPHERS Mike Weiss, Tim Burns, Malcolm Frazer, Heather Mull

AD SALES sales@craftpittsburgh.com

CREATIVE

CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

Soltis Design soltisdesign.com

FATHEADS.COM

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FOR INFORMATION ON CONTRIBUTING EDITORIAL CONTENT OR PLACING DISPLAY ADVERTISING PLEASE CONTACT US AT INFO@CRAFTPITTSBURGH.COM Craft Pittsburgh is issued bi-monthly by P•Scout Media, LLC. All information and materials in this magazine, individually and collectively, are provided for informational purposes. The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of P•Scout Media, LLC., nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without expressed written permission from the publisher.

Advertisements are subject to the approval of P•Scout Media, LLC. P•Scout Media, LLC. reserves the right to reject or omit any advertisement at any time for any reason.

Advertiser assume responsibility and complete liability for all content in their ads.

editor’s letter

well, that escalated quickly

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he plan this year was for the magazine to increase page count by four in each issue. With everything going on locally this issue is a little bigger than expected. Since the last issue, two new breweries have opened and more will open before our next issue in May. Some of our favorite establishments are on the verge of second, even third locations. There are beer festivals nearly every other weekend and smaller events almost every night. It’s an exciting time to be a beer lover in Pittsburgh and that is solely because of you.

With that being said, it’s nearly impossible for a bi-monthly print magazine to be a source of breaking news. There are now countless local daily publications, websites, blogs and twitter accounts devoted to just that.

So, what are we to do? Well, we aren’t even going to try to compete with that here. What we are going to do is dig a little deeper for our stories, go behind the scenes a little more. Not just focus on what’s going on but how, why, and who’s doing it.

Another thing you’re going to notice is a slightly wider range of topics.

While our main focus will always be beer, there are a lot of other great things going on in the city we think you’d be interested in. People that drink craft beer tend to be pretty rad folks. We like good food, and want to know where it comes from. We love shopping local and supporting small businesses. We love our pets and we support the arts. So why not talk about those things too? But let’s be honest, most of the time it’s still probably going to relate to beer.

So enjoy this issue and let us know what you think of the new features, and know this is really just the beginning.

My daily carry. Find out what that’s all about on page 27

CraftPittsburgh.com

Cheers,

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style profile Written by Brian Meyer

Session IPA

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n a world of imperial stouts and double IPAs, there is a growing movement towards lower alcohol beers. While a 9% IPA is great, it’s hard to enjoy a few of them in a row while staying on your feet.

Session beers are the answer to this problem, and when done correctly, a session beer provides a healthy dose of flavor and aroma while keeping the ABV manageable.

Mouthfeel is often light and smooth, but this depends on the malts used.

Overall, Session IPAs are moderately hoppy, big on aroma, and are usually lacking the fruitiness and hop finish of a typical IPA. This shouldn’t deter a would-be session IPA drinker though, as the lighter body and taste help these beers to be easier to drink and enjoy in session.

While many breweries aim high regarding ABV, quite a few are adding session IPAs to their lineup to give hop heads the bitter, yet balanced flavor we love in IPAs without the 7-10% ABV that usually comes with them.

Session IPAs feature pale malt as well as some specialty malts for color and body. Hops can vary dramatically depending on the desired taste and aroma. Basically a session IPA uses the same ingredients as a standard IPA, but in less volume. This doesn’t mean a session IPA is just a scaleddown IPA however, as the proportions are adjusted to give the final product a strong taste and aroma, just with a lower alcohol content.

What is a Session Beer?

Basically, a session beer is defined as any beer no higher than 5% ABV that still features a strong flavor and aroma.There is no specific guideline when it comes to session beers, but more often than not they average around 4.5% ABV. So why call them a session beer? The term came about as a way of talking about how the beers are drank, in a session. Instead of higher alcohol beers that are meant to be savored and enjoyed slowly, session beers are ones that are meant to come a few at a time. This doesn’t mean a session beer is about getting drunk, just the opposite. 4-5% ABV is ideal for roughly a beer an hour while staying sober. If the idea is to enjoy a night of drinking without needing to take a cab home, session beers are the answer.

Session IPA

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IPAs are quite possibly the most popular style of beer today, with substyles including white IPA, red IPA, black IPA, Belgian IPA, and some others. The BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) defines an IPA as being between 5-7% ABV. While you might not think that one or two more percent will matter, when drinking a few beers at a time, it most certainly does.

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The specifications of a session IPA are similar to that of a standard IPA, with the exception of the ABV content. Expect these to have a golden to light copper color, often with an orange tint.The lower alcohol means less grains used, which can affect the deepness of the color.

When talking about flavor, hop presence is often less than a typical IPA, with a focus on the aroma. For this reason, session IPAs tend to be very aroma-forward. Too much hop flavor can overpower the malt bill and unbalance an otherwise amazing beer. Malt character is low to medium, usually just enough to balance out the hops.

Ingredients

Commercial Examples Some readily available commercial examples of session IPAs include: • All Day IPA from Founder’s Brewing Co. • Anniversary 19 Ale by Victory Brewing Co. • Pinner IPA by Oskar Blues Brewery • DayTime by Lagunitas Brewing Co. • Bitter American from 21st Amendment • Hob Knobber by Full Pint Brewing Co. • Little Hop by East End Brewing.

• Sunshine Daydream by Fat Head’s Brewery Many session IPAs are seasonal, relying on fresh hops to get the most flavor and aroma from them, but many others are available year round. While session IPA isn’t a recognized style yet, the session beer movement is growing, and more breweries are recognizing that people want more than the highest ABV beer they can find. It’s hard to hit the perfect balance between flavor, aroma, and alcohol content, but when done correctly, session IPAs are a great way to enjoy your favorite beers all night long.

Brian founded and writes for pghcraftbeers.com and craftbeeracademy.com.

Spring Forecast: Amazing Variety

HUNDREDS OF DOMESTIC, IMPORT AND CRAFT BEERS NOW AVAILABLE in over 30 Giant Eagle and Market District CafĂŠs in western PA

For store locations or more information, please visit: GiantEagle.com/Beer.

Not all items available in all locations. Restrictions apply. See store for details.

the hoppy couple

Grist House Brewing 10 Sherman Street, PGH 15209 • gristhousebrewing.com

The Hoppy Couple is one part Joe Tammariello and one part Amanda Stein.Amanda is the charitable creative type, while Joe is the nerdy eccentric type. Together we make a perfect brew, har har. We don’t consider ourselves beer experts but we spend a good bit of our free time exploring the city and sampling all of the food and drink it has to offer. We also try our hand at brewing beer from time to time at our home in Swissvale. We hope that our points of view will pour a well-rounded pint of our experiences with Pittsburgh’s local craft beer scene. Say “Cheers!” if you see us out!

Joe

Location

Grist House is located in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Millvale, only a few miles from the city, and it was very easy to find. The brewery offers a small parking lot that will hold about 10 vehicles, but there is also plenty of street parking. We had no problem finding a spot on the street.

Beer

The beer selection at Grist House was great.

They had porters, stouts, Belgians, pale ales, and even a few seasonal beers. My personal favorites were the late season ‘FrankenGrist’ (7.0% ABV) which is a pumpkin brown ale, and the ‘Double Vice Coffee Porter’ (6.2% ABV) which features local coffee from the Allegheny Coffee and Tea Exchange. Both beers had a unique character and went down smooth. For the non-beer drinker they also offer Arsenal Cider and wine from the Pittsburgh Winery.

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Atmosphere

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The staff was very helpful and prompt, and happy to tell you more about their beer than what the menu detailed. Though it was somewhat busy, we were able to snag a table and quickly get to the tastin’, receiving our flight of beer samples within five minutes of arriving.

Speaking of tables, their tables were actually old beer aging barrels, which was pretty creative.

The crowd was typical of most brew pubs: mostly couples (it was Valentine’s Day) and

even a few babies. Oh yeah, this place is kid and pet friendly, too – they even have a water bowl for your dog! Music was playing but not at an overly loud volume. From what I could hear it was a decent soundtrack.

Food

Sadly, the Pittsburgh Taco Truck had to cancel their appearance due to the weather the night we were there. Grist House has food trucks often though, and the Pittsburgh Taco Truck is always one of the best.

Amanda Location

It was a neat feeling to be hidden away in Millvale drinking craft beers while surrounded by family homes - you feel like you’re part of the neighborhood. While we were there I even ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in over five years!

She was tasting her way through the Pittsburgh beer scene and suggested we check out Draai Laag Brewing Company, which was within walking distance from Grist House.

Beer

Grist House offers sample flights, which is a nice way to try a little bit of everything. You can get 5 oz. samples ranging from $2.00 to $4.00 each, depending on the ABV, and let me just say they have some deliciously high-octane brews. My personal favorites were Camp Slap Red (6.4% ABV) which is an American Red Ale, and Master of the Galaxy (7.8% ABV) which is a double IPA.

Camp Slap Red was brewed with citra hops, which made it taste almost like a west coast IPA (my favorite). I’m guessing Master of the Galaxy got its name from the galaxy hops used in brewing, but either way, the flavor is out of this world. They also sell different sizes of growlers so clearly I needed to buy one full of Camp Slap Red.

Atmosphere

The deck that greets you at Grist House is enclosed and heated in the winter, adding extra space and privacy. Once you’re inside enjoying your beer you should take a moment to enjoy the view as well: unique lighting fixtures, custom tap handles, hand drawn beer menu art to fit the season, and the actual brewery itself! That’s right – you get a full view of the brewery so you can see where the magic happens. And ladies, let’s not forget the restrooms. We can all appreciate a clean and inviting restroom, and Grist House did not disappoint.

Food

It’s always a sad day in the ‘Burgh when you miss out on a planned Pittsburgh Taco Truck outing, but luckily Joe cooked us some fantastic filet mignons before we left for Grist House.

Definitely not our usual weekend dinner, but it was Valentine’s Day. Overall, we really enjoyed Grist House Brewing: great beer, fair prices, and a cool atmosphere.

We definitely recommend adding this to your ‘breweries to try’ list. We know we’ll be back to see what kinds of beer they come up with next and to find some new favorites.

the locals

Written by Beth Kurtz Taylor

Elizabeth Klevens Mosaic Artist @ elizabethklevensmosaics.com

We don’t need to tell you that most craft beer enthusiasts are pretty cool people. So we thought :why not get to know a few locals that have a good story or you wouldn’t expect to enjoy a good beer.”

Do you or someone you know fit the bill? Let us know!

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lizabeth Klevens’ work with glass ranges in scale from pendant jewelry to ambitious projects like the restoration of mosaic work in Pittsburgh’s historic Union Trust building. Those who associate their passion for craft beer with biking are probably familiar with her installations at the OTB South Side and North Park Boathouse locations. Her love of riding, nature, and good beer often show up in Elizabeth’s pieces which are found in other business establishments, such as House of 1000 Beers and Hollywood Gardens, as well as private homes.

How long have you been riding?

Well, it depends on how you look at it. I got my first tricycle when I was six. I started mountain biking in 1985. I got a mountain bike from a friend of mine that was an 18 inch Jamis Dakar. It was way too big for me. He took me out and it was a lot of fun. Scary and fun. I fell in love with it.

So beer and mountain biking, what’s your take on the connection?

Well it’s the, the culture of people around it, like craft beer. I don’t remember having anything but good beer since I was allowed to drink. Having a beer after you ride seemed to go so well with it. A nice refreshing drink afterwards, there’s always the idea that it has B vitamins and it’s good for you! I don’t know how much truth there is to that. It was always just a nice thing to do afterwards.

business”. I had painted, done portrait work and other art, but I never felt that it was something I could make a living at. I really trusted his response to it. I took some classes at the glass center and I put myself out there as a fuse glass mosaic artist and did some jewelry, but I really love doing big installations.

How did you first start integrating your love of beer into your art?

Well, beer bottles are glass. At first when I was making glass pieces, it was just out of my head. So what was lying around my house was just beer bottles and beer bottle caps, all that sort of extra stuff. So at the glass center I just started cutting beer bottles in half lengthwise.

Then a friend of mine wanted me to make a beer sign for his bar out at Hollywood Gardens and I used them in that.

When you do a commissioned piece for a beer establishment, what influences the design?

It depends on what the owner wants, obviously.

When I did the stuff at OTB at North Park, they didn’t give me many parameters. They wanted a lot of light and a lot of color and then the beer sign over the cooler. We walked around his establishment and he said, “Beers and bikes”. And like, here he wants me to do

a piece and I sent him a lot of pictures, but he actually has an idea, he wants his logo. Like Hollywood Gardens, same thing, they wanted their logo and he had a very specific sign that he wanted to go to his beer cave. It had a big arrow, some bottles in it.

You’ve been spotted around town pouring beer at tasting events.

How did you get into that?

Friends of ours started a tasting business where we go around and teach people about beer. There are so many choices and so many craft breweries showing up that people wanted to learn about them. They were overwhelmed with work almost immediately. So they called out to friends, who knew about beer and were good presenters. We get a schedule every month and get to choose when we go give away free beer and free stuff and get paid for it. We get to do a lot of beers that we like and some that we’ve never tried before. The Stewards of Beer is the name of the business.

So what are some of your favorite Pittsburgh breweries?

East End, I love the people and what they’ve done with their beer. I really like his style of beer, Scott’s done a nice job with that.

Tell me a bit about your history as a mosaic artist? How long have you been doing that?

I started messing around, probably around 2008. I made a bicycle mosaic on an old table we had, just playing around. I had seen one on a building downtown, and I really liked it and wanted to try it. I posted a picture of it and a friend of mine, who is an amazing artist, wrote underneath, “You should do that as a

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What is your favorite beer after a long ride?

That’s a hard one, a Dale’s probably. Like session beers, not too much alcohol. I tend personally to get sort of dehydrated a little bit, so I don’t want anything real big. Stouts are nice, but Dales is my go to beer.

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beer geer

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uzzlePax is a Pittsburgh based company founded in 2014 by Gio Attisaon and Nick Thompson, a team of creative beer drinkers tired of flimsy paper six pack holders that tear when wet or end up in the trash. They solved this problem with a reusable wooden six pack carrier that’s easily assembled like a puzzle. No nails or messy glue needed.

It usually takes the average beer geek 2-5 minutes to assemble. They hold ‘PuzzlePax Races’ and invite a group of people to race to put together a disassembled PuzzlePax, with the winner receiving a custom carrier full of beer.

They are easily disassembled to pack flat for transport or to save space, however they caution that frequent assembling and disassembling can cause wear on the cross beams. That being said, if any cross braces are broken in this manner they will gladly replace for the price of shipping.

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After finding success in our local market, they scaled up production and sell to several major craft breweries, home brewers across the country, and even national grocery stores. They are a zero waste company and their main goal is to bring some sustainability, functionality, and fun to the world of beer, which they are both very passionate about.

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Gio and Nick credit having an amazing space to work out of, like TechShop as one of the main driving factors that has helped their business grow to the level it has. PuzzlePax is just one of many small businesses that have started and continue to grow there. Around the shop they are known as the “six pack guys” and that is a title that they are very happy with.

You can purchase your very own, one of a kind PuzzlePax from puzzlepax.com or on Amazon. $25 blank, $29.99 stock design, $34.99 custom text.

upcoming events

For a full list of upcoming events visit CraftPittsburgh.com March • 2 Craft Beer Industry Night @ Caliente • 7 PGH Rugby Club Brewfest @ Sheraton, Station Square • 8 H ell with the Lid Off Barleywine Festival @ Kelly’s Bar & Lounge

• 8 Apis Meadery & 99 Bottle Brunch @ Alter Bar • 12 Tiki 101 w/ Lucky the Painproof Man @ Maggie’s Farm • 14 Beer + Ice Cream Sandwiches @ The Brew Gentlemen • 14 Gratitude Barleywine Release @ East End Brewing • 15 Kiss Me I’m Irish Brew Tour @ PA Brew Tours

April • 2 Craft Beer Industry Night @ Caliente • 4 Millvale MashUp Brewery Tour @ PA Brew Tours • 10 Brewer’s Ball @ Wyndham Grand

4/17 - 4/26

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS PITTSBURGHCRAFTBEERWEEK.COM

• 17 Blood, Sweat & Beer Screening @ Row House Cinema • 18 Beer Barge @ The Gateway Clipper • 25 Pedal Pale Ale keg Ride @ East End Brewing • 25 Oyster Fest @ Blue Dust

May

CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

• 6 Craft Beer Industry Night @ Caliente • 9 Pittsburgh Brewery Tour @ PA Brew Tours • 9 Pints for Pets @ People Natural Gas Field • 11-17 American Craft Beer Week • 16 B eers of the Burgh @ 97 40th Street, Lawrenceville

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Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk.

That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.

-Ernest Hemingway

hand crafted

Hoptastic Preserves

Berry Patch Jams Written by Beth Kurtz Taylor

We know Pittsburgh is full of creative and independent craftsmen. As it turns out, not all of them brew beer. Drink and shop local.

Brenda and her husband Scott purchased a U-pick blueberry farm in New Florence, Pennsylvania a little over ten years ago and sold their berries for four weeks every year at the Ligonier Country Market. As the market runs for 20 weeks, the Carters expanded their varieties of berries to include blackberries, raspberries and elderberries, all hand-picked and never treated with chemical fertilizers or sprays. Scott’s mother taught Brenda the art of making and canning preserves.Transforming some of their crops into flavorful jams allowed the Carters to work the market for the entire season. In October 2008 they were one of the first vendors in The Pittsburgh Public Market, where they met the folks at East End Brewing.

Brenda experiments with most of what East End offers. The biggest selling beer jellies have been Black Strap Stout and Big Hop, but other varieties have been cooked up using many EEBC products including Coffee Porter, Monkey Boy, Along Came a Cider, Fat Gary, and Pedal Pale Ale. The East End/Berry Patch partnership extends beyond the jellies: the local craft brewery uses berries from the farm in their seasonal beers such as BlueberRye or BlackberrRye.

So you say you’ve never tried beer jelly? What culinary delights can be concocted with it?

Lovers of the product have been known to: • a dd it to an egg salad sandwich, or any sandwich - come up with your own creative pairings!

• g laze a pork roast with the Black Strap Stout • dip some pumpernickel pretzels into the Snow Melt Jelly (yes there is Snow Melt Jelly - it’s a favorite in my house!)

• use it as a condiment on your cheese board, like they have been known to do at The Supper Club in Greensburg • stir some into a soup or chili for an extra layer of flavor that will keep your guests guessing • melt some into a sauce when deglazing a sauté pan after cooking chicken or pork Experiment with some of these ideas: Berry Patch Salad Dressing * - 1/2 cup olive oil - 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar - 1 tablespoon any flavor Berry Patch jam or jelly - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional) - salt & pepper to taste - Whisk ingredients together and enjoy over your favorite salad. *I tried this formula using Snow Melt Jelly, white balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of Dijon. It was fantastic on a spinach and baby kale salad with chopped hard-boiled egg and bacon! Also works well with any of their hot fruit jams.

Hoppy Glazed Chicken - 1 /2 cup of your favorite Berry Patch Beer Jelly - j uice and zest of 1 lime

- fresh chopped herbs of choice (parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, tarragon, etc.)

- Warm the beer jelly, lime zest, and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat and add fresh chopped herbs of your choice.

- Grill chicken as usual; finish by glazing with beer jelly glaze.

Note: sugar content of jelly will burn if left on grill too long. Glaze quickly at the end.

If you are baking the chicken you can glaze right away; reserve some glaze for when you remove chicken from the oven.

The additive and preservative-free Berry Patch Jams and Jellies can be purchased at the locations listed below. You may want to call ahead to ensure your favorites are in stock at these Pittsburgh locations.

Olive & Marlow 5975 Broad Street Pittsburgh, PA 15206 412-362-1942 Wheel and Wedge Pittsburgh Public Market 2401 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 wheelandwedge@gmail.com B. Gourmet 428 Beaver Street Sewickley, PA 15143 412-741-6100 The Berry Patch Café 110 West Church Street Ligonier, PA 15658 724-238-4714 Ligonier Country Market Loyalhanna Watershed Farm Intersection of West Main and Route 30 Ligonier PA, 15658

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all it fate or serendipity, but when the Pittsburgh Public Market positioned Berry Patch Jams and Jellies next to East End Brewing’s growler shop in 2010, a sweet, savory, and unusual condiment, if you will, was born. After first developing a successful line of fruit as well as hot berry and jalapeno jams, Brenda Carter focused her preserving skills on wine jellies. They sold well at that venue as well as the Ligonier Country Market. An East End employee approached Brenda and her husband, Scott, with an idea.

“You make wine jellies, how about trying some with beer.” She gave it a try and the rest is history.

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Voodo Volunteers Homestead’s Love Child The historic steel town borough of Homestead has been on the decline since its mills closed their doors for good decades ago, but Voodoo Brewery’s new location may just be the next source of prosperity for the community.

Home to the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, St. Mary Magdalene Church and Carnegie Library, Homestead is a district that has seen better days, but like its landmarks, continues to live on and remind people what once was and perhaps more importantly, what could be. This

is what inspired the folks at Voodoo to turn one of its oldest buildings, the municipal hall, into an outlet where the community could come together and have a great time while they enjoy the fruits of their labor.

“We took the oldest fire and police station in the city of Pittsburgh and reformed it into a place that sells great beer,” said Jake Voelker, general manager of the new satellite pub.

Voodoo Brewery began eight years ago in Meadville, PA under owner and head brewer Matt Allyn. It is comprised of a group of guys with drastically different backgrounds who found a common ground in producing “fun, flavorful and thought-provoking” libations.

The decision to open a second location in Homestead only felt natural as Pittsburgh’s craft beer scene has been on the rise.

Voelker, who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, embraces the company’s philosophy of diversity and hosts a Veteran’s Night at the brewery each Monday.

“Essentially we are a group of guys who take a ton of passion into what we make and what we do and we all bring different things to the table,” said Voelker.

“We saw Pittsburgh as being a really great market for us and we basically wanted to take our product (that we take a lot of pride in) as close to Pittsburgh as we could. We started about a year ago and closed on the building in July.”

From the beginning, the project was a roll of the dice. The municipal building, which is over a century old and had been empty for about 20 years, needed an immense amount of

oo’s

Written by Dino Juklo, photos by Mike Weiss spending hours upon hours a day painting the ceilings atop a scaffolding. A product of creativity, local artists contributed to the visual experience which includes a multitude of chalk drawings and portraits. The signatures of the 160 volunteers that participated adorn the wall above the bar.

Voodoo was so impressed by their dedication that many of them were hired on after the work was complete. John Davis, Christine Davis, Mike Finley and Andrew Jockers stood out as interns aspiring to become part of the craft beer industry.

They are now all paid staff members.

“It turned into this experience that was incredibly transformative for me. I don’t have enough positive things to say about the people of Homestead.

They’re just people that cared about either good beer or good people or about the neighborhood.

We’ve built relationships with them that’ll last forever,” added Voelker.

Two lifelong Homestead residents, Karen and her husband David (who may or may not have spent a few nights in the station’s jail cells in his younger

“We couldn’t believe the response. We had 75 volunteers come in just two days. On the first weekend we had a couple fly in from in from Chicago to volunteer. I think that says something about the community we work in. I’m not talking about just Voodoo, but the entire craft beer community. It’s about people that take risks and people that support them,” said Voelker.

The work ranged from cleaning up mountains of garbage and debris that filled the space to

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work done to it long before any beer would be poured within its walls. This is where the volunteers came in. As soon as word got out that the new pub was coming to town, the people of Homestead came to the old fire and police station and had only one question: “What can we do to help?”

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days), were among those who helped out on the project. Now in their 60s, they’ve been around long enough to see the area rise, fall and now rise yet again.

coolers, setting up the merchandise booth, painting, and lot of mopping.

“We knew what it was like when it was a prosperous place to live, and then it went down.

It’s wonderful to see it back up,” said Karen, whose husband used to work at Carrie Furnace, a part of the old Homestead Steel Works.

The two consider themselves craft beer enthusiasts and spend much of their time sampling different breweries in the Pittsburgh area. They praise the local craft beer scene for giving them the chance to meet interesting people who lead to lasting friendships.

The feeling of giving back to the neighborhood is what drove the couple to spend their weekends helping to transform the old building into a place where the community could get together and enjoy fantastic beer.

“I’m happy to see that something is coming back.This is amazing considering what it looked like when we first walked in,” said Karen.

Another couple, Al and Denise of Gibsonia, frequented the Meadville location before learning that Voodoo was opening up another spot closer to home. They joined the volunteer efforts without a second thought.

“Pittsburgh people are very willing to lend a hand,” said Denise.

The couple practiced what they preached as they happily aided the restoration process for six weekends straight. Some of their duties included assembling the bar stools, filling the

“I thought it would take at least a year to clean this place up, yet here we are,” said Al.

“You always meet the nicest people and they’re always willing to talk to you,” said Denise.

The couple are proud of Voodoo’s success and look forward to future developments.

“We just want them to do well. I can’t wait for the food truck!”

Voodoo currently has nine regularly available beers: Big Black Voodoo Daddy, HooDoo, Cowbell, Good Vibes, Wynona’s Big Brown Ale, White Magick of the Sun, Voodoo Love Child, KillaPilz and Gran Met.A barrel room collection release is coming up March 14, and plans for a food truck in the spring are already in place. A full kitchen is currently under construction but starting March 6, every Friday night there will be a few tasty items to go with the exceptional beer. Future developments also include a dining room and possibly a coffee shop.

When asked how Voodoo’s brews stack up to other Pittsburgh craft beers, Voelker simply stated, “Our flavors are very developed. They’re older recipes at this point and have really stood the test of time.”

Much like Voodoo’s beers, the community of Homestead continues to endure. As people now flock to many of Pittsburgh’s formerly not-so-well-off neighborhoods to witness their revivals, Homestead has the makings to become the next local hotspot.

“Craft beer speaks to everybody. We had everybody from firefighters to doctors to lawyers to laborers to service workers to bartenders who just wanted to come and see what we have going on. I think that’s the real story that happened here…that this wouldn’t have happened without volunteers,” said Voelker.

“It’s not only about selling beer; it’s about building a community, too.”

Voodoo Homestead is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3 pm to 10 pm, Thursday and Friday from 3 pm to 12 am, and Saturday and Sunday from 12 pm to 12 am. For more information on Voodoo, visit their website at voodoobrewery.com.

e s i t r adve

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CraftPittsburgh.com

info@craftpittsburgh.com

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road trip Story and photos by Hart Johnson

Baltimore, Maryland

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ne thing about Pittsburgh: no matter where we are in the Greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area, we’re really never more than thirty minutes away from any spot in the city (rush hour traffic and Tunnel Monsters aside).We’re also not more than a few hours away from many other metropolitan areas - metropolitan areas that are also awash in delicious beer and food not always found in our area.

Sitting just over four hours away, Baltimore, Maryland has been the one thing to look forward to during the winter doldrums. Sure, the Heavy Seas Beer and Oyster Fest may have something to do with that, but don’t tell anyone else my secret turning next

Breweries & Brewpubs

Heavy Seas | hsbeer.com Sitting on the outskirts of town, this survivor of the 1990s microbrewery fallout has been an example of how to evolve and survive. Occupying a large warehouse, their taproom is open Wednesday through Sunday and offers growler fills, retail sales, cask ales and the occasional food truck. Brewery tours are available by appointment, and they host 4-6 festivals each year.

CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

The Brewers Art | thebrewersart.com Due north of downtown, this gothic brewpub offers Belgian-inspired beer, a New American food menu, full bar, and lots of rules about what can be eaten where and when. If looking for dinner plans, make a reservation.

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Union Craft Brewing | unioncratbrewing.com Just off of I-83, north of the city, Union’s tap room is open for a pint or beer to-go during happy hour Thursday and Friday evenings, and for tours and beer to-go Saturday afternoons. Food trucks on occasion.

Pratt Street Alehouse | prattstreetalehouse.com Large downtown sports brewpub with about a dozen house-made beers and ~6 guest taps.

Food menu is full of pub favorites. Reservations recommended on weekends.

Jailbreak Brewing | ailbreakbrewing.com Brand-spanking new brewery 45 minutes southwest of the city. Adventurous beers with tap hours Wednesday - Saturday featuring pints, tours (Saturdays only by reservation) and food trucks.

Pubs & Restaurants

Max’s Taphouse | maxs.com The biggest and baddest tap list around, right in the heart of Fells Point. Seventy taps, four handpumps, a couple hundred bottles, and a mixture of Natty Bohchugging college kids & whale hunting beer geeks.

Pub food available.

Of Love and Regret | ofloveandregret.com Stillwater Brewing’s Tap House and Kitchen, located due east of downtown. Adventurous, chef-driven food menu with loads of Stillwater beer on tap along with guests taps, a full bar, and a bottle shop upstairs full of obscure surprises.

Alewife | alewifebaltimore.com A New American Pub in downtown Baltimore with forty well curated taps, a full bar, and critically acclaimed pub food. Reservations recommended on weekends.

Hamilton Tavern | hamiltontavern.com Small, rustic tavern north of the city. A dozen taps focusing on local beer, a full bar focused on local booze, and possibly, the best burger on the planet.

Birds of a Feather Old-school whisky bar in Fells Point with the best selection of single malt Scotch in the city. Passable beer selection, but seriously, that’s not why you’re there.

Beer Stores

The Wine Source | the-wine-source.com I’m sure there are other places in the city, but the

Wine Source is conveniently on your way out of the city, chock full of craft & obscure imported beer, wine from across the globe, all manners of distilled things, cheese, cured meats, and even coffee.

CraftPittsburgh.com

There’s a starter course on Baltimore. Now tell me everything I missed so I can go there next year‌.

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MEETING of the MALTS III Written by Brian Meyer, photos by Heather Mull - courtesy of Brewers of Pennsylvania

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hat happens when you put the owners from three competing businesses on one stage and ask them some questions? If you’re in any industry other than craft beer, the results would probably be pretty spectacular, but not in a good way. In the craft beer world, however, this meeting of the minds results in a conversation that oozes collaboration and mutual respect.

The Meeting of the Malts III was held on January 22nd at The Priory Hotel’s Grand Hall. This, the third edition of the event which is organized by the Brewers of Pennsylvania, featured Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing from Downingtown, Chris Trogner of Tröeg’s Brewing from Hershey, and Scott Smith of East End Brewing right here in Pittsburgh, each the owner or co-owner of his respective brewery.

The Meeting of the Malts III took the format of a gourmet beer dinner in five courses, featuring a beer from one of the three host breweries with each course. The pairings were well-thought-out and expertly prepared. The host for the evening was Pittsburgh’s own Bob Batz Jr. from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who posed questions to the trio ranging from growth to their love of all things local.

The crowd for this event was heavily weighted in the beer professional category, showing just how great the event truly was. Pennsylvania brewers from all around the area came out as well as local wholesalers, brewery representatives, beer media, and of course people just all about great beer.This combination of people helped the conversations in the crowd to be nearly as interesting as those on the stage.

The Brewers of Pennsylvania

Before going any further, it’s important to thank the Brewers of Pennsylvania (BOP), a non-profit trade organization that is the official guild of PA for brewers. The organization helps to protect craft brewers throughout the state and ensure any support they may need is available.

Basically, it’s organizations like the Brewers of Pennsylvania that help to represent the interests of craft brewers in Pennsylvania on both local and state levels. Along with governmental support, The BOP helps Pennsylvania brewers to connect with one another, to share ideas, and get assistance when it’s needed.

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention PFE Corp., Vecenie Distributing, and North Country Brewing for sponsoring the Meeting of the Malts III. They definitely helped to make it a great evening full of good food, great beer, and some real insight into the mind of a brewer.

Meeting of the Malts III

Bill Covaleski from Victory Brewing started the discussion off by saying how happy he was to be in what he calls “a veteran class of brewers,” which couldn’t be truer.The first round of questions for the trio started with the Pittsburgh craft beer market and our love for all things hoppy, or as Bill put it, “bitter beers for happy people.”

While we do love our hoppy beers in Pittsburgh, Victory and Tröeg’s best-selling beers in the Pittsburgh area are some of their least bitter

beers. For Tröeg’s the winner is Troegenator, and for Victory it’s Golden Monkey. East End Brewing’s best-selling beer is hoppy, however, being their Big Hop Harvest.

While the conversation with the three brewers waxed and waned throughout dinner, the most interesting parts of the night came when Bob Batz Jr. asked each of the three to use their crystal balls and look into the future of craft beer. Scott, Chris, and Bill all agree that the future of craft beer will rely on all things local, including growing ingredients locally as well as local sales, but Bill from Victory added that he also sees lower ABV beers like his Anniversary 19 session IPA gaining popularity as well.

When talking about growth, Scott from East End said it best by citing that even though we’ve seen a boom in craft breweries in the past few years, we are only now approaching the number of breweries seen in this country before prohibition. All three brewers easily shot down the question of the “craft beer bubble”, and while they are all veterans in their field, they each see more than enough room for others to join.

Colleagues or Competitors?

Back to the idea of competitors - when the question came up regarding whether or not each of the three saw each other as competitors or colleagues, the answer was one of resounding unity. While there is definitely competition in the craft beer world, brewers tend to not allow this to carry over to themselves. Craft beer only accounts for 10% of total beer sold in the United States, which means the increasing number of craft breweries are all vying for a somewhat small piece of the pie.

This seems like a recipe for competition and secrecy, but as Bill, Chris, and Scott all agreed, they should never overlook the quality of unity.

The Brewers of Pennsylvania help to strengthen this idea by allowing brewers across Pennsylvania to join forces and work together to further the cause of craft beer. Scott from East End Brewing put it best by saying, “I don’t want to take over the world, I just want to make beer.”

The Pairings

While the conversation was great, the beer and food pairings definitely can’t be overlooked. The night started off with an opening pint of Victory’s Hop Ticket Black IPA. This toasty yet bitter beer was the perfect way to relax while everyone found their seats.

The first course consisted of a candied beet and gorgonzola cheese on watercress salad with a raspberry stout vinaigrette, paired with Tröeg’s Jovial Belgian Style Dubbel Ale. Next up for course two was a porter style French onion soup with a goat cheese crouton, served with East End Brewing’s Old Nebby Stock Ale. This was possibly my favorite pairing of the night, as the body and saltiness of the soup paired perfectly with the stronger stock ale.

For course three, we enjoyed spicy shrimp with an orange habanero reduction on a jicama slaw, served with Victory’s Golden Monkey Tripel.

The slight spice of the shrimp mated perfectly with the sweetness and body of Golden Monkey.

Course four consisted of chipotle-glazed sirloin filets on red beans and rice with a cilantro onion relish, paired with Tröeg’s Perpetual IPA. This is a classic pairing that pits the full flavor of an IPA against the meaty taste and texture of grilled meat.

The night wrapped up with course number five: a pecan tart finished with a port maple reduction and fresh whipped cream, served with East End Brewing’s Homewood Reserve.This beer is their Black Strap Stout aged in bourbon barrels, giving it a solid bourbon body while keeping the character of their year-round stout. This was an amazing pairing that made me want to have beer with every dessert from now on.

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CraftPittsburgh.com

have you tried?

Written by Hart Johnson, photo by Tim Burns

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1. Sierra Nevada | Nooner 5.2% - Pilsner - sierranevada.com

2.5% - Kombucha - inglobwetrust.com

good, doesn’t it? So anyway, SCOBY is a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria & Yeast. SCOBY. If, by some chance, you run in some circles of awesome weird people and you mention your love of kombucha, you could end up with your own SCOBY sitting in a mason jar looking like some sort of weird pancake in a jar. Anyway, a couple of years ago someone with legal grounds discovered that commercially-made kombucha had a bit of alcohol, therefore kombucha brewers must be beer brewers, and here we have Pennsylvania’s Oldest Kombucha Brewery. Brewed on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Since 2012. This here is their Black Tea & Lemon version, so lemony goodness abound! Straw colored, trace bit of white foam. Aroma is candied meyer lemon with faint tea grassiness. Dry lemonade flavor - not dried lemonade - but lemonade if lemonade wasn’t just an excuse for drinking sugar. And funk. An almost vinegar sourness before the tea flavors come back around on the finish. Long and short, a delicious, refreshing beverage suitable for lunch or “curing” last night’s over activities. SCOBY.

I love kombucha. Everything about it. It’s tea. That’s been fermented. By some magical thing known as a SCOBY. Just say it, SCOBY. SCOBY. Feels

Recommended if you like: Vanberg & Dewulf Lambrucha, Gueuze, green tea, lemonade

CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

Last year, Sierra Nevada threw the Nooner label onto a session IPA. This late winter, maybe even spring, Nooner means German-style Pilsner.

Hopefully, this fall, Nooner Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale is a thing. But I digress. What we have here is a clean, straightforward take on a delicate style. Clear golden pour, subtle ring of white foam. Herbal hop aroma evokes a spring field of blossoming flowers with some light honey malt. Slightly sweet up front, fading away to more spring flowers. Finish is slightly bitter, with some lemon pith and honeysuckle. Beer like this makes me long for porch beers and late evening sunsets with fresh cut grass in the air..

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Recommended if you you like: Sly Fox Pikeland Pils,Troeg’s Sunshine Pils, Lagunitas Pils, Fat Heads Gudenhoppy

2. Red Star | 1877

3. All Saints | St. Mosey

4.1% - Black Pilsner - allsaintscraftbrewing.com Long ago, in a bar far, far away, a customer with an Eastern European accent asked me for a black beer. I, the clueless barkeep at the ripe age of 22, gave him a Guinness. This fine fellow then dissected every way in which Schwarzbier was superior to stout. Dryness, subtle bitterness, rich malt without being ashy, hop flavor, aroma. So much more than the “black water” I had poured him. So, Schwarzbier. Literally, black beer. All Saints says theirs is more Czech than German, but at the heart you have a Pilsner that is black. Pours black, a little hint of garnet around the edges, just off-white foam. Aromas of black currant, roasted grain, and some minty hops. Light-bodied with fresh roasted coffee, a hint of light caramel, some dusty cocoa, and a dry, slightly bitter then quickly fading finish.

Recommended if you like: Kostritzer Schwarzbier, Full Sail Session Black, Duck Rabbit Schwarzbier, August Schell Chimney Sweep

4. Fat Head’s | Sunshine Daydream 4.9% - Session IPA - fatheads.com

Once again, not touching the whole Session Beer Debate about alcohol, I’ll just say hooray for more delicious <5% beer! So, back to the beer at hand. Sunshine Daydream has been an on-again, off-again affair for Fat Heads, mostly due to hop availability. Rumors are that 2015 will be the year it’s around for “most” of the year. And that’s tremendous news. This current beer pours a deep orange with stark white foam. Very aromatic, like sticking your face in a bag of hop pellets, fresh cut grass, candied grapefruit and a touch of Earl Grey tea. While the flavor is all about the hops, the bitterness is blissfully restrained. Well, blissfully restrained as compared to other session IPA.There’s still a strong bitterness, but just a faint hint of malt sweetness there to balance out the waves of grapefruit and passion fruit hop flavor. Big juicy finish, begs to be consumed.

Recommended if you like: Lagunitas Daytime IPA, Oskar Blues Pinner IPA, Great Divide Lasso IPA, Four Seasons Session 4.0, Full Pint Hobnobber

5. Green Flash | Palate Wrecker 9.5% - Imperial IPA - greenflashbrew.com

Recommended if you like: Bell’s Hopslam, Helltown Idle Hands, Fat Heads Hop Juju, Grist House Master of the Galaxy

If you only follow one person on Twitter, it should be Hart. @MoarHops

CraftPittsburgh.com

Late winter. The holidays are over, the weather is cold and miserable. It’s dark at 4 pm. There’s no end in sight. Unless you’re into huge, heavilyhopped IPA because hoo-boy, does every brewery like to roll out the hops in February! I guess it’s partly due to the latest hop harvest being widely available and maybe partly due to what-else-are-you-going-to-dowith-winter? I’m on board either way, I like the hops. But Palate Wrecker is an exercise in silliness. Brew a beer, hop the hell out of it, then use that unfermented beer as the liquor in brewing a bigger, badder beer. Pours a deep amber-orange, sticky white foam. Aroma is big, sticky, sweet, candycoated hops. Apricots, mangos and peaches all coated in boozy grapefruit rind. I’d love to wax philosophic about how the flavor continues on all those aforementioned aromas, but truth be told, the bitterness and booziness properly wreck your palate, and all that’s left is concern for your future well-being. Drink with caution.

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Good Taste Pittsburgh’s Brew ‘N Chew Pours It On Story by Suzanne Meyer

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f there was ever any doubt that Pittsburgh is a beer town, Good Taste! Pittsburgh’s recent Brew ‘N Chew brought out the believers. The excitement surrounding this event (in its second year) was palpable. After all, is there a better way to spend a cold Saturday in January than sampling beer?

Coined as “The Beerfest with Bite,” Brew ‘N Chew took place January 10th at the Monroeville Convention Center, offering afternoon and evening sessions for patrons to choose from. Brew ‘N Chew featured food and beer pairings, live music, tavern games, over 50 food vendors, and more than 120 craft and foreign beers.

Upon entering the event, visitors received a map and listing of all vendors, as well as their own tasting glass to try as many beers as they like – and there were aisles and aisles of beers, as well as hard ciders. Peppered through the brew was an assortment of food vendors including everything from sushi to wings to artisan cheeses to sweets. Among my favorites were the muffuletta sandwich samples. Everything was organized in such a way that traffic moved smoothly and all stations were easy to access without waiting. The event was all about--have a little sip, take a little bite, sip a little more, and so on.

CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

New to the event this year was an exclusive Brewer’s Roundtable, moderated by Craft Pittsburgh’s own Executive Editor, Rob Soltis. The panel, a who’s who of some of Pittsburgh’s finest local brewers, included ShuBrew, Duquesne Beer, Grist House Brewing, North Country Brewing, and Rivertowne Brewing. Each brewer had a unique story about their introduction into the world of hops and barley. Panelists chimed in on a variety of topics including cans vs. bottles and upcoming trends and events. Attendees, many of whom expressed a secret passion and desire to someday brew at a grand scale, had the opportunity to learn more from these panelists via a rousing question and answer segment.

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In another added twist to this year’s event, Good Taste! Pittsburgh partnered with Frank Fuhrer Specialty Division and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Western PA and West Virginia Chapter for a Pop Up Dinner that featured a 4-course, chef-prepared meal paired with European beers. Frank Fuhrer Specialty Division, who we are told, drove the idea of making this concept a reality, provided the beers.

Throughout Brew ‘N Chew, attendees were invited to purchase chances to be one of 12 lucky winners, with the proceeds benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At seven o’clock sharp, twelve winners were drawn.The winners and their guests were invited behind a mysterious

black curtain and seated at an impressive large table, white tablecloth decorated, for a spontaneous culinary adventure prepared by The Olive Tap, Wild Purveyors, The Wooden Nickel and Social @ Bakery Square.

The food and beer pairings were a mouth watering display. The meal included seared crab cakes in a chipotle olive oil (prepared

by Chef Kosta Constant and Jeremy Zimmer with The Olive Tap) paired with Orval Trappist Ale; shrub poached trout salad (prepared by Cavan Patterson representing Wild Purveyors) paired with Rochefort Trappist 8; braised pork shoulder with pork belly confit (prepared by Chef Joe Bello of The Wooden Nickel) paired with Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock; and chocolate stout lava cake (prepared by Chef Jared Lorden of Social @ Bakery Square) paired with Organic Chocolate Stout.

The special guest expert for the evening was David Andes with Merchant du Vin Specialty Beer Importers, who moderated the meal with information on the beers being poured and why they were perfect pairings for each of the courses.

In addition to making some lucky winners very happy, Brew ‘N Chew’s Pop Up Dinner helped to raise over $500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. What a perfect way to cap off an already tremendous event.

If you’d like to stay posted on upcoming Brew ‘N Chew events, visit goodtastepittsburgh.com.

brewer sit down

Zach Gordon The Brew Gentlemen • Braddock

Each issue we’re going to sit down with a local, professional brewer and ask them the same 11 questions. Our goal is to have an interesting mix of characters with varying backgrounds and experience. First up is Zach Gordon, the new Head Brewer at The Brew Gentlemen.

AGE? 26.

HOMETOWN? DuBois, Pennsylvania.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BREWING? Home brewing since 2009 and professionally since 2013.

FIRST CRAFT BEER YOU DRANK? Sierra Nevada.

BACKGROUND? I started as a Cellarman at Thirsty Dog in August 2013, quickly moved to Brewer Trainee, to Brewer, to the Barrel Aged program director and co-director of the Sour Program.

IF YOU WERE TO BUY A CASE OF BEER RIGHT NOW WHAT WOULD IT BE? Nugget Nectar or anything by Victory GUILTY BEER PLEASURE? Coors Original.

FAVORITE MUSIC TO BREW TO? Mostly punk, NOFX, Social D, Alkaline Trio, stuff like that.

FAVORITE PITTSBURGH BAR? Caliente in Bloomfield IF YOU WEREN’T BREWING? Probably using my college degree and working in the restaurant industry.

CraftPittsburgh.com

WHAT’S YOUR DAILY CARRY?

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home brewing Written by Jack Smith, photo by Malcolm Frazer

SCHWARZ:

the other black bier

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ey, look at that. It’s March already.

The month when everyone is Irish.

This month, everyone drinks black beer. So let’s brew some. But not that black beer. A different black beer. Black lager. Schwarzbier. Let’s check it out!

CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

Sure, it’s not Irish, and it’s not the traditional beer of St. Patrick’s Day. But Schwarzbier is delicious any time of year, and you should know how to brew a good one. Doing so starts with understanding what the style is… and what it isn’t. Schwarzbier is a dark - nearly black - and somewhat roasty moderate-strength German lager hailing from the Franconia region of Bavaria, north of Munich. It has a fairly complex malt character balanced by moderate bitterness and notable noble hop flavor and aroma. Above all, Schwarzbier is smooth.

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Schwarzbier is not “stout fermented like a lager.”

Stout is made with large amounts of roasted grains - black malt, roasted barley, chocolate malt, things like that - that impart a prominent bitter, roasty edge, and substantial astringency that is out of place in Schwarzbier. Schwarzbier is not a beer with “the flavor of a Pilsner and the appearance of a stout.” I hear this one a lot.

Usually it goes, “If you taste a Schwarzbier blind, you should think you’re drinking a Pilsner.”

That’s just not true. Schwarzbier needs to have a roasty character to it… Just not the bitter, astringent roasted notes you find in most stouts. Most Schwarzbier examples also have a toasty layer to their malt profile that does not belong in any Pilsner.

A good way to approach building a Schwarzbier is to start with a basic German Pilsner recipe (95% continental Pilsner malt, 5% Carafoam for an OG of about 1.050 plus about 40 IBUs from Hallertau hops) and make some adjustments.

Back the IBUs off by about 25%. Replace about 25% of the Pilsner malt with Munich malt to provide some toasty richness. Optionally, replace about 3-4% of the Pilsner malt with CaraMunich for a hint of sweetness and a bit more malt complexity. Finally, and most importantly, replace 8-10% of the Pilsner malt with de-husked, de-bittered Carafa Special II malt. This grain is your ace in the hole for making a dark, roasty beer without any of the bitter, acrid, astringent qualities you’d get from using any other form of roasted grain. Carafa is made by kilning de-husked malt until it is very dark. What are left are little kernels bursting

with smooth roasty flavor. Do not attempt to brew a Schwarzbier with roasted grains that have not been de-husked. Just don’t do it. Don’t. You’ll end up with some sort of stout-lager hybrid lacking any semblance of smoothness required for this style.

Now, get brewing. Brew some of this “other black beer” and share it with everyone you know and love. You don’t need to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to drink the black stuff; Schwarzbier is great any time of year.

Who Wears Schwarz Shorts?

German Schwarzbier Batch Size: 5.25 gal.

Boil Time: 90 minutes (60 minutes for extract brewers) OG: 1.050 FG: 1.013 ABV: 4.9% IBU: 30 Difficulty: A dvanced (all-grain), Medium (extract) *Assuming 70% brew house efficiency

Grainbill

will break down haze-forming large proteins without affecting the smaller protein molecules responsible for head formation. The other two rests - 146 and 156 - work in conjunction with one another to produce enough simple sugar to ensure a dry, crisp finish, yet also enough longer-chain, dextrinous sugars to increase mouthfeel. The Carapils and CaraMunich help with the latter as well.

Yeast/Fermentation White Labs WLP838 Southern German Lager (or something similar - if you have a favorite lager strain, go with it). Lagers require large yeast starters. Use a yeast calculator to help you build up about 375 billion cells. You might need to start with two vials.

Aeration/Oxygenation: Aerate or oxygenate well using your favorite method – plenty of oxygen helps promote yeast growth. I like to provide two full minutes of pure O2 via a stainless oxygen stone for a lager of this strength.

Fermentation, aging, conditioning: pitch at 48F and allow it to free-rise to 50F. Hold at 50F until fermentation is about 66% complete (when SG drops below 1.026), then start

ramping temperature by 2F every day, until it reaches 64F. Hold at 64 until the beer is totally finished and drops clear, about 3-4 weeks total from the day you pitched. At this point, chill beer down to 32F, rack off yeast & trub, and bulk age at 30-32F for at least a month before packaging and serving. Carbonate to about three volumes via force carbonation in a keg, or if bottle conditioning use 5 oz. of table sugar for priming.

Suggested Pairings Corned beef is a traditional meal this time of year and, sure, Schwarzbier goes well with it.

But it goes even better with anything smoked.

Keeping with our theme of St. Patrick’s Day alternatives, try pairing a half liter of black lager with smoked corned beef - better known as pastrami. Perfection. Generally, anything hearty, earthy, and umami- laden matches this beer well. Spicy, too. Put it all together: Give your curry-making skills a workout and throw together an eggplant and crimini mushroom vindaloo to pair with this beer. Enjoy!

A homebrewer since 2002, Jack Smith is a Certified BJCP Judge, president of TRASH, and an active member of TRUB. Follow him on Twitter @whenyeastattack

6 lbs. German Pilsner Malt 2.5 lbs. German Munich Malt (9L) 1 lb. C arafa Special II (412L, de-husked roasted malt) 8 oz. Carapils/Dextrin Malt 6 oz. CaraMunich Malt (56L) *Extract Brewers: Replace the Pilsner Malt with 3.6 lbs of Pilsner DME. Replace the Munich malt with 1.5 lbs of Munich DME. Crush and steep the Carafa II, Carapils, and CaraMunich malt in a muslin sack at roughly 152F for 30 minutes. Remove steeping grains, rinse with two quarts of hot water, and add DME while heating to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes.

Hops 45 grams Hallertauer (4.1% AA) @ 60 minutes 14 grams Hallertauer (4.1% AA) @ 20 minutes 14 grams Hallertauer (4.1% AA) @ 0 minutes

The purpose of this mash schedule is to (a) improve clarity without affecting head retention and (b) produce a beer with modest body and mouthfeel that finishes dry and crisp. You’ve probably heard that performing a protein rest with modern, well-modified malt will ruin your beer’s ability to form and maintain foam.

This is true if you rest the mash in the 122F range. However, a short rest around 133F

CraftPittsburgh.com

Mash

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cooking with beer Written by Mindy Heisler-Johnson Trim the leeks to white & light green parts, cut in half lengthwise, and trim into 2” sections. Cut into a julienne and soak in cold water to rinse off any sand or dirt. Remove and reserve the fronds of a bulb of fennel, cut in half lengthwise, remove the core, and julienne. Melt the butter in a saucepan and remove the leeks from the water. Add the leeks and fennel to the melted butter, season with salt & pepper, and cook over medium heat until they are soft and just starting to take on color. Add the cream and let cook at a gentle simmer over low heat until they are soft and creamy, about 30-45 minutes. Season to taste.

Berliner Weisse Poached Salmon This makes enough poaching liquid to do 4 (8 oz.) fillets in a 3” deep, straight-sided sauté pan with a lid. You do not want to cram the pan, but you can poach in batches to do more. Hold covered with foil somewhere warm.You may need to adjust your liquid based upon your pan size. Ideally you need enough liquid to cover the salmon.

Berliner Weisse Poached Salmon with Porter Mustard Sauce

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verything is starting to thaw out. Spring is in the air. Light, session-y beers taste like warm breezes, and pair really well with seafood! In this particular dish, we are going to poach some salmon in Ithaca Cruiser Berliner-style Weisse beer. Berliner Weisse are sour wheat beers originating from Germany. Their sour, lemony flavor and lack of bitterness make them a perfect medium for cooking with more delicately flavored seafood and shellfish. A Belgian-style Wit or not hoppy wheat beer will also work very well for the poach if you can’t get your hands on a Berliner Weisse.

CraftPittsburgh | Issue 18

For this dish, I deliberately chose salmon for a number of reasons. For one, it will take on the citrus of the Berliner Weisse beautifully. Its meatiness also works perfectly with the porter mustard sauce, and it is easy to work with, not breaking apart easily while cooking or plating.

Honestly? This is a sexy salmon dish.

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This looks and sounds like a ‘slave over the stove for hours’ dish; I won’t tell a soul that it isn’t.

The hardest part is the Melted Fennel & Leeks, and that is really just stove time to let them cook into a sweet and creamy sauce while you putz around getting everything else together.

Melted Fennel & Leeks ¼ cup butter (1/2 stick) 3 leeks, white & light green parts, julienned 1 bulb fennel, julienned, reserve fronds salt & pepper to taste 1 cup heavy cream

When poaching, you want your liquid to BARELY simmer. If you cook it too quickly you get that weird, oozy white stuff that seeps out. For medium salmon of average ¾” - 1” thickness, I poach for about 6 minutes and then rest for 3-5 after.

4 (8 oz.) skin-off salmon fillet portions 3 (12 oz.) bottles Berliner Weisse 1 lemon, sliced reserved fennel fronds 1 Tbsp. kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper 1 small sweet onion, julienned (no more than 1 cup-ish) Put it all in a straight-sided pan with a well-fitting lid over medium heat, letting it slowly come to a simmer, covered. You don’t want to reduce it, just heat it and let the onions cook. When the onions are soft, lay the salmon fillets in the poaching liquid and cover the pan. Cook for 6 minutes (the fillets should be medium). Use a slotted fish spatula to gently remove them from the liquid, and place on a plate. Cover with foil and let rest for 3-5 minutes.

Porter Mustard Sauce I used Fuller’s London Pride to make this (and used the rest of the bottle to make the brownies from the last issue - perfect!). Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. This is also really good with soft pretzels, on sandwiches, with fries...it’s just really good.

1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup Porter ½ cup Dijon mustard 6 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard To plate, puddle the melted leeks in the center of a plate. Place the poached salmon on top, and drizzle with the mustard sauce. I garnished with fennel fronds and a thinly sliced lemon. Really good with roasted Brussels sprouts. Start to finish in under 90 minutes.

at New, and available in March

your favorite beer stores