CraftPittsburgh Issue #5

CraftPittsburgh

CraftBeerMagazine

Issue #5

CRAFT DISTILLING:

A NEW REBELLION Cooking BEER with

LOCAL BEER IN A

CHANGING CRAFT

LANDSCAPE

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Double the Bocktown

Double the Fun 16 Craft Beers on Tap Rotation Over 400 Bottle Choices Complimentary Craft Beer Tastings Hard-to-Find Beeried Treasures Curated by our Beer Librarian Unique Craft Beer Experiences with Brewser the Infuser Bocktown Robinson Across from Target 412-788-2333

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Letter from

THE EDITOR

I received an email from Eric Meyer late last May telling me about the distillery he and his family were opening. I had already heard a rumor of this place opening a couple of months prior, but didn’t have any details other than the cross streets of where it was located in the Strip District, but I was definitely interested by that point – I even did some snooping around at what ended up being the wrong building. Eric wanted to drive the point home that they plan for their distillery, Wigle Whiskey, to be amongst the brewers as part of the local alcohol producing community. No argument here. They’re a craft distillery – making a small batch product by hand – and they’re definitely local.

It’s no secret that beer has been gradually losing market share to the spirits industry over the years, but leave that fight to those actually involved, big beer and big liquor. The craft industry on either side isn’t a big enough market driver to yet have any effect on those stats.

Wigle isn’t the only craft distiller in our area. Just outside Pittsburgh’s city limits, Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries has been uniquely producing Boyd and Blair Vodka from Pennsylvania potatoes, a vodka that was recently rated #1 in the world by Spirits Journal. Barry Young, part-owner and master distiller of Boyd and Blair, was nice enough to invite me to their distillery to check things out, as were the Meyers.

Another interesting thing popped up over the last few months that I decided to run in this issue. Ryan Reed sent me a note regarding a small fundraiser he was planning. A co-worker where Ryan tends bar had apparently fallen ill and was having some difficulty with her medical bills not having health insurance, a downside for many in our service industry. Ryan and a friend planned a small homebrew fest where donations were collected. Afterwards, Ryan sent me an email regarding how many people stepped up to help and how thankful he was.

I also want to thank our sponsors, new and old, for helping us continue this journey into a new year. Please do what you can to support them with your business. If you’re supporting them, you’re supporting us.

Sláinte,

Tim Russell

e s i t r e Adv ! r e e B info@craftpittsburgh.com

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

On Tap

SPECIALS

THIS ISSUE 5 Amber Ale Fest

The Pittsburgh Craft Beer Community Comes Together

rading Up/Down 10 T Local Beer in a Changing

pg. 6

pg. 18

Craft Landscape

THE REGULARS

Craft Distilling 12 A New Rebellion

4 Upcoming Events 6 Industry News 9 Unfiltered 18 Cooking with Beer 19 Home Brewing

PUBLISHER

Craft Media, LLC

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

pg. 12

Tim Russell • Tim@CraftPittsburgh.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Mike Weiss • Mike@CraftPittsburgh.com

DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Rob Soltis • SoltisDesign.com For information on contributing editorial content or placing display advertising please contact us at info@CraftPittsburgh.com Craft Pittsburgh is issued quarterly by Craft 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 Craft 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 Craft Media, LLC. Craft 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

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South Side, Pittsburgh www.otbbicyclecafe.com

Phone: 412-381-3698 CraftPittsburgh.com

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Upcoming

EVENTS

January 26 Pour for a Cure 28 Winter Beer Hike Brews for a “Chili” Night

February 18/19 Hell With the Lid Off

uncivi

lized & aggressive

™

25 Brewer’s Cup Homebrew Fest

March 10 22nd Annual TRASH Homebrew Competition 11 TRASH Homebrew Banquet 20 Craft Beer School April 20/28 1st Annual Pittsburgh Beer Week

20 Fat Head’s Brewer’s Ball 21 The Big Tap In Check our calendar at CraftPittsburgh.com for even more regularly updated events

“Good people drink good beer.”

- Hunter S. Thompson 4

Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Letter to

THE EDITOR

I’ve always been a huge fan of a good idea. I also believe that we, as humans, will only be in possession of a few of these good ideas over the course of our lives. When I found out that Amber, who works with me at the Sharp Edge Bistro downtown, had fallen ill and was being buried under a mountain of debt from hospital visits, I was lucky enough to happen upon one of these good ideas.

Lindsey Ferraro and I figured that we could get a few of the Pittsburgh homebrewers to make an amber ale and we could have people donate money to try them. We’d call it Amber Ale Fest. We’d then give all the money to help out Amber. What I wasn’t expecting was the ridiculous response that we received from the Pittsburgh community.

It seems that when the word went out, everyone answered.

We had five brewers participate, each bringing two beers.

Regular Pittsburgh brewing names like Hart Johnson, Andy Kwiatkowski, and Brian Reed showed up in force, and newcomers to the scene such as myself and Jay Wess did our best to rub elbows with them. Everyone who came was treated to some fantastic examples of the strength of the Pittsburgh brewing community.

Behind the scenes, however, was an amazingly heartwarming show of support for us service industry individuals. Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale donated some tremendous treats such as each of the four 750ml bottles of Sierra Nevada’s 30th Anniversary Beers. Commonwealth Press in the Southside made us shirts based on all the design work that Ben Wojtyna (half of the ClankWorks team in Lawrenceville, who make elegant bicycle accessories - not pro bono fundraiser graphic designs) created. Piper’s Pub provided a spread of food and Most Wanted Fine Arts in Garfield offered their space to host the event.

Over 800 Craft, Import, Belgium & Domestic Bottle Selections 12 Constantly Rotating Craft/Import Beers on Tap Complementary Beer Tastings Every Thursday • 7:00 – 9:00 Join Us for Tap Room Trivia Every Wednesday • 7:00 – 9:00 Daily “Growler Hour” Monday - Friday • 6:00 – 7:00 Happy Hour • Monday – Friday • 5:00 – 7:00 Craft/Import Beer Flights • $10.00 Every Day Mix N Match 6-Packs to Go Daily Beer & Food Specials

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I feel the night was an unimaginable success. Most everyone I chatted with suggested that we get together in a similar fashion on a regular basis. I feel that brewers like nothing more than to have people try their work. Here we were all able to do just that, to get together and enjoy something that we love, all the while helping out a very sweet girl who was having a hard time. Thanks Pittsburgh.

free shipping!

- Ryan Reed

MADE OF SUPER-SOFT RINGSPUN COTTON

“Support Your Local Brewer” shirts available for purchase at

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Industry

NEWS

American Beer Blogger

I was able to catch up with beer writer Lew Bryson after hearing about a project he’s been working on with Green Leaf Productions titled American Beer Blogger. It’s a television show about, well, I’ll let Lew tell you about that.

I wanted to get the word out there because it’s good for the industry. It’s good for craft beer drinkers. It’s good for everybody who wants to see more good beer out there. But they need help. Green Leaf, the production company responsible for American Beer Blogger, has created a Kickstarter page where you can contribute funding to produce enough episodes to sell to a network in exchange for some nice perks. You can also watch a trailer.

Visit Lew’s blog at www.LewBryson.Blogspot.com where you can find a link to the Kickstarter page, as well as ones for Lew’s book, Pennsylvania Breweries, and his other blog, Why the PALCB Should be Abolished. Here’s a little more info from Lew regarding the show.

CP: What’s American Beer Blogger about?

Lew: The idea is that I pretty much do what I do when I go visit a brewery (or beer bar, or beer festival, or beer store, etc.) -- talk, ask questions, do things, taste beer and food, poke around and look at stuff -- and we edit it to 30 minute segments. There’s no plot, there’s no contrived contest. It’s more “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” than “The Amazing Race.” It’s not reality TV, except in the way that it’s not scripted. We decide, okay, we’re going to talk to Ed Stoudt about what he brews, and I start asking him questions. Or, I’m going to eat something, so the chef picks a dish and puts out a beer with it, and I taste and groan in pleasure (believe me, that’s what happened with that Fat Dog Salmon on the preview roll; it was really hard not eating up that whole thing, but I got three bites and they took it away. Hey! I’m eatin’ here!). But the questions I’m asking I’m making up on the spot.

Naturally, some of that works better than others, and that’s where the editing comes in.

CP: Did you come up with the concept or was it someone from the production team? Was the final product collaborative?

Lew: No, it was actually a bar owner (Laz Melan, owns the Pickled Egg in Easton, PA) who got to talking to one of the guys at Green Leaf when he was in the bar, and the next thing you know, they’re calling me about being their “American Beer Blogger.” I’ll be honest, the first time I heard from them, 6

Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

I thought I was getting punked. The final product -- the final product for this stage -- was collaborative, absolutely. We all showed up at Stoudt’s and things started rolling, and I couldn’t say whose idea was which.

CP: Based on the trailer that’s been posted online, it looks like some sort of pilot episode was filmed at Stoudt’s Brewing Company. How was the experience filming a TV show where you finally get to do the interviewing?

Lew: Not a whole lot different from doing a regular interview, except this time I didn’t have to write anything down! We did a couple retakes, but mostly we decided what we wanted to do, and we did it. The only odd parts were when they got what they called “B roll,” shots of me doing stuff like watching the bottles roll by, and putting cases together, and stirring the mash tun, stuff like that, because we did it over and over again. I only got to drink the one bottle of pale ale, though...

CP: Greenleaf is an independent production company, so they’re looking for some outside funding to make this happen, correct?

Lew: That’s right. They’ve got to put together enough money to shoot and edit enough episodes to sell to a network or channel.

I’m not getting paid -- yet -- it’s all speculation for me. They’re using Kickstarter to try to raise that money; $60,000 to tape and edit six episodes, which they’ll then try to sell. We’re hoping people, craft beer-loving people, will put up money to get a show like on television, so we’re trying to keep the show as honest and real and fun as possible, without getting over the top.

CP: If the show gets a greenlight, you’re bringing some production to Pittsburgh, right?

Lew: You know I love the town, but I can’t promise anything. We really don’t have any plans past this first episode, but I’ll admit that I’ve been thinking...and there are a couple things that would definitely work in Da Burgh.

- Tim Russell

CraftPittsburgh.com

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

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ThankYou

UNFILTERED: I Resolve to Drink More…

Craft Beer

By Melinda Urick

The New Year brings about thoughts of resolution. Or the promise of them anyway. Eat less. Exercise more. Be less of an asshole. Do something charitable. Yes, I used “ass” and “charity” in the same breath. I’ll probably want to do less of that next year.

And if you’re not the sort of person to make resolutions, then maybe you should stop thinking you’re so perfect, AND CHANGE WITH THE REST OF US. Most of us want to improve our lives in some way. Some of us want to do less – hey, I’m ALL for doing less, which can easily be spun as RELAX MORE. You’re welcome.

But if you picked “drink less,” then you’re probably reading the wrong magazine.

Resolutions need not start on January 1; you can start something anew today. But I’m in this space, as usual, to choke my ramblings down your throat: why haven’t you made any damn resolutions yet?

Here are my resolutions for you, craft beer drinkers:

Try or Learn Something New

If you don’t know enough about a certain brewery, beer style, kind of hops – or even bottling techniques – then, DRINK MORE. This will be the only time I tell you that. Buy tickets to Beer School. Get out of your neighborhood and find a new bar.

Talk to your bartenders. And if you’re already a beer master, try your hand at home brewing.

Be More Adventurous

Get out of your comfort zone, IPA guy! Try a freaking porter.

Drink a Belgian. Travel more, even. There are quite a few breweries located within a short drive of Pittsburgh. But stop drinking and driving, ya jagoff.

Drink Local

And with your newfound adventurous streak, be courteous to the local craft. Keep your hard earned dollars working in the local economy. If you’ve been sleeping under a rock (first, stop sleeping under rocks), Pittsburgh has some great brews to taste.

Have you made friends today with your local craft brewer or brewery?

Get Involved

Be engaged in the craft scene. Attend beer samplings and tasting experiences, especially those that double as a fundraiser for local organizations. Most of the larger beer events often support a local non-profit or charity: go to more of these (it’s like two resolutions in one!).

Socialize More

Winter makes me want to hibernate. And I don’t even hate the weather. Maybe I’m part squirrel. Anyway, socializing has been especially important since relocating to Pittsburgh. Making (and keeping) new friends is real easy when you have a keg at home.

Be More Productive

Here’s where I get to tell you to drink more (um… again): It’s a FACT that I become a writing-and-cleaning machine after a couple beverages – own this mantra. Stop procrastinating about organizing that beer collection already. Get in your damn beer cellar, and start getting stuff done around the house. Drunk... I mean, if you have to.

And on that note, stop putting off drinking those collector beers for a “special occasion.” Dinner on Tuesday is special: drink up!

Cheers to a new year of drinking good craft beer!

CraftPittsburgh.com

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Trading Local Beer Do in a Chang

Craft Landscap

By Brian Reed

If you think back a handful of years ago, as the craft beer industry upturn began to gain full momentum, you may recall the mantra of many a craft brewer, beer writer, or industry representative; “Trading up.” The concept involved persuading average Joe beer drinker to trade up from his mass-produced, budget swill to more flavorful, handcrafted options and embrace the ideals of quality over quantity, appreciation of flavor and aroma, and yada yada.

As hoped, many folks took the suggestion to heart.

Fast forward a half decade or so. Unless you’ve been living under a bridge somewhere (no offense to you bridgedwellers), you’ve undoubtedly heard the news of Anheuser Busch’s acquisition of Goose Island, breweries like Dogfish Head pulling out of certain markets, or another similar nugget of gossip related to the subsequent growing pains experienced as a result of the craft beer industry boom. As demand for craft beer continues to grow and folks continue to “trade up” in droves, the breweries that produce soughtafter brands experience ever mounting pressure to expand their distribution and satisfy the demands of a constantly growing customer base. The decision of how to handle this type of seemingly overnight success, in many cases, ends up making or breaking a brewery. “Do we expand our brewing operations (possibly for the second or even third time)?”

Rarely do these types of questions amount to the nobrainers that they may seem like at first glance. Expanding may require relocation and many breweries are so engrained in the culture of their local/core market that moving operations would be considered a blatant slap-inthe-face to the community that incubated them. Beyond the potential for severing cultural ties, growing production— oftentimes exponentially—usually results in more automation, more hands in the pot, so to speak, and less of a connection with the brewer(s) whose vision fetched such admiration in the first place. These are only a couple examples of the many “rock and a hard place” type of decisions a growing brewery must address. A company is forced to consider its long term plans, evaluate its priorities, and ultimately answer the following question; how big is TOO big?

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

As was mentioned, many brewers have answered this most introspective of questions by intentionally limiting or, at the very least, controlling their rate of growth by slowing their expansion or all together pulling out of certain secondary markets. Beer

Up own nging

pe

people throughout the nation have responded with mixed feelings-a-plenty. Some applaud the decision as a responsible one, whereas others bitterly condemn their favorite brewery for neglecting their customers’ desires for their favorite beer from afar.

Exhibit A: Flying Dog Brewery. Within four years of opening the doors of their original Aspen, Colorado brewpub in 1990, Flying Dog had gained such a rabid (pun absolutely intended) following throughout the region that expansion became a necessity. Soon a much larger production brewery in Denver was built and Flying Dog beers were being distributed to 45 states nationwide. By 2005 the Denver facility was reaching maximum capacity while demand continued to soar (ok last pun, I promise). In early 2006, a second “state-of-the-art” production brewery was purchased in Fredrick, Maryland and in 2008 all of the company’s brewing and bottling operations were shifted to the new Maryland facility (while their HQ still remains in Denver).

Earlier this year Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso confirmed that the company would be initially pulling out of five states in order to “…focus on local markets.” In the months following, that list grew to thirteen states total where distribution was halted altogether. Many consumers obliged to Flying Dog’s requests for understanding, citing their estimated 40% growth over an extremely short time period, but a number of former loyal patrons remain at odds with the decision. Many argued that several states where distribution remained intact were located west of states

where distribution was pulled in order to “focus on local markets,” essentially questioning the true motives behind the brewery’s decisions.

Regardless of your stance, one thing is for certain; you can’t have everything everywhere. So what’s a serious beer drinker to do? We will surely perish without a steady stream of one-offs from the Pacific Northwest or barrel-aged “whales” from BFE!...

The answer: LOCAL BEER. A novel idea isn’t it? In case you haven’t noticed, our fair city—and certainly our region and state for that matter—has no shortage of exceptional breweries. If you are reading this, I would venture to say that you are a relatively short drive from no less than three quality establishments pouring their own beer at a reasonable price. Pittsburghers complaining about not being able to get their favorite West Coast brew on the regular is like Seal complaining that Heidi Klum isn’t wearing enough makeup; all things considered, we’re still doing pretty damn good. We don’t live in Mississippi after all. Be thankful for that.

Ok, here’s me being the annoying devil’s advocate; does this mean that we’re now being asked to trade down? Not “Rocky Mountain refreshment” down mind you, but down from what we’ve been made accustomed to? At least in terms of sheer number of options? Here’s the deal, we’ve been spoiled. We’ve been programmed to expect that we will get the opportunity to guzzle the next big ol’ hype monster the second it comes out. Not only will this not always be the case, personally I wouldn’t want it to be. I, for one, would be thrilled to see shifts in production as well as the ever increasing number of breweries result in a more regionallyfocused, pre-prohibition-esque beer culture. Locally sustained breweries with uniquely regional tastes are a large part of what developed this industry in the first place.

Let’s be honest, there is nothing more disheartening than walking in to locally celebrated beer bar in another city and finding nearly the exact same tap list that your local watering hole offers.

Now I love my Belgians as much as the next guy and, in fact, many of my favorite breweries reside throughout the Midwest, but supporting local beer is the prime objective in my book. By doing so, we’re not only helping our local breweries grow and prosper but we are continuing to cultivate a rich local beer culture. Without a strong base of quality brewers, bar and restaurant owners, and related industry members we wouldn’t be enjoying the already impressive craft offering we see today; not to mention that the extensive, year-round list of beer-related events attended throughout the region would certainly dwindle. And let’s put this request in to perspective. It’s not asking a lot to reach first once in a while for some world-class German offerings from Penn, one of the always exceptional seasonals or session brews from East End, or a uniquely tasty selection from our pals at Full Pint (just to name a few). So stop sulking and start embracing and appreciating your local beer. And if you absolutely can’t live without that ultrarare bourbon barrel Russian Imperial Stout aged on gooseberries or whatever from a few states over that you read some Beer Advocate troll raving about, do what we used to do before we all went soft, gas up the car and take a drive ya spoiled wuss.

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

by Michael Pound CraftPittsburgh.com

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Making whiskey isn’t likely to get Mark Meyer hanged, no matter what the noose on the Wigle Whiskey label might suggest.

Two centuries ago, that wasn’t the case, as the namesake of the distillery opened in late 2011 by Meyer and his son Eric learned. Philip Wigle, a resident of western Pennsylvania, didn’t take kindly to the suggestion by a tax collector that he owed federal taxes on the whiskey – likely a rye, as most distillers in the region were making at the time – and was accused of assaulting the tax man.

That was serious business in those days. Wigle and one other distiller were convicted of treason and sentenced to hang; the sentence wasn’t carried out – Wigle and the other man were pardoned by President George Washington – but Wigle’s notable role in the Whiskey Rebellion was enough for the Meyer family when it came time to name Pittsburgh’s first distillery since Prohibition.

“Our region has this fantastic connection to the history of distilling in this country,” Mark Meyer said. “To a large degree, it’s where distilling in this country was born. It was the site of the Whiskey Rebellion, which was the first test of the federal government’s sovereignty. And to be a part of bringing distilling back to Pittsburgh – that’s one of my favorite things about what we’ve started here.”

At its core, Wigle Whiskey wouldn’t be all that different from the distilleries run by Philip Wigle and his compatriots in the late 18th Century; the process and probably the product – white whiskeys, using rye or wheat as the base – haven’t changed much in 200 years. And the Meyer family – Eric is president of the company, and Mark, a retired attorney, serves as its master distiller – was determined from the outset to mirror what their predecessors did before them. In the 21st Century, that means making their booze by hand, with no outsourcing and keeping as local as possible.

“Our rye is grown in Washington County,” Mark Meyer said.

“We have suppliers in Amish country in eastern Ohio and near Ithaca, N.Y. Our malted barley comes from Wisconsin, but that’s as far away as we’ve had to look.”

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

German fabricated pot still at Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries. Rectification column in background.

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Wigle’s old-school feel doesn’t stop there. The grains used at the distillery, all grown organically, are purchased before they are processed; that allows the Meyers to pound them into grist themselves, using an on-site hammermill. The grist is mashed, cooked, and fermented before the batch’s first distillation, which Meyer said yields a raw alcohol of about 32 proof.

Subsequent distillations smooth out the product, which can age in holding tanks until it’s ready to serve or bottle as a white whiskey. To gain the color and richer taste of the whiskeys consumers are more familiar with takes more time, in white oak barrels.

“We will have aged whiskey down the road, but we can’t do that exclusively or we wouldn’t have anything to sell for a year or two,” Meyer said. “The rye and wheat whiskey we can have ready after a fairly short period of time.”

The small barrels are stacked around the front room of the distillery, which has a decidedly modern look – nothing at all like the small farms where Wigle and others made their whiskey in the region in the late 18th Century. Distilling was a popular – and important – product for the western side of the young country, for several reasons. In his book “The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America’s Newfound Sovereignty,” author William Hogeland wrote that farmers often supplemented their main income with a small still they operated when they had time. Making booze also helped with transportation expenses; moving crops over the mountains to the population centers in the east was a pricy operation; transporting a barrel of whiskey was considerably cheaper.

Even for small operations like most of the distilleries in this area, whiskey was a big business. And that got the attention of Alexander Hamilton, who, as secretary of the treasury enacted a federal tax on whiskey as a way of bringing in cash to pay down the new country’s debts. Big distilleries in the east produced enough to cover their taxes with a flat fee, but those in the western Pennsylvania were stuck paying a per-barrel tax, a disparity that angered producers here.

A conflict like that could have meant the end of distilling in western Pennsylvania; but it took Prohibition to do that. Distilleries flourished in the region; Old Overholt, Old Farm, Joseph S. Finch and Schenley were nationally known brands, and all were produced here. Schenley, in Armstrong County, continued producing liquor into the 1980s, when it was purchased and the local distillery was closed down.

But distilling has returned to Pennsylvania, as well as to our part of the state. Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries, in Shaler Township, has been producing Boyd and Blair vodka since 2008, and Meyer said there are two other distilleries operating in the state, all of which have started within the last five years. And that’s perhaps a bit surprising, given the byzantine nature of the state’s liquor laws; Meyer said, however, that the state government has been both accommodating and encouraging. Licensing was easy, the former attorney said, and the general assembly moved quickly to change a law that forbid Wigle and other distillers to sell their products on site.

“We had people from Harrisburg out here and we spent a lot of time talking about why the change was important to us,” Meyer said. “What we found was a lot of support. This is a local business, and it seemed like everyone was behind us.”

The law that was changed late last year takes effect in late February; a short time later, buying Wigle Whiskey by the bottle should be a reality. And then, Meyer said, the Strip District distillery will have accomplished one of its goals.

“Pittsburgh has undergone a resurrection of sorts,” he said. “It’s survived the death of its primary industry and come back as a vibrant place. We have a chance to be a part of that, to do a little something to improve the quality of life here. And we’re very excited about it.”

Hogeland wrote that tax collectors appointed by the federal government after the adoption of the tax in 1791 were harassed in this region; some were tarred and feathered, and some saw their offices or homes burned down. Resistance built, climaxing with an armed confrontation at the Washington County home of General John Neville, the federal tax collector for the region, in 1794; in that incident, a mob of 600 people burned Neville’s home.

Washington – the government and the president – noticed.

George Washington set a small group of officials to Pittsburgh to try to negotiate peace with the insurgents; at the same time, the former Revolutionary War general mustered a militia of nearly 13,000 solders from four states and dispatched them to Pittsburgh. The force, led by Washington himself, met no resistance when it arrived here in the fall of 1794, and the Whiskey Rebellion dwindled to a close.

“One of the fascinating things about that time is the parallels between the causes of the Whiskey Rebellion and many of the political issues that exist today,” Meyer said. “Think about any discussions you’ve had recently about taxes, about big government versus small – those all were behind the rebellion.”

The connections to the past are undeniable, and the Meyer family plans to honor them. The current tours already feature a discussion of the Whiskey Rebellion and the history of distilling in the region; Meyer said his son Jeff, an archeologist, is assembling a full-fledged Whiskey Rebellion museum, which will share space with the distillery.

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COOKING

BEER

with

By Mindy Heisler-Johnson

I

t’s cold out. The snow’s drifting. The streets are frozen. It’s winter. What better meal right now than a homemade pot pie? This is one of those easy dishes that sound so complicated and daunting, people will think you spent all day slaving over a hot oven. And it will make the house smell incredible. The crisp, grassy hops of the Good Chit Pils accent the vegetables and herbs in the homemade mustard gravy that hold together the chunky filling. I bake this in a cast iron skillet and wrap the crust over the top for a closer to authentic double crust pie, but you can leave it a single crust, or eliminate it completely, topping the filling with mashed potatoes or biscuit dough.

I use all dark meat chicken for this recipe, seasoned with salt and pepper, baked until cooked through, cooled, and picked clean.

You can also use leftover roasted chicken (or turkey), cooked chicken tenders, shredded chicken breast meat…basically whatever kind of poultry you’d like.

Some other cook’s notes: I also use a blonde roux to thicken the gravy, but you can also stir in leftover mashed potatoes to thicken the sauce.

Using pre-made pie dough is also acceptable, but definitely not recommended.

Pastry Crust

10 tbsp butter (cubed and cold) 10 tbsp vegetable shortening, (cubed and cold) ¾ tsp salt 2 tbsp sugar 2.5 Cups flour 8-10 tbsp ice water

Except for the water, mix all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the fats are evenly cut into the flour. It should resemble the consistency of coarse meal. Add ice water in small amounts until a dough ball is formed. Remove from the bowl and knead lightly on a floured surface.

Form into a disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When rested, roll out to ¼” thickness and place inside a 10” deep-dish cast iron skillet. Once pressed into the skillet, trim excess dough to leave a 2-3” edge.

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Pilsner Pot Pie Pot pie Filling

¼ cup ¼ cup 3 tbsp 2 cups 2 cups 1 cup 2 cloves 5 sprigs to taste 2 each 1 tsp to taste 2 cups 4 cups ¼ cup 2 lbs 2 cups 2 cups 2.5 lbs

butter flour olive oil medium diced carrots medium diced sweet onion medium diced celery minced garlic fresh thyme fresh ground black pepper bay leaves dried tarragon salt crisp, hoppy pilsner (I used Chatoe Rogue Good Chit) prepared chicken stock Dijon mustard fingerling potatoes (whole or cut) frozen peas frozen corn kernels cooked chicken

Melt the butter, add flour, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside this cooked roux for later use.

Heat the olive oil in an 8qt pot. Once hot, add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until the onion is tender and the garlic smells sweet. Add the herbs and seasonings and sauté for 3 more minutes.

Increase the heat and add the beer. Bring this to a simmer and reduce it by half. Add the stock and potatoes, bringing it to a simmer again. Cook until the potatoes are tender and stock is reduced. Thicken with the roux to make thick gravy. Add the Dijon mustard, tasting and adjusting seasoning as needed.

Add chicken and frozen vegetables and stir to combine.

Pile the filling into your prepared crust and spread out evenly. Fold the overhanging crust on top of the filling, leaving a vent hole in the center. Brush with milk and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (optional). Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 90 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

HOME BREW ING W

ell it’s late in the holiday season and I am officially in a brewing lull. ‘How can this be?’ you say, ‘with a veritable cornucopia of popular holiday-friendly styles at your disposal, you can’t lose.

By Brian Reed Where in the hell is your holiday spirit you worthless sad-sack?!’ Ok listen, I’m not Scrooging-out hear. I’m just a little bored. By the time Christmas Ales and other holiday brews are in season, I’m so burned out on spice from all the pumpkin beers that even the mention of tossing cinnamon or nutmeg in my brew causes involuntary humbug spasms. To make matters worse, I’m already becoming burned out on roasty styles like stouts and porters, seeing as how I start hitting them full-force as soon as the weather turns nippy. And frankly I need to brew another IPA like I need a hole in the head. I’m in the mood for something rich, with some malty depth and plenty of floral hops all at the same time. My solution to the winter blues: brew an ESB.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the style, ‘ESB’ stands for Extra Special/Strong Bitter. The strongest classification of English Pale Ale, with an OG generally falling somewhere around 1.048 – 1.060 and beyond, is certainly a rather broad, undefined style; however my favorite renditions tend to share a few common components. The way I see it, my ESB should consist of a relatively simply grain bill that showcases some rich English malts (nothing suggests holiday to me like the smell of mashing-in with fresh Maris Otter) contrasting a healthy dose of bright, floral English hops.

English varieties like Fuggles and East Kent Goldings would be the most authentic, but as is the case with any brewing decision, it’s your beer so do with it what you please. Feel free to experiment and certainly don’t worry much about straying too far from style parameters; but don’t take my word for it...dah nunt dunt! (It’s a Reading Rainbow reference…sorry). In fact the 2008 BJCP style-guidelines state that ESB is… “A rather broad style that allows for considerable interpretation by the brewer.” See, told ya.

With that being said, I’ll provide a set of basic guidelines (and a recipe) to follow if you’re still in the dark. My favorite ESB recipe tends to be a bit on the liberal side in terms of ABV; nothing too crazy but just enough to warm you up on a chilly winter’s eve. Personally I prefer a somewhat dryer product stemming from a sizable pitch of English Ale yeast (I like White Labs WLP002). A healthy, appropriate sized yeast starter, when fermented at the appropriate temperature, results in a clean fermentation and a relatively low level of fruity esters (for assistance with starter size, try www.mrmalty.com and employ their ‘pitching rate calculator’). When using WLP002, fermenting at 65 – 67 degrees will produce just enough of that trademark English yeast character without allowing it to dominate the flavor profile; on the other hand, if those fruity, slightly mineral-like esters are exactly what you’re after, then feel free to shoot a bit higher on the ol’ fermentation thermometer.

Most consider a more pronounced caramel malt character, the presence of fruity esters, and less late kettle hops to be the main characteristics that differentiate an ESB from an English-style IPA; however I opt for a slightly lesser ester character and a significant flame-out hop addition, while maintaining those deep, rich, caramel malt notes with a dose of crystal 120L layered with a Maris Otter base. Last but not least, I like a bit of cara-pils for head retention and to enhance mouthfeel. As for your water profile, obviously that can change drastically on a case-by-case basis; however for and ESB (and with my water here in the north hills of Pittsburgh) I simply use campden tablets to knock out the excess chlorine/chloramines in all my brewing water as well as a basic pH stabilizer in the mash to optimize conversion. If you’re aiming for a traditional ‘Burton’ version, you’ll want to go with a medium to high sulfate water, but that’s another show (sometimes the Altonisms are unavoidable).

One of my most memorable beer-related revelations was the moment I realized that an ESB could be more than simply a cloying malt bomb with stale hops thrown in for good measure (which, not-so-coincidentally, is the way many imported versions taste by the time they meet US shelves). Fresh varieties offer unparalleled balance between rich, bready maltiness and fresh, floral hops. So if you haven not already, take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with brewing this drastically underappreciated style from across the pond. I promise that by the time your batch is dwindling, you’ll be speaking like a character right out of a Dickens novel, and if not, you’ll at least have learned that there is more to the world of ESBs than just Fullers.

GREATER EXPECTATIONS FOR ESB Estimated OG: 1.062 - 1.064 Estimated FG: 1.012 – 1.014 IBU: 30 - 35 ABV: 6.3 – 6.8%

GRAIN BILL

11.5 lb. Maris Otter 0.5 lb. Cara-Pils 0.25 lb. Crystal – 120L

MASH

Single infusion – 60 min. @ 152 degrees

HOPS

1.5 oz. E.K. Goldings (6.1% AA) – 60 min.

0.5 oz. Fuggles (4.2% AA) – 30 min.

0.5 oz. Fuggles (4.2% AA) – 0 min.

0.5 oz. E.K. Goldings (6.1% AA) – 0 min.

FININGS/MISC.

½ tsp. Irish Moss – 10 min.

Yeast Nutrient – 10 min.

YEAST

White Labs WLP002 – English Ale Yeast (starter)

FERMENTATION

Primary – 10 days @ 67 degrees Secondary – 3 days @ 70 degrees

CraftPittsburgh.com

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3