CraftPittsburgh Issue #6

CraftPittsburgh

CraftBeerMagazine

Issue #6

PLUS

History of Brewing in Pittsburgh

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Beer Local Check out the New Brew Showcase from April 20th – 28th featuring • All Saints Craft Brewery • Draai Laag Brewery • Helltown Brewing • Lavery Brewing • #PCBW collaboration brews and other surprises!

Visit www.bocktown.com/events for our special Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week event calendar.

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

Letter from

THE EDITOR Are the times really changing? Is Pennsylvania finally beginning to emerge from the dark ages? One of any Pennsylvanian’s biggest gripes has been in regards to the state’s archaic liquor code, created just after the abolition of Prohibition, and rarely amended since. House Bill 242— the biggest alteration in modern history to the state’s liquor code— was to change this.

After being passed by both the House and Senate, then signed off on by Governor Corbett, HB 242 addressed certain concerns regarding what some saw as pointless limitations on state liquor laws. Breweries within the state are now permitted to sell beer in any size packaging directly to the consumer. Previously, a brewer was only permitted to sell kegs to the public, the smallest of which qualified as a 64 oz. “growler.” A licensed restaurant or pub that sells food before 11 AM on Sunday is now permitted to start selling alcohol at 9 AM, basically wiping a former “blue law” off the books. A consumer can now purchase liquor at retail directly from a distillery instead of just a state-owned liquor store.

What’s great about this law change is that it seems to cover the interests of a licensee at just about every level. Brewpubs are now allowed to sell their beer for consumption at an off-site event for which they are catering. Beer distributors, previously limited to selling only cases of beer and snacks, are now allowed to sell beer-related periodicals and homebrewing equipment and supplies. They can also now open up at 9 AM on Sunday with a special permit. Additional freedoms were also provided to state wineries, golf courses, and even places like the zoo.

Under the current regulations, the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium would be able to obtain a liquor license for on-site sales.

Other areas added further restrictions, including a regulation that prevents any law enforcement agent, whether a police officer, state or municipal attorney, or judge from owning any interest in a liquorlicensed establishment.

But probably the biggest signal of change coming from legislators is State Resolution 216, introduced in October of 2011. This resolution directs “the legislative budget and finance committee to conduct an economic impact study of the brewery industry” in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It also specifically notes the contributions made by the numerous breweries of PA, not only to the local economy, but also their philanthropic and civic endeavors.

The resolution directs the budget and finance committee to help legislators understand the brewery industry by explaining its threetier system, its current impact on the economy and tourism—as well as its impact to other industries within the Commonwealth—and the identification of any further changes to the current liquor code that “will continue to promote the growth of the brewery industry in the Commonwealth.”

One fault that I see in this new resolution is what was previously—and explicitly -- directed within the budget and finance committee, to define the liquor code and its administration in layman’s terms, which assists those outside of the industry (and I’m sure some within) to understand the issues and challenges faced by those who have to work under the current framework. This section was removed entirely from the current version, amended this past January.

Though few may ever fully understand the labyrinth of our state’s liquor code, the changes coming through are encouraging signs; the state is finally beginning to recognize the benefits of having a strong brewing industry. Even though faults remain, it shows initiative on the part of legislators and that things are progressing in a great direction for our craft beer community.

Sláinte,

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Tim Russell

On Tap

SPECIALS

THIS ISSUE

pg. 18

Craft 6 Pittsburgh Beer Week Full event calendar

Brewing History 8 Pittsburgh: Once a

Brewing Town, Always a Brewing Town

You Tried....

13 H ave Craft Pittsburgh reviews

THE REGULARS

some seasonal brews

4 Upcoming Events 5 Unfiltered 18 Cooking with Beer 19 Home Brewing

pg. 6 pg. 8

PUBLISHER

Craft Media, LLC

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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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Upcoming

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AMERICAN

Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

AMERICAN

Check our calendar at CraftPittsburgh.com for even more regularly updated events

EVENTS

April 7 Session Beer Day 12 Brewniversity 14 Erie Microbrew Fest 15 Barks and Brews 17 Craft Beer School 20 Fat Heads Brewer’s Ball 20/28 Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week (refer to inside calendar)

21 24

Big Tap In Pittsburgh Brewmasters

27/28 Seven Springs Brewski Fest

28 PA Flavor May 12 Pints for Pets 15 Craft Beer School June 2 Penn Brewery Microbrew Fest 16 Bear and Gear Fest August 11 Millvale Brew Fest

Join more than 75 brewers in one of

UNFILTERED: Have Beer: Will Travel

the largest brewfests

By Melinda Urick

There are many ways to medicate away travel anxiety – I mean, there are many ways to medicate away LIFE – but when anticipating time in the air, there’s Xanax and there’s alcohol. Which do not mix well together, so I opt for the latter -- complemented by a shot of Jack Daniels, if I’m flying at long length -- mostly because the buzz is quick to alleviate any nervousness. And now that such a thing as to-go cups exist in most airports: Goodbye, panic attacks!

the annual

But those beer options are mostly disappointing. I welcome Virgin Airlines to depart from PIT, considering the airliner announced in-flight cans of 21st Amendment. Please? Given that even snacks are on the wayside for airlines, I’ll give up my dream of expecting something crafty. That “something crafty,” however, is tucked away in my checked luggage for later consumption. My hope: that my destination is riding the craft beer trend. Because I like to share.

OK, I like to drink... and then I like to share.

Travel Tip #1: Bring Bottles

Make friends with the locals and bring something that’s not available outside your home area. I typically pack a bottle in my suitcase to share or trade. Multiple bottles if my travel companion has additional space... because, you know, shoes.

On a recent adventure, we brought along a bottle of Gratitude.

The response was memorable: “I know what that is!”

Considering the store owner heard of the barleywine, but never tried it, this exchange was a mutually gratifying experience (see what I did there?). And we were rewarded with something local in return.

Which leads me to Travel Tip #2: Keep Space for Take-Homes.

Self-explanatory: because you’ll want to share your new discovery when you return.

Travel Tip #3: Think Like a Local

Most touristy areas are crap -- even the bartenders know this.

But ask him or her for guidance. This is how you find the true roots to the local craft scene or directions to that place with a “surprise” for you on tap -- or in the back. When traveling, I plan to visit a mix of popular bars and local breweries, but leave room for some spontaneity: drinking events, beer dinners... random road trips a couple towns over.

C

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in western PA for the fifth annual Pin for ts

PETS BREW FEST may 12

Altoona PA

www pintsforpets com

21 Rotating Taps 300+ Bottles Award Winning Pizza & Wings 6750 Hollywood Blvd ● Delmont, PA (Plaza below Walmart)

724-468-3005 www.3riversbeer.com

Ask your friends and family for suggestions -- or coworkers, if you’re away on business because that’s when you’ll need beer the most.

Travel Tip #4: Pay it Forward

Making friends over beers is easy, especially if the passion is already shared. I have a bucket list based on the experiences of others: Oregon, a road trip up the East Coast, Germany (for Oktoberfest) and California (a must-do voyage for craft drinkers). But I’ll also pass along some of my favorite beer cities: Chicago, Boston, Tampa, Charleston (SC), Toronto.

And yes, even Cleveland.

Travel Tip #5: Come & Visit Me (or Pittsburgh)!

Happy to have you! I always have something local to share.

I recommend growler fills at East End and Arsenal Cider to visitors. But a comprehensive Beer in the ‘Burgh tour would also include visits to Penn Brewery and Church Brew Works.

Or maybe I’ll take you on a spontaneous road trip to Helltown.

South Side, Pittsburgh www.otbbicyclecafe.com

Phone: 412-381-3698 CraftPittsburgh.com

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craft beer 20

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all-day 21st Amendment Take Over - Lucianos Italian Brick Oven all-day Cain’s Saloon Great Lakes Week Long Tap Take Over all-day Pizza Daddie’s IPA & Pizza Challenge 2 pm Elwood’s Pub Pittsburgh Craft Beer Tap Takeover 4 pm Craft Tasting at Save - On Beer McKnight 4 pm Just Got Canned at McBrooms Beer Distributor 4:20 pm The Headkeeper Tapas Bar - All Saints & Helltown Take Over 5 pm 21st Amendment Tasting at Market District Settlers Ridge 5 pm Craft Beer 101 Sampling at Beer-n-At 5 pm Penn & Friends Tasting - Pistella Distributing 5 pm Penn in Verona w Beer Nutz 5 pm Tri-State Brewery Sampling at Duffy’s Pop & Beer 5 pm Zoe’s Beer & Full Pint Tasting 6 pm Beermuda Triangle IPA Tap Take Over Weekend Kick Off 6 pm D’s 6Pax n Dogs - Founders Brewing 6 pm D’s Monroeville & Founders Brewing Happy Hour

1 pm 1 pm 1 pm 1 pm 1 pm 2 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 7 pm 9 pm

Boulder Brewing Tasting - Pistella Distrubting Brooklyn Tasting - Beer Nutz Verona Church Brew Works Tasting at Giant Eagle Shaler/Glenshaw Craft Beer Tasting at Save - On Beer II Cranberry House of 1000 Beers - Sour & Funky Beer Tasting Bocktown Robinson - Sly Fox Sampling Penn Brewery at Market District Settlers Ridge Venture Outdoors - East End Microbrewery Hike Craft Beer & Cigar Pairing at Rooz Brews World War of Beer at Sharp Edge Creekhouse D’s 6Pax n Dogs 2 - Unibroue Back Door Tavern & Full Pint Happy Hour Hops for HEARTH Rivertowne Pour House & New Dimension Comics

12 pm 1 pm 4 pm 5 pm

Divestock - Craft Beer Event at The Dive Bar & Grille OTB & Great Lakes Brewing Community Clean Up Sam Adams Fight Night with Brewer Bob Cannon Divestock - Craft Beer Event at The Dive Bar & Grille

5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 6 pm 6 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 8 pm

Cain’s Saloon Sierra Nevada Happy Hour I PA Celebration w Blue Point & Bites and Brews World War of Beers at Sharp Edge Beer Emporium All Saints Brewery Private Tour & Tasting Dive Bar & Grill Troegs Sampling EEBC & Salt of the Earth Beer vs Cocktails Veg Dinner Gender Studies 423: Women and Craft Beer Hollywood Gardens - New Holland Tasting Harris Grill - Sierra Nevada Tasting

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3:30 pm 4 pm 4:30 pm 5 pm 5:30 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7:30 pm 8 pm 8 pm 8:30 pm

Sharp Edge Brasserie - Abbey Tasting Burgatory Bar - Great Lakes Shake Up Flying Dog at the Sharp Edge Beer Emporium Sierra Nevada Take Over at Bella Luna Trattoria Sharp Edge Creekhouse - Abbey Tasting Carson St Deli & New Holland Spring Picnic Carson St Deli - New Holland Tasting James St Gastropub - Food & Beer Pairing Troegs Beer Dinner w Sharp Edge Bistro on Penn Vegebeerian Night at Piper’s Pub w East End “Beer Factor” ~ Beer Nutz Bottle Shop & Full Pint “IPAs Have Wings” at Bowser’s 1 for the Road – Erie Brewing Co D’s 6Pax n Dogs 2 ~ Sierra Nevada Harris Grill Bells Bacon Night Tap Take Over Sharp Edge Bistro Sewickley - Abbey Tasting Redbeards - Sierra Nevada Craft Cans Tasting World War of Beer at Sidelines Patrick’s Pub - Sierra Nevada Tasting

Boulder Brewing Tasting - Beer Nutz Verona Clark Bar - Penn Brewery Meet the Brewer Flying Dog Tasting - Pistella Distributing Hall of Fame Club - Penn Brewery Meet the Brewer Mullens - Penn Brewery Meet the Brewer Event Sharp Edge Bistro Penn - Abbey Tasting SoHo - Penn Brewery Meet the Brewer Church Brew Works & Cheese Pairing East End Brewing & TRASH Tapping Harris Grill - Great Lakes Brewing Tap Take Over 1 for the Road - Sly Fox Tasting 99 Bottles – Lavery Sampling Bocktown Robinson: Eat, drink and give ‘em Helltown! Pairing event.

6 pm Countryside Picnic w Carson St Deli & Oskar Blues 6 pm D’s 6Pax n Dogs 2 - All Saints Brewing 6 pm Doublewide Grill - East Coast vs West Coast IPA Challenge 6 pm Full Pint Tapas Dinner at The Pine 6 pm Hough’s Pub Brew with a Full Pint Brewer & Happy Hour 6 pm Sam Adams Single Batch Beer Dinner w Sharp Edge Bistro on Penn 6 pm The Pine - Fatheads Brewing - Full Pint Happy Hour 6 pm Venture Outdoors - Weeknight Craft Brew Hike 6 pm Working Women Wednesday at the Grotto w Magic Hat 6:30 pm 1 for the Road Tap House - Black & Gold Brewing Tasting 6:30 pm Sharp Edge Beer Emporium - Abbey Tasting 7 pm Blue Dust - Get Smoked with Founders Brewing 7:30 pm Wooden Nickel - Full Pint Tasting 8 pm Mad Mex Shady Side - Great Lakes Night, Meet the Brewer 8 pm New Holland at Smokin’ Joes 10 pm Lava Lounge - New Holland Tasting

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4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm

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(all-day) (all-day) (all-day) 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4 pm 4:30 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6:30 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm 8 pm 8 pm 8 pm 9 pm

Beer Nutz Bottle Shop - New Holland Church Brew Works Tap Take Over at Hal’s - New Holland Draft & Glass Sp Brian’s Brewery Outlet - Local Craft B Flying Dog Tasting - Beer Nutz Verona Front Door Tavern - Full Pint Brewing Southern Tier Tasting - Pistella Distrib Mad Mex South Hills - Blue Point Bre Braddock’s American Brasserie – Tas Fuel and Fuddle - Great Lakes Meet t Penn Brewery at Mohans Diamond D Beer-N-At - Full Pint Brew Southern Tier – Tap Take Over & Sky West Coast Swing Night at Duke’s Up Church Brew Works at the Dive Bar & D’s 6Pax n Dogs 2 - Helltown Brewing Meet Jason Lavery at Bocktown Robin PGHTEE w Commonwealth Press Sam Adams Tap Take Over at Local B Stone Brewing Tapas Dinner at The P Thursday Night Church at Smokey Bo Sharp Edge Bistro Sewickley - New Ho Beers as Cocktails Competition - Rock Bigelow Grille & East End Brewing Be Brews Bros & Founders Brewing Smo Craft Beer 101 at Grille 51 Belle Vern Hal’s - Full Pint Brewing Waters Edge - Rivertowne Brewing Brewing with a Great Lakes Brewer Kettle Brewing Co. Cain’s Saloon - Full Pint Brewing The Loft in Regent Square - Full Pint Perrytown Draft House - East vs West

3 pm 4 pm 4 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 5 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm

Anchor Tasting at Moon Beer & Pop f C hurch Brew Works Tasting at Banks Craft Beer Primer w Beer Arena Bridgeville Beer - Founders Tasting Church Brew Works Tasting - Pistella Duffys Beer - Founders Tasting Sam Adams - Specialty Flights - Beer Sharp Edge Bistro Sewickley - New H Southern Tier Tasting - Beer Nutz Ver Wingharts South Side - Founders Bre Harris Grill - Full Pint Happy Hour May Day Buffet & Beer Pairing - Pen Sharp Edge Bistro Sewickley - New H Smokin’ Joes Stout Tasting Beer & Chocolate Pairing at Mr. B’s N Church Brew Works & Pizza Daddies Colorado Craft Beer Night - Wicked G

week

Featured Brewery t the Dive Bar & Grille pecial Beer Sampling a g buting ewing Tasing ste of PA Beer Event the Brewer Happy Hour

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Bar + Kitchen Pine ones Pittsburgh Mills olland Beer Dinner k Bottom Brewery eer Dinner (veg friendly) oke Out non

Houghs Bar / Copper

7 pm 8 pm 8 pm 9 pm 9 pm 10 pm

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hat’s an IPA? Tasting at Dommy’s Pizza Vandergrift W D’s 6Pax n Dogs 2 - Breckenridge Brewery Sam Adams Mystery Limited Release Flight Night at Beer Nutz Bottle Shop Magic Hat at The Mainstreet Brewhouse Patrick’s Pub - Founders & Friends Tasting Great Lakes Country Music Jam at Brillobox Pgh

10 am 1 pm 1 pm 1 pm 1 pm 2 pm 2 pm 2 pm 3 pm

E ast End Brewing Pedal Pale Ale Keg Ride!

Atwater Brewery at Giant Eagle Seven Fields Brooklyn Brewing Tasting - Pistella Distributing Church Brew Works - Beer Nutz Verona Southern Tier Tasting at Giant Eagle Cranberry Mall Duffy’s Beer - Full Pint Founder’s Brewers Lunch at Sharp Edge Brasserie Market District Robinson - Full Pint Brewing Bocktown Robinson: Weyerbacher Meet, Greet and Taste with Natalie 3 pm Sharp Edge Brasserie - Founder’s Brewing Beer Dinner 4 pm Bigham Tavern Craft Kan-Jam Tournament 5 pm Ironwood Grill IPA Tasting 5:00 pm Venture Outdoors - Beer Tasting Hike & Boat Cruise 6 pm Blue Point at The Headkeeper 7 pm Paci’s Lounge - Sierra Nevada Cans Tasting

Check out pittsburghcraftbeerweek.com for the most up to date event list,

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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PITTSBURGH: BREWING TOWN ALWAYS A BREWING TOWN ONCE A

By Brian Reed

I

t’s no secret that our beer and brewing scene here in Pittsburgh is exploding. It seems as though a new brewery, quality beer bar, or homebrew-oriented establishment springs up almost on a monthly basis. Our distributors and bottle shops are boasting unprecedentedly comprehensive lists of selections. Pittsburgh is hosting first round judging for the National Homebrewers Conference. The inaugural installment of Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week is rapidly approaching. This remarkable expansion in beer appreciation and culture may come as quite a surprise to many folks in this post-industrial, yet stubbornly blue collar city. The truth is, when you look back in to the not-so-distant past at Pittsburgh’s numerous pockets of ethnically diverse neighborhoods as well as our aforementioned industrial roots, it’s easy to see why Pittsburgh has always been a brewing town.

Needless to say, the structure of the brewing industry during the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries looked very different than it does today. Pennsylvania was home to hundreds of small breweries, many of which made their homes in and around Pittsburgh. The city proper and its surrounding communities were dotted with dozens of small, regional and community 8 Craft Pittsburgh | focused Issue 3 breweries. Although a handful of the

areas breweries enjoyed higher production levels and rather widespread distribution, the majority of them catered to a more concise, local or regional market. Although these establishments were scattered throughout the area, many were concentrated in a few neighborhoods and industrial hotbeds.

The modern North Side area of Pittsburgh—previously called Allegheny City until it was annexed by the City of Pittsburgh in 1907—adopted the nickname ‘Deutschtown’ resulting from the influx of German immigrants around the 1850s and still affectionately maintains the moniker today. The North Side continues to be associated with its German heritage and brewing pedigree at least partially thanks to the modern Pennsylvania Brewing Company; however beer has been brewed in large quantities on the North Side long before the advent of Penn Brewing in 1986. The buildings that house the current Penn Brewery date back to pre-turn-of-the-century Allegheny City.

The building at the corner of Troy Hill Rd. and Vinial St. previously housed the Eberhardt and Ober (E&O) Brewing Company. John Peter Ober and his brother-in-law William Eberhardt officially established their brewing company in 1870 and acquired another small North Side brewery, J.N. Straub Brewing Company (no association with the well-known

CraftPittsburgh.com

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the facilities, and began brewing operations in the fall of 1883.

Their production increased from 500 barrels in their first year to approximately 9,000 barrels annually in their fourth year.

As the demand for their Bavarian-style lager beer grew, the Winter brothers eventually erected a large production facility a few blocks down at 21st and Josephine. By the late 1890s, M. Winter Bros. Brewing Co. had reached nearly 150,000 barrels annually and ranked amount the largest brewing operations in Allegheny County.

Pre-prohibition brewing and beer culture was a decidedly utilitarian enterprise. Still riding the wave of the industrial revolution, brewers produced affordable beer for a largely working class market; however, they managed to do so while maintaining a level of vibrancy and certainly a wide array of ethnically diverse styles, methods, and traditions. Some may say that a precursor (foreshadowing if you will) to the downfall of brewing diversity through the ratification of the Volstead Act, was the advent of corporate brewing conglomerates.

In 1899, the Pittsburgh Brewing Company was incorporated.

The newly minted brewing trust quickly began acquiring small and medium sized breweries throughout the Pittsburgh area; mainly focusing on breweries within the city and its immediate surrounding areas. PBC branches included most notably Iron City, M. Winter, E&O, Wainwright, and Phoenix Brewery just to name a few. In order to compete with the corporate PBC juggernaut, Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh was established in 1905. Independent directed their focus more toward breweries located in wider surrounding areas and soon had acquired 15 breweries to PBC’s 21. Independent’s branches included the Duquesne, American, Hill Top, Homestead, First National, and Chartiers Valley breweries among others. By the latter part of 1907, 58 breweries in Pennsylvania were involved in mergers throughout the state involving at least five separate corporate brewing trusts.

Straub Brewery of St. Mary’s, PA), in 1883. Although E&O was eventually absorbed in a large scale brewing merger, the company continued to produce its popular E&O and Dutch Club brands on the site until 1952. Once E&O closed its doors, the old brewery building would have to wait nearly 35 years before beer flowed through its pipes once again.

In addition to E&O, the North Side had also been home to a number of other notable breweries during approximately the same timeframe; including D. Lutz & Sons Lion Brewery (on Vinial St. near Spring Garden Ave.), and Northside Brewery on Spring Ave. No neighborhood of Pittsburgh was a bigger brewing center during the latter part of the 19th century and up until prohibition than the city’s South Side. The South Side’s industrially attractive location and largely ethnic population made for a promising location for a number of breweries of varying sizes. The close proximity to maltsters, coopers, glass producers, and production bottling facilities drove efficiency, to boot. Until the advent of widespread, commercial refrigeration during the early part of 20th century, area breweries dug ‘lagering caves’ into the hillside at locations including along Pius St. in order to have a temperature stable facility to cold condition their beers.

At one point near the turn of the century, beer was being brewed for commercial consumption on at least three separate locations along Josephine St. alone. The most successful of these operations was the M. Winter Bros. Brewing Company on 27th & Josephine. German immigrant brothers Michael, Alois, and Wolfgang Winter arrived in Pittsburgh, acquired 10

Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Over the next decade or so, the newly created corporate structure of Pittsburgh’s brewing industry began to take its toll. The trusts began to morph the once diverse brewing community in to a more fiscally efficient, industrially driven machine, pumping out a more homogenous product and pushing once fondly anticipated seasonal variations and ethnic specialty brews to the wayside; however, the full effect of the mergers was not to be realized. With the passing of the Volstead Act in late 1919, came the age of prohibition and, effectively, the death of American brewing culture for, what some would say, the next 60 years.

Even once prohibition was repealed with the passing of the 21st Amendment in late 1933, irreparable damage had been done. The nearly 4,000 breweries that dotted America’s landscape around the turn of the century had dwindled to approximately 725 with only a few major players capable of keeping their head above water for long. Pittsburgh breweries were by no means spared.

Of the 21 original members Pittsburgh Brewing Company trust, only three survived; whereas five of the Independent Brewing Company branches remained by 1933.

One of the fortunate few breweries to survive and effectively thrive during the aftermath of prohibition was Duquesne Brewing Company. The South Side brewery was not incorporated until 1899—the same year that the PBC trust was established—and was essentially in its infancy during the period when many Pittsburgh breweries were being coerced in to merger. Its timing benefited Duquesne in the sense that it was passed on by the larger, and effectively more powerful, PBC and instead merged with Independent, becoming their biggest branch. Then came prohibition.

Duquesne Brewing Company acquired a license to sell low alcohol “near beer” in 1933 and planned to re-open upon passing of the 21st Amendment. The brewery famously sent a case of their beer to President Roosevelt on Wednesday April 5th 1933.

Duquesne opened its doors at 12:01am that Friday to a waiting crowd as ‘Independent Brewing Company.’ The brewery readopted its ‘Duquesne Brewing Company’ namesake later that year. By 1937, Duquesne had become the largest brewery in Pennsylvania, producing 325,000 barrels annually.

Capitalizing on its newly adopted marketing strategies and catchy slogans, Duquesne had expanded its brewing operation to three locations and increased its capacity to 2 million barrels by the end of the second World War. They opened a new, state-of-the-art facility on the South Side in 1950 (closing its two others) and were recognized as one of the top ten breweries in the country.

Despite Duquesne’s success through the 1950s, market trends began to favor national mega-breweries during the 1960s.

A combination of market difficulties, legal problems, and ownership/management struggles resulted in the closing of the flagship South Side plant in 1972. One of the historic 1899 brewery buildings, with its recognizable clock face, still stands on 21st & Mary St. as a common meeting place and beloved South Side landmark. Another, just across the street, serves as housing for artists, providing studios and a gallery for its tenants.

The Duquesne Beer brand was revived under new ownership in 2010, and a new version of the historic beer is currently being brewed under contract.

Although Duquesne endures as a lasting Pittsburgh brewing icon, another oft forgotten name still haunts the pantheon of South Side brewing lore. John Henry Nusser—son of a cooper and S. 12th St. saloon owner turned brewmaster of the same name—took over the family business as the brewmaster of the National Brewery at the age of 25. The family brewery was located on S. 12th St. where it intersected Brosville St. Nusser took full advantage of its location by building lagering caves in to the side of the hill. In his early days as a brewer (1870s & 80s), Nusser personally harvested ice for the caves from the company’s ice pond located overlooking 22nd St; often rising as early as 2:00am to do so.

Nusser and his staff produced approximately 80 barrels per day, an impressive amount of beer for a modest sized facility.

Each barrel sold to area bars and beer gardens for $8 per barrel, generally selling at retail for a nickel a glass. Nusser reminisces in a 1932 interview with The Pittsburgh Press that housewives, particularly in German neighborhoods, would often order kegs of beer delivered directly to their homes.

Nusser also recalls that National Brewery employees were free to help themselves to as much beer as they wanted during work hours (which to me, as a brewer, is quite the intriguing concept).

In fact, each employee had their own closely guarded stein hanging on a peg near the spigot. This was not an uncommon practice for the period, however it was understood that any man who became noticeably intoxicated on the job were promptly relieved of their duties.

Remarkably, nearly every facet of the breweries operations and materials were sustained in the South Side neighborhood; from the ice for lagering, to the barley maltster (Nusser did business with Hogel Malting nearby on 18th St.), to the local cooper who made his kegs and barrels, to South Side Bottling Company who blew the glass.

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In Nusser’s 1932 account, he fondly remembers the seasonality of the brewing trade. The National Brewery, like many traditional German breweries, produced variations of bock beers in the spring. These special brews were generally darker, stronger lagers adorned with images of billy goats on their labels (a common visual pun associated with the accent with which citizens of Munich pronounced “Einbeck,” the city of origin for the traditional style).

Like many of the period, the National Brewery merged with the Pittsburgh Brewing Company trust. It ultimately perished with the advent of prohibition.

Nusser was said to have remained a familiar figure near his home on Brownsville in Carrick where he was known to take long walks. “…I haven’t forgotten how good the beer was, and I never will.” He said in his 1932 interview. “I think the country will be better off if beer comes back.”

And come back it did. There’s no doubt that Nusser and his pre-prohibition counterparts would be pleased to see the drastic (albeit very gradual) recovery that the American beer culture has made. It’s certain that they would be proud indeed to see the level of creativity and commitment to a quality product that our city’s brewers display—both in commercial and homebrew settings. Although this barely scratches the surface of Pittsburgh area brewing history, stopping often to revisit our brewing roots can only help us to appreciate where we are and where we are going that much more. Cheers.

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Have You Tried...

FULL PINT Hobnobber

Billed as a “session ale� this locally-made 4% ABV ale from Full Pint Brewing is singlehopped, always utilizing the same malt bill (Pilsner, CaraPils, and dark crystal), but alternating the hop with each batch. Current batches have been made with Columbus or Tettnang. Its 80 IBUs show big in this 4% ale.

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HE’BREW Genesis

Genesis, labeled a “dry-hopped session ale,” may blur the lines at 5.6% ABV to be truly sessionable, but it’s an American pale ale from Schmaltz Brewing Company that is said to be West Coast style pale with just enough balance from an amber malt sweetness to accentuate its hop flavor and aroma. The malt bill incudes specialty 2-row, Munich, CaraMunich 40, wheat, and dark crystal, hopped with Warrior, Centennial, and Cascade. It’s dry-hopped with Centennial, Cascade, and Simcoe.

SOUTHERN TIER Euro Trash Pilz

Modeled after the European lagers to be light and crisp, Euro Trash is made with 2-row malted barley and Pilsner malt, and lightly bittered with European noble hops, resulting in a malty, session lager.

OSKAR BLUES Deviant Dale’s

From the original craft beer canners, Deviant Dale’s is an IPA (a double to some at 8% ABV) with four hop additions during the brew, followed by an “excessive” amount of Columbus dry-hopping. Deviant Dale’s is available on draft and in 16 oz. “tall boy” cans.

SLY FOX

Phoenix Pale Ale Phoenix is a Pennsylvania-brewed American pale ale made with pale and crystal malts coming in at 5.1% ABV. Its Cascade and Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest lend it 40 IBUs.

CraftPittsburgh.com

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CraftPittsburgh SponsorDirectory 1 for the Road Beer Emporium and Tap Room

Brews Brothers

Piper’s Pub

10974 Perry Highway Wexford, PA 15090 (724) 940-7667 1fortheroadtaproom.com

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3 Rivers Six Pack 3100 Craft Beer

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Full Pint Brewing Company

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1963 Lincoln Highway North Versailles, PA 15137 (412) 467-6414 fullpintbrewing.com Proudly distributed by Wilson McGinley, Inc. (412) 621-4420

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800 Anderson St. New Kensington, PA 15068 724-337-3581 gallibeercorp.com

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Fat Head’s Saloon

Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Galli Beer

OTB Bicycle Café Pints for Pets

Central PA Humane Society 1837 E. Pleasant Valley Blvd.

Altoona, PA 16602 (814) 942-5402 CentralPAHumane.org

Pistella Beer Distributors

Smokin’ Joe’s Saloon

2001 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (412) 431-6757 smokinjoessaloon

Tony Savatt, Inc.

19-29 Shingiss St. McKees Rocks, PA 15136 (412) 331-1222 TonySavatt.com

Vecenie Distributing Company

140 North Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15209 (412) 821-4618 beersince1933.com

Zoe’s Beer Distributor

4102 Clairton Blvd.

Brentwood, PA 15227 (412) 881-4002 zoesbeer.com

ThankYou!

CraftPittsburgh.com

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COOKING

BEER

with

By Mindy Heisler-Johnson

E

arly on in my adventures in cooking with beer, I made a delicious discovery: Belgian blondes and tripels work better with seafood than any white wine I’ve ever used. My favorites to use are Orval, Bornem XXX, and Kwak (yes, I know it is technically amber, but it’s still a favorite white wine sub).

Some may say it’s sacrilegious to use Orval to cook, pardon the pun. To them I say try this recipe. You will also be converted.

Orval is a top-fermented Trappist made at Orval Abbey in the Southeaster countryside of Brussels.

The beer is hazy and golden in color with a crisp, white head. Technically dry-hopped, the beer isn’t aggressively hoppy. Even when reduced, the grassy, citrus/orange notes are amplified, not the hops. If you don’t feel like sacrificing an Orval, another Belgian blonde or tripel will work just fine.

This is a “1 pot meal.” The recipe walks you step-by-step through how to build this not-sotraditional bouillabaisse with perfectly cooked seafood. It’s key to make sure all your prep is ready to go, so once you start cooking you don’t have to stop. The broth is flavored with fresh fennel and oranges, along with the Orval and seafood. This is one of those dishes that will impress, but is far easier to assemble than it looks.

Orval Seafood Bouillabaisse

4 Tbsp Butter

1 Medium head of fennel, julienned

1 Medium sweet onion, julienned

2 Cloves garlic, minced

2 Oranges, both juiced (1 zested)

1 bottle Orval

21/25 shrimp – 5 per person

Sea scallops – 2 per person

Mussels – ½ # per person Cooked lobster – 2-3oz per person (plus or minus on either end)

Red snapper – 2-3oz per person

Sausage – 1 link per person

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 3

Orval Seafood Bouillabaisse

Feel free to substitute any fish you like for the snapper and jumbo lump crab meat for the lobster; however, the mussels and shrimp are key flavor components to the sauce. Note: avoid strong fish, like salmon. It will permeate the sauce, not always in a good way.

The broth is enough for at least 6 to 8 people. It’s also far easier to buy what you need this way. I with boiled new potatoes tossed with sea salt, butter, and parsley, and served with a pile of crusty bread for sauce sopping.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan or soup-sized pot over medium-high heat.

When melted and foamy, add the sausage and brown off on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the links from the pan and set aside. When cooled, slice thick on a bias before adding back in.

Add the fennel, onion, and garlic to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Sweat the vegetables until the fennel and onion are tender and it starts to smell sweet.

When the fennel is done, season the scallops with salt and pepper and lay them in the bottom of the pan to sear, about 3 minutes per side. Once seared, remove and set aside with the sausage.

Increase the heat and add the shrimp. Sauté until the shrimp begins to turn pink and are mostly cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside with the scallops.

Add the mussels to the hot pan and toss to coat with the vegetables. When the pan is hot again, add the orange juice, zest, and Orval. Crank your heat up and bring to a hard simmer. The trick to perfectly cooked mussels is to remove them from the pan as they open up. As they pop, remove them with a slotted spoon and place into your serving bowl/vessel.

When all of the mussels are out (if there are any unopened, throw them away), place the snapper, scallops, shrimp, and sausage in the simmering broth to finish cooking. Re-heat everything for about 4 minutes.

Use the slotted spoon to remove the seafood and sausage. Taste the broth – it may need some salt and pepper and maybe a squeeze of lemon to finish it off.

Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Pour over top everything in the bowl, garnish with parsley, and get it on the table!

This pairs very well with a variety of beer styles – hefe-weissen, tripels, pale ales, amber ales. The sauce is sweet and citrusy, so hops even match, although, they aren’t my first choice. Orval, even though it goes against my “don’t drink what you cook with” ethos, is actually what I think pairs best of them all.

HOME

BREWING Q embrace your base

By Brian Reed

uick, recall the last half-dozen beers you’ve brewed. Got ‘em? How many of those recipes utilized plain, old US 2-row as its base malt? That’s what I figured. Hey, I’m guilty of it too. All too often we homebrewers (the analytical lot that we are) become so preoccupied with overly complex grain bills involving 0.6525 oz. of every special malt under the sun that we fail to consider the importance of our humble base malt.

We’re so consumed by our 1% of oak-smoked pale wheat-this and our floor-malted dehusked-that, we manage to neglect the ingredient which gives our brew its soul. It’s time to refocus. Base malts are more than just our diastatic workhorse, they can (and should) be the first major consideration in a great many recipes.

Let me start by saying that I take no issue with US 2-row itself. I use it regularly and believe it to play a pivotal role in many-a-great American ale; however I find exception in the fact that many brewers take its relatively high enzyme and extract potential, pale color, and neutral flavor to mean that it’s the perfect base for just about every style. Surely a solid English Bitter can come from regular 2-row accompanied by a healthy dose of English medium crystal, for example, but why go the round-about way of achieving your desired flavor profile when there’s an array of base malts at your fingertips that are far better suited for the job? The appropriate choice in base malt can, quite simply, morph a good beer in to a great one! Take, for example, Maris Otter. Arguably the most famous of the English base malts, this adaptive variety lends a level of complexity and depth of malt character (with its English biscuit and subtle nutty notes) that regular US 2-row can’t touch. Similarly, Optic malt—often referred to by its brand-specific moniker ‘Fawcett Optic’—is another great alternative often used in English ales. Golden Promise is a style malted from a traditional variety of Scottish barley.

Although its clean flavor profile and tendency toward sweetness in the final beer would be best suited in Scottish ales, you’ll most likely have success with it in English styles as well.

brewer. Try a percentage of Pils in your favorite IPA recipe or wheat in your tried and true Porter; even if you’re not crazy about the results, at least you’ll have gained a valuable nugget of knowledge about what that particular change brought to the party.

A multitude of malt varieties which you may typically use in a specialty role could be employed as base malt with very intriguing outcomes. It would certainly be traditional—albeit a bit too rare in my opinion—to see Munich, Vienna, or Rauch malts making up as much as 100% of a grain bill for certain styles (i.e. Munich Dunkel, Vienna Lager, Classic Rauchbier, etc.). Just be prepared that without modifying your process, you may experience lower mash efficiency resulting from the use of a base malt variety which lies a bit lower on the diastatic scale; that being said, not just any old specialty grain is suitable for transition in to the realm of base malts. A base malt must provide all, or nearly all, of the diastatic power (the enzymatic ability to break down starches in to fermentable sugars during the mash) required for proper conversion. Most toasted and roasted specialty malts (i.e. crystal malt, chocolate malt, etc.) lack sufficient diastatic power, due to the fact that they have been more heavily kilned/roasted. The aforementioned deficiency will compound with the use of any significant portion of starchy adjuncts.

Needless to say, we’ve only hinted at the cornucopia of base malts out there, waiting to be explored. So next time you head to your local homebrew shop or punch that credit card number in online, take a chance on a sack of something different. A proverbial sea of options exist, including all manner of Pilsner malts, organic varieties, adjunct grains, and producer-specific variations (just to name a few), and hopefully I’ve inspired you to take off the waders and dive in.

In addition to adding depth of flavor and aiding in stylistic accuracy, placing more emphasis on one’s base malt can often help to showcase a brewer’s process and hone technique. Many a recipe attempts to mask inadequacies in process with excess specialty malts. Case in point: although it is often attempted, many feel that the malt character and mouthfeel effects of a decoction mash are very difficult, if not impossible, to replicate simply with the use of melanoidin malt. In fact, many of the best homebrewed renditions of Kölsch, Pilsner, and other German styles I’ve had were made from exceedingly simplistic grain bills (100% German Pils, for example).

Another motivation to stray from our standard base malt selections turns out to be a common axiom for any honest artist, scientist, craftsman, or homebrewer’s philosophy: experimentation is essential to development. Striving to grow one’s knowledge and experience with all manner of ingredients and techniques is the only way to evolve as a CraftPittsburgh.com

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