Recon Brewing opens at Hastings

Jeep of Beers

Butler-based Recon Brewing honors original jeep

By Andrea Iglar

When Kristin Karam began working for Recon Brewing in Butler five years ago, her go-to drink was a vodka cranberry.

“I’m a beer person now,” she said.

Longtime employees Kristin Karam, left, and Levi Leyland are in charge of daily operations in South Fayette.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Her favorites are hazy India pale ales and sours—just a couple of the rotating beer styles brewed in Butler and served at the new Recon taproom in the Hastings neighborhood of South Fayette Township.

Three friends opened the original location in 2017 in Butler, a city 35 miles north of Pittsburgh where the original military jeep was invented.

The Recon name comes from the Bantam Reconnaissance Car, or BRC, the jeep prototype that Butler’s American Bantam Company created in 1940.

Jeep decor is mounted above the taps at Recon Brewing at Hastings in South Fayette.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

The BRC is credited as the grandparent of the Jeep, and in its honor, Recon Brewing named its flagship India pale ale "BRC."

The owners—Toby Wehr, Dave Bestwick and Nate Bacher—are friends who met in the fire service in Butler Township.

Nate Bacher, left, and his friends Toby Wehr and Dave Bestwick opened Recon Brewing in South Fayette in February.

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“It was perfect because they all had their strengths and they learned from each other,” said Ms. Karam, the assistant manager and social media manager.

Levi Leyland, a longtime bartender and the head lead at Hastings, said the owners have cultivated a family-like atmosphere that is supportive of staff and welcoming to the community.

“We want [Recon] to be an extension of everybody’s living room or dining room,” Mr. Leyland said.

Levi Leyland tends the bar at Recon Brewing.

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The South Fayette taproom opened in February with nine Recon beers on tap, plus seasonal cocktails and a rotating selection of wine and cider from local producers KingView Mead and Narcisi Winery.

Mr. Leyland’s favorite beer is Witchn’ Brew, an aromatic farmhouse ale brewed with ginger and licorice root.

Some other rotating selections include Hastings Brown Ale—made especially to celebrate the South Fayette location—and an amber lager called 14 Leatherheads, a nod to the term for leather firefighter helmets and the people who wear them.

Levi Leyland pours one of the nine brews on tap.

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To-go options include growlers filled with any Recon Beer that is on tap, as well as a rotating selection of 4-pack cans.

Steve and Benny’s Chicken Shack offers a menu of sandwiches, loaded mac and cheese bowls, and salads that pair well with the brews.

The eponymous Benny Dougherty said the eatery also has a food truck in Butler and a brick-and-mortar location in Monaca, Beaver County.

Recon Brewing's grand opening in February drew a crowd.

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In addition to Butler and South Fayette, Recon operates in the Meeder neighborhood of Cranberry.

Both Hastings and Meeder are Charter Homes & Neighborhoods planned developments that include homes and businesses.

Ms. Karam said Recon Brewing offers a family-friendly atmosphere that encourages neighbors to chat and interact.

“Craft beer creates almost a coffee shop vibe but for beer lovers,” she said.

Recon Brewing sits in the Hastings Crossroads business district in South Fayette.

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Recon Brewing is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

Recon Brewing: 1401 Hastings Crescent, South Fayette: 412-914-8262; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok; reconbrewing. com/hastings.