Pittsburgh's Craft Beer Scene

Get the Most Out of Pittsburgh’s Vibrant Craft Beer Scene

By Mike Tysarczyk

It wasn’t all that long ago when Pittsburgh was home to more Super Bowl trophies than craft breweries. Much has changed over the last 15 years, though. Now, more than 40 breweries dot Allegheny County’s unique landscape, churning out lots of great beer from a wide variety of visitworthy locations.

The array of options will serve those who want to schedule a beer-focused vacation, pair up a brewery visit with a concert, game or show, or stop for a quick pint before heading home from a business trip.

Trail Time

To help navigate the dozens of breweries embedded within Pittsburgh’s distinctive terrain of hills and valleys dissected by three rivers, visitors can check out pittsburghbreweries.com. This website - a product of the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild - features helpful information on almost all Allegheny County breweries. You can find out which ones are bike friendly, kid friendly or dog friendly, and search for those that have food trucks or live music. It’s all there.

The site also lays out seven premade trails that will help make your beer ventures as easy and efficient as possible. The North Shore Trail, for example, lays out a track for a half dozen breweries - many within walking distance of each other - across a few tight-knit Northside neighborhoods. Just up the road, The Allegheny River Trail includes six breweries that sit within six miles of each other in communities on or near the north bank of the river just upstream from Downtown Pittsburgh.

Cross the Allegheny River again and pick up The City Trail, which features seven breweries that will take you through the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield and Garfield, neighborhoods with plenty of food, fashion and flair. The East Pittsburgh Trail combines a few breweries within the east end of the city’s limits and four others located in the nearby Verona, Blawnox and Springdale municipalities.

Venture just south of the city and connect with the South Hills and Mon River trails, which offer a combined 10 breweries to visit. Staying near the airport or west of the city? The Ohio River Trail provides a unique route of breweries to explore. Two breweries line the north bank of the Ohio River, while three others are positioned along or nearby the south bank.

Rather do your own thing? No problem. Use the site to create a self-made trail of Pittsburgh breweries and pull up the easiest route from one stop to the next.

Something Old, Something New

Though each of Allegheny County’s breweries continues to evolve and bring new beers and vibrancy to the city, keep an eye out for some brewery news of note in 2022.

Dancing Gnome recently opened a new production brewery and taproom just down the block from its original space in Sharpsburg. Try the flagship Lustra while listening to the sounds of passing trains and river barges. Nearby, Grist House Craft Brewery is well on its way to opening another taproom at its original Millvale location, which is already widely known as a great outdoor hang.

Verona's Inner Groove Brewing plans to open a taproom in Allentown, a community not too far from Mount Washington’s panoramic views. A new entrant - Golden Age Beer Co. - opened its lager-focused brewery in late 2021. Head to historic Homestead for those offerings.

Looking for some award-winning beers in the ‘Burgh? Auroch’s Brewing Co. in Emsworth, home to some of the country’s best gluten free beers, earned a gold medal at the 2020 Great American Beer Festival for its Hazy IPA (Gluten-Free Beer category).

Cinderlands Beer Co. is another award winner, earning the gold medal for Brett beers at the 2021 Great American Beer Fest. The brewery now has three locations in and around the city.

Insurrection Aleworks in Heidelberg has a newly expanded brewhouse and an excellent menu of made-from-scratch sandwiches, charcuterie and pizza.

Finally, what’s old is new again in Pittsburgh in 2022. Pittsburgh Brewing Co., the maker of Iron City, the region’s most famed lager, plans to open a sparkling new brewery along the Allegheny River in East Deer Township this year. Pittsburghers look forward to welcoming Pittsburgh Brewing back home (after a decade of contract brewing) where it will join more than 40 other breweries intent on making Pittsburgh the place to visit for beer.

Mike Tysarczyk is executive director of the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild, a group of more than 40 breweries that call Allegheny County home. In addition to his role with the PBG, Mike works at Dancing Gnome Brewery in Sharpsburg. A Pittsburgh native, Mike graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and worked at PNC and Citizens for 23 years before trading banking for beer.