Tag: Pittsburgh

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Pittsburgh Brewery # 3 – Bona Fide Beer Co. 

Time to leave Pittsburgh but before we go, let’s stop at Bona Fide Beer Co. for a taster flight.

Lager – “Easy drinking American Lager. Mild fruity and floral aroma, subtle toasted malt flavors balanced with crisp bitterness. Finishes clean.”

Bitter – “The finest UK 2-Row barley and specialty malts with a distinct bitterness from Target hops.”

Crumb Imperial Pumpkin Spice Ale – “A rich, pie crust inpsired ale with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & clove from Penzey’s Spices.”

IPA – “American IPA. Aromas of clementine and grapefruit prepare your pallet for a citrus forward hop profile followed by sweet malt flavors underneath.”

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Pittsburgh Brewery # 2 – Hitchhiker Brewing

Hitchhiker Brewing has the simple thumb as their logo and now a couple taprooms to enjoy their beers including Mt. Lebanon and Sharpsburg.

Let’s create a flight from both!

Conversion Dry Hopped Blonde – “Brewed with Pilsner malt. Hopped lightly with Amarillo and dry hopped with a touch of Amarillo. Notes of Lemon peel, fresh bread, crackers, and blossoms.”

No Way Summer Stout – “Brewed with Caramel and Dark Malts and fermented with our house yeast blend. Notes of Coffee, Chocolate, and Caramel. A refreshing, crushable Stout.”

15th and Canal Pale Ale – “Brewed with oats. Hopped with Citra and Mosaic. Named after our production brewery and tap room in Sharpsburg. Notes of pine needles, blueberries, pineapple, and grapefruit.”

Faux Real IPA – “Brewed with Oats and Wheat. Hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Cashmere, and Simcoe.”

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Pittsburgh Brewery Tour # 1 – Trace Brewing

Wave the Terrible Towel, time to visit Pittsburgh and the first stop is Trace Brewing. Noodling through their website, I noticed that they have a vocational program which is the first that I have seen on a brewery website.

Time to dive into the taster tray…

Pinhole – “Cream Ale brewed in collaboration with our good friends and neighbors at Bankrupt Bodega. Light and crushable, brewed with flaked corn and noble hops.”

Agio Italian Pilsner – “Pilsner brewed with Eraclea pilsner malt, which is made from barley grown near the Adriatic Sea northeast of Venice, Italy. The beer was hopped with Magnum, Saaz and Hallertau Tradition in the kettle, and then dryhopped with Mandarina Bavaria, Hallertau Blanc, and Hallertau Tradition. Crisp and hoppy with notes of noble hop citrus, fresh cut grass, and standing in a field after a rainstorm.”

Foeder Kellerbier – “Our house Kellerbier aged for two months in an American oak foeder. Floral and lemon hop character with caramel and vanilla notes from the oak.”

Sure, You’re Right NE Hazy IPA – “IPA brewed with Citra and Idaho 7 hops. Notes of Pineapple, Overripe Stone Fruit and Spicy Honey. Dedicated to the best MC with no chain you ever heard.”

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Footbahlin

The NFL is back in stadiums but the Steelers will be without their long standing QB1 Ben Roethlisberger whose has moved behind the mic to podcast.

Footbahlin will not just be about football though, there will be a craft beer component as well.

I watched the first episode on YouTube because I could not find the just audio version and it has a California backstory. The title of the show is a nod to Anderson Valley’s Boontling dialect.

It is a good example of people not deep into beer just having fun. Something that I lose sight of and have to reel back in. The show is an hour which I find a bit too long. It is more regular conversation instead of tight and edited.

But it is a good education on tasting because kids and QBs say the darndest things.

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Featured Review # 3 – Relic from Draai Laag

Crazy to read about Draai Laag in Beer Advocate and then literally days later, see a bottle of Relic on the shelves at Sunset Beer. So I took it as a sign and grabbed a bottle to review.
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This “Wild by Design” beer is made with the Relic Strain, and we’ll let the website explain more…

“Long story short – we came into possession of a French Monastic cabinet dated from the 17th century and, naturally, set to work extracting a yeast strain from the layers of wax used to preserve it. Hops were added sparingly, allowing the uniquely earthy, musty and citrusy flavors of this ancient strain to shine.”

The Wild Ale pours a turbid orange. I expect nothing less from the East Coast. Aroma is tart for sure. Sweet tart meets barnyard is my initial reaction. Quite acidic on the stomach. Tasting some grapefruit pith. A bit of an oaky wood note fights through the tart. Not complex and not simplistic. Points inbetween to me.

I like it but I also think that I need to taste other beers to truly gauge this particular beer.

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Fatheads Saloon

I like to highlight beer places that are trying to do better. There are so many striving for mediocrity chains out there getting people’s hard earned money. I think more people need to go here….(if you are in the Pittsburgh area of course)

“Fat Head’s Saloon is a neighborhood bar & grill on Pittsburgh’s Historic South Side. We’re not some fancy-schmancy place or fast food take-out joint where your food is kept alive by heat lamps. Everything is cooked to order. Our huge menu features Headwiches, sandwiches, burgers, wings, ribs & more. Choose from 42 craft-brewed beers on tap, and one hand-pumped “real ale.” Fat Head’s numerous awards include Best Bar Food, Best Wings, Best Burgers, and Best Beer Selection. Stop in. Chill out. Have a beer and a sandwich or somethin’.”