Not Quiet on the Northern Front

I've tried my best to be up-to-date on the local breweries finally getting some beer on the market in cans. The best part about the breweries that have started to do it in this area were ones that mostly only had draft selections. Rivertowne did have a small bottling operation going at one point, but for whatever reason there was just only three beer selections available at distributors in bottles. At least that's all I noticed over time.

According to Craft Pittsburgh, one of the breweries that gave me one of my first craft beer experiences (North Country Brewing Company in Slippery Rock, Pa.) is nearing the completion of its canning project. It's looking as if things are ready to roll.

Look for @ncbrewingco beer out in the market in a few weeks from @beersince1933.
— Craft Pittsburgh Mag (@CraftPittsburgh) June 25, 2013

From my own recollection, North Country should be putting out three of it's original beer lineup. This should include station 33 Firehouse Red, Buck Snort Stout and Paleo IPA. Also, there should be cans of Slimey Pebble Pils, which I've never come across during my trips to Slippery Rock.

I dream of one day coming across some cans of the famous fruit beer rotation North Country always does (otherwise known as "The Fruit Bowl"). Some Blue Bear-E, Cherry Garcia and Strawberry Fields Forever would hit the spot.

Monday Rant: Beer Metallica

There was a good piece in Craft Pittsburgh Magazine in its latest issue about how having to expand into canning, bottling and new buildings are all great problems to have for a few local breweries. Two of the brewing companies mentioned in this feature were North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock (which provided me with my very first taste of microbrews while in college) and Rivertowne in Export. Both places are in the beginnings of starting to can some of their beer.

In my mind, the fact remains that this is a great thing for these companies on our local scene. There's more beer to be purchased out on the market and we now can enjoy some of these brews in the comfort of our own homes instead of physically going to the pubs of these companies like we had to previously.

I have a grandmother that can't get over how picky I am sometimes at the dinner table. We're a Slovak family and that shows in our holiday gatherings as the meals are very ethnic. Let's just say I only eat half of what's actually served for dinner on Christmas Eve.

The same can be said for other aspects of my life. When it comes to beer I'm picky about how it's served. I don't really prefer beer from a can as I can easily distinguish some type of metallic taste that seems to settle in the beer.

Some craft breweries are going to can their beer whether I like it or not. So, this is just going to be something I have to get over. Still, I'm excited to have a chance to purchase some beer that I couldn't do previously.

East End Brewing Takes Over Casks at Piper's Pub

Piper's is one of the coziest places to be.

One thing I regretfully didn't get too familiar with during my first venture to Piper's Pub was the cask system the bar has. There isn't really time to explain what beer on cask is, so if you aren't too familiar with it just click here. Craft Pittsburgh did a piece on cask beer in an issue last year. You can download that issue by clicking right here. In essence, and you'll read the same in the Craft Pittsburgh piece, drinking cask ale is a chance to experience a beer in a livelier fashion than you're used to when having one off of a typical draft system.

Starting today, our own East End Brewing has taken over the cask system down at Piper's for the Festival of Darkness (a celebration of dark beers). On cask are three of East End's brews: Smokestack Porter, Homewood Reserve 2011 and Milk Stout.

Just as I has bragged about having the last glass of Southern Tier Pumking in almost all of Pittsburgh one night at Blue Dust in Homestead, I came across another milestone in my beer-drinking adventures by having only the second beer out of the Festival of Darkness casks today.

Tasty. Not me. The beer.

I decided to go with the Smokestack Porter and I wasn't disappointed. With this being the first beer I've ever had on cask, I noticed the beer's temperature. It was significantly warmer than any beer I've had on regular draft. I suddenly felt like I was sent back in time to London in the 1890's. Just watching the bartender use the hand pump to get my beer instead of simply lowering the tap lever and waiting for the glass to fill was exciting for me. Don't ask why.

The smoked malts came through strongly in the beer's taste and was very creamy towards the finish. It was very enjoyable. I can admit that a good portion of the flavor wouldn't have come through if the beer was much colder.

The fact that there was less carbonation in the beer in order to help create the pressure to pump it upstairs almost seemed to bring out more in the beer. The head looked thicker than most any other beer I've had (no nitro was involved!) and the flavor exploded once it hit your tongue. Despite my inexperience drinking beers on cask, something tells me that this is the way beer is meant to be drank, as I am a traditionalist in many senses.

As a heads up, the bartender let me know that Piper's intends to rearrange its tap/cask organization on the bar. Apparently imports and Pennsylvania beers will have there own section. Keep an eye out in the future.