In Little Increments

I harp a lot about beer at Pittsburgh's PNC Park a lot on this blog. Almost as many times as I've complained about seasonal beers coming out earlier each year. With that being said, I've never voluntarily purchased a beer at any major sporting event at full price. I've purchased beer at the PNC Park post-game special for $2.50 a pop, but never during a game until this summer.

I found the craft selection at PNC Park so impressive during a visit this year that I decided to take that step into the abyss and fork over $9 for a beer. It wasn't as heart-wrenching as everyone thinks when you keep it to just one or two.

I found an article via CBS Sports ranking all Major League towns by beer cost in terms of price-per-ounce. Pittsburgh came in as the 26th cheapest place at $.34 for every ounce of beer. Good beer at that!

I mentioned earlier that your typical 16 oz. beer at PNC Park goes for $9. Multiply that by the $.34 and it gives you $5.44. Now, I'm assuming that's without taxes and markup. As it's late in the day and I just want to eat some dinner and watch the Pirates play the Milwaukee Brewers I don't actually feel like digging up any more.

Remember all of the hooplah over the New York beer stands with what some of you refer to as "faux craft" beers? At $.50 per-ounce? Yikes!

Lovely.

Stay Calm, All is Well

Last week I posted about the updated craft selection available to those taking in a ballgame at PNC Park. As I usually do when I write about PNC Park on this blog, I make mention of the Hall of Fame Club and the  post-game $2.50 beer special. I also mentioned the fact that the HOF Club was renamed in honor of local Rivertowne Brewing.

I figured it was just a name. I didn't think twice about anything else changing until my father mentioned the subject and asked if it was just going to be all-out Rivertowne brews sold in the new HOF Club. I figured the best and quickest way to get a response to my question was via Twitter.

@burghbeersnob Great question! They will maintain their variety of crafts with the addition of our signature six in the mix!
— Rivertowne Brewing (@rivertownebeer) April 8, 2013

The next thing on my mind is whether or not the post-game special would still be on after each game, but I wasn't exactly in the mood for pestering someone that just took the time out to answer one of my questions. I'm looking forward to finding out soon enough when I have a chance to attend a game at PNC Park. If the special is kaput, there's still some great beer to choose from. That's the important thing. Heinz Field, the clock is ticking.

Take Me Out to the Craft Pub

Yesterday was opening day for Major League Baseball. You can be excited if you're a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. I am, but I'm also excited as a craft beer fan. Everyone knows I rave about the post-game special at PNC Park's Hall of Fame Club ($2.50 for any beer in the place).

Over the past few season's the craft selection has grown, not only in the Hall of Fame Club, but all over the park. I remember when the best offerings on tap included Yuengling Traditional Lager and a few popular selections from a certain brewery on Vinial Street.

That selection has grown. The last time I was at PNC Park, there were about nine crafts on tap in the HOF Club and a concession stand called Beers of the Burgh which has all kinds of local drafts. I also noticed late in the year that there are quite a few carts along the main concourse of the ballpark that have somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-15 craft bottles that include Anchor Steam Beer and Magic Hat #9 (from what I can recollect). I'm expecting to see some canned brews with the new infusion of craft canning. Click here to use an interactive map detailing most of the locations.

If you're at the home opener today stop by the Rivertowne Brewing Hall of Fame Club and grab a Rivertowne Beer! Cheers to a great season!
— Rivertowne Brewing (@rivertownebeer) April 1, 2013

If you follow Rivertowne's Twitter, you probably already noticed that some of its brews can now be purchased once you're inside the stadium. I'm assuming that means the beer can be found both in the HOF Club and in the concourse concession stands.

I'm very excited for baseball to be back. I was raised on it. I love it so. I'm just as excited to check out the 2013 edition of the craft scene throughout the ballpark. Hopefully the post-game special still happens!

Monday Rant: Craft Tidal Wave at PNC Park

I've ranted and raved about the post-game happy hour special at PNC Park's Hall of Fame Club over the past few summers. It was this past Saturday night after the Pirates 5-1 victory over the Miami (will always be Florida to me) Marlins that I noticed the plethora of craft beers available to happy hour participants.

I remember when I first started joining in on the $2.50 per-brew fun in the Hall of Fame Club a few summers back. That was when there was just Yuengling and Miller Lite on tap and a small variety of bottle such as Magic Hat No. 9 and Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA making up the selection.

I felt like I was in a town's only local pub, but it wasn't the best selection in the world. Besides, when it's $2.50 for each beer in the house and you can snag yourself a few good crafts, you do so.

From then up until this past weekend I've noticed a tidal wave of craft brews being sold, not only throughout the park, but in the Hall of Fame Club as well.

Earlier this year, the Hall of Fame Club boasted the addition of a few local crafts which included Penn Brewery's Pilsner, Kaiser Pils and Penn Dark. As of Saturday night, you can find many of Penn Brewery's beers and more.

East End Fat Gary was on tap as well as Church Brew Works Pious Monk Dunkel, which is one of my favorite beers. The Hall of Fame Club has even ventured as far as Colorado to bring in Boulder's Sweaty Betty Blonde. Not far from that was Lagunitas IPA.

I've also noticed numerous advertisements for local brewing establishments and restaurants such as Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh and Rivertowne throughout the stadium's concourse. It looks like PNC Park is starting to embrace the craft movement around Pittsburgh and it can only be a positive thing.

Some of you might have come across this piece via Examiner.com about other craft offerings around the park, including the new Budweiser Bowtie Bar.

The Beer Snob Visits Fat Head's Saloon

Other than The Library for the draft and wing specials, the other joint I've frequented the most on Carson Street is Fat Head's Saloon. This place has one of the more numerous and one of the most diverse beer selections (42 brews on-tap at a time) of any bar or pub in the South Side.

When you step up to the bar, you have to make your selection from one of the more creative tap lists in the Pittsburgh area. It's pretty unique and informative. Not only is each beer named on the board, it's style, alcohol-by-volume and its native state are right alongside it to clear up any questions you might have. Each time I've came into Fat Head's, I've also found the beer lists easily accessible. There are many at the bar and appear to be on each table. This comes in handy for people that want to know exactly what they're drinking.

The atmosphere is pretty relaxing. The outside is brick as well as the inside and this gives Fat Head's plenty of character. The brick walls inside have assorted artworks strewn about and make it seem that you're hanging out in a street alley.

If you decide to hang out in the bar area you can see the 42 beers on tap. The wall behind the tap handles appears to be stainless steel. As for the actual bar, its grey color compliments the metal behind the taps and blends the entire area together. One of the more relaxing and aesthetically-pleasing pubs I've come across.

Don't forget that Fat Head's also has a cask system, in which it usually features one beer at a time. From time to time there are assorted wines on the hand pumps as well. The beer selection is fantastic. I've never visited and not found something I didn't want to try. If you're curious as for what to look for, Fat Heads always has brewed some of their own beers and usually features some on tap.

Head Hunter IPA (7.4 percent ABV) and Caveman Keller Bier (5.7 percent ABV) were the only two tapped for this visit. Both were very good brews. I can honestly say that from all of the house brews I've tried, I haven't been disappointed a single time. Keep an eye out for what's on tap.

Fat Head's is arguably more famous for its food. The most notable thing on the menu is the South Side Slopes sandwich which features kielbasa, fried pierogies, onions and horseradish sauce. I didn't get a chance to try it during this trip, but its definitely something on my bucket list. I'm sure it's a lot better than the disappointing pulled pork and fried pierogie sandwich at PNC Park was.

Since Beer Snob Sr. made the trip too, we decided that we couldn't go wrong with the usual delicacy of a bar hopper: chicken wings. My aforementioned friend went with the homemade Fat Head's sauce, which is a regular hot sauce, but with some sweet undertones.

I chose an odd flavor for wing sauce: jalapeno cheddar. It just jumped out at me. I couldn't refuse it. It was one of the oddest, but most intriguing experiences I've had with a chicken wing. The jalapenos added a hot flavor that was pretty damn near perfect. It's not too often that you come across a texture in a wing sauce like this was.

As I said earlier, this place is one of my favorites on the South Side. Always a great brew selection, great and aesthetic atmosphere and some awesome grub. I was able to try four new beers while on this visit. I've mentioned two of them. I plan on reviewing those and the two others in good time.

Make sure you're following the Beer Snob on Twitter!