Aloha Pittsburgh

Since the early days of starting my writing on this blog, I've taken a fascination with beers from breweries based in Hawaii. If I remember correctly, it was around the time in which I started this blog that Kona Brewing Company started shipping some brew into the States. I came across two beers from the Aloha State in Maui Brewing's Bikini Blonde Lager and Coconut Porter and completely fell in love.

Seemed like it was totally on a whim, but last night it appeared as if a former Pittsburgh resident took to Twitter to reach out to those of us in the online beer community here in Western, Pa.

@BurghBeerSnob Check out this upcoming brewery in Hawaii... founded by Pittsburghers! http://t.co/nIpiySXO3L
— Darren Garvey (@darrengarvey) August 7, 2013

It looks like there's potential for Pittsburgh to have a stake in the Hawaiian beer landscape. The proposed brewery (currently a Kickstarter project) would be called Stewbum & Stonewall. The name comes from nicknames of the fathers of the two proposed owners of this brewery and of course I go geeky over a Civil War reference.

One unique thing about this idea for a brewery is that (I found this within the Kickstarter page) the brewery plans to feature other local Hawaiian beers alongside its own in the taproom. That's something very unusual and unique. Best of luck to them. I figured that passing this along might help get an extra backer or two for this brewery.

Vive le Pittsburgh.

All Pixelated

I'm not too sure if Duquesne Pilsener is any popular with the online craft community here in the Pittsburgh area, but it sure is with my father's generation. At least that's the case from what I can tell. I know he was really excited when the beer made its return to the Pittsburgh market in 2010.

Taking what I already knew into account, I bought him a case of Duquesne Pilsener a while back. I haven't had it in a while and decided to try one for myself. I was surprised to notice that it looked like the same guy on the label was being used. I don't know this for sure, but when you look close at the man hoisting the glass of beer on the label it's all pixelated.

My discipline in college was in the communication department. So, I have a little experience with design stuff. Still, I went to school with people that probably know a lot more than I would on this subject.

The res of the label looks fairly modern, but the figure looks like an original due to its lack of clarity. Maybe the brewers were so set on keeping with the original roots that they felt the need to drag the original image in there? Not dissing. Just noticing. I'm all for tradition.

Hello, North Side

If you live in Pittsburgh, you know very well of a bad reputation for the North Side of downtown Pittsburgh. That sort of changed for me upon wandering in to BZ's Bar and Grill across from PNC Park after a Pirates game this past weekend.

Make sure it's charred.

I'm a huge fan of Restaurant Impossible and I've always said that I wanted to be at one of Robert Irvine's reveals. Well, I kind of felt like I was at one upon having a good craft brew and a quality meal at BZ's. Come on, your food is served on square plates. Maybe I'm just a big time eccentric, but I love eating off of square plates.

The owner is from the Michigan area. Even as stubborn Pittsburghers, I know damn well that we have a strong appreciation for craft beer out of Michigan. People around here love offerings from Bell's, Founders and Arcadia. It just so happens that the 16th Michigan, a regiment from Detroit, played a key role in the Battle of Gettysburg yesterday approximately 150 years ago. So, go Michigan.

My God, and then there's the food. The kitchen staff seems to be very experimental with the restaurant's food which I tend to love. I was able to try a Shrimp Po'boy sandwich, the infamous Turduckin' Burger and what was referred to as a S'more Cheesecake.

The Po'boy had a cucumber creaminess that was unmatched by any other Po'boy I've ever had. The Turduckin' Burger is crowned with a fried egg. I recommend that you take the top portion of the bun and smash the fried egg so that the majority of the yolk marinates the rest of the burger. Oh yea, there's duck meat on it too. If you get a chance, just lift a portion of the egg up and notice the smell of the duck. Holy God.

Smash the damn egg.

The S'more cheesecake reminded me of nights at my grandfather's cabin in Warren, Pa. We would roast marshmallows and hot dogs in the fire pit. A roasted marshmallow is only as good as its amount of charring, in my opinion. The slice of cheesecake had the perfect amount, in my opinion.

There also seems to be a trend of interest craft happening on the North Side. The Beer Market just opened (coincidentally next door to BZ's). I was able to consume a Dogfish Aprihop and a Bell's Oberon (which I love) throughout my meal.

If I had a single complaint about the place it would have been the noise level. An order or two got screwed up because of the inability to understand each other, but the place looks classy. It's clean and I know good people that consistently hang out there. More Michigan beer and great food, please.

Flowing Locally

I'm sure that many of us that live here in the Pittsburgh area are proud of the local breweries that offer some outstanding stuff on the market. I'm certainly not the most accomplished in terms of trying as many beers as I can, but there are a few beers that are brewed locally that I always find myself coming back to. It's kind of like that first love of your life. Alright, maybe I'm exaggerating. We still have some great stuff to drink around here. Here are the two I enjoy the most.

East End Monkey Boy

Whenever I get to a Pittsburgh bar, this is one of the first beer's I look for on a tap list. If I see it, I almost always grab a pint of it. Recently, I've started frequenting the new East End Brewing Company digs in Larimer to grab a growler or two of it. Unfortunately, you won't find cases or six packs of this beer. So, keep on the lookout in bars. You can also get the aforementioned growlers at the brewery location and at its growler shop in the Strip.

This is an awesome hefeweizen that's a hazy gold with a  foamy white head. It's nice and spicy and tastes like banana. It also has a very sessionable ABV at 4.8 percent. According to its brewer, this beer doesn't actually have banana in it. That just adds to the luster of this beer. Not only is this my favorite beer brewed in Pittsburgh, it's one of my all-time favorites.

Rivertowne Hala Kahiki Pineapple 

I keep telling you that I really enjoy fruit beers. Pineapple is an unlikely fruit that's used in beer. At least I haven't come across many that use pineapple. This beer also has an ABV of 4.8 percent and goes down nice and smooth.

This beer is somewhat spicy, but it its own unique way. There's a decent hop presence too. Oh and the fruitiness of the pineapple is fantastic. Rivertowne recently just started canning this beer. So, it's very accessible. I'm glad I got myself a case.

There are many more where these came from. We can't forget about other beers such as Rumplepilsen and White Lightning (which recently won a GABF award) from Full Pint as well as Pious Monk Dunkel from Church Brew Works.

The Guinness Conundrum

I had a Twitter conversation a good while back about the status of Guinness both here in the states and across the pond with Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog. I was surprised to find out there was such disdain for Guinness in England. An other post by that blog explained the subject a bit more yesterday.

As time has gone on, I've discovered that there are a good number of foreign import beers that are pretty much sold here in the states simply because they're kind of shunned in England beer circles.

I never thought such disdain for Guinness was possible since it comes off, to me at least, somewhat popular in this country. I see it in pretty much every pub I frequent around Pittsburgh. Even in places that refuse to put the likes of AB-InBev/Miller-Coors on tap. I've heard about Guinness toast parties being put together everywhere.

My companion, Beer Snob Sr. even spoke of his affinity for Guinness while being in England during a portion of the 1990's. An affinity he holds to this day. He has a Guinness pint glass he stole from an English pub and clings to. Maybe he just ran into one of the crappier pubs while he was over there?

I'm just curious as to what others around this area feel towards Guinness. I've never claimed to be some beer expert and this is yet another instance of such. If Guinness is frowned up in this country as it apparently is over in England, have I been missing out? Is this just a case of Guinness Ireland including America in its market simply because a good number of us still consume a ton of bad beer, even with the craft boom going on? I'd love your input. This is a fascinating subject.

I know one thing for sure. If I ever get to England, I'll bet the farm that I won't find Miller Lite on draft.

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.

Beer Review: Rock Bottom Pumpkelweizen

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: N/A

Appearance: Rock Bottom Pumpkelweizen is a dark and hazy shade of brown. Some reddish highlights help to add different hues throughout the body. If comes off as very thick. Almost opaque. It slightly reminds me of a Pittsburgh river, but that's my only small complaint. The beer's crown features an extremely thick and frothy head. I noticed some intense lacing, which was also very thick and had strong retention. It really sticks to the glass as the beer slowly travels downward.

Smell: Initially, I got plenty of spices and pumpkin. As for the spices, cinnamon and cloves were really dominant. I also picked up a wheat and grain aroma in front of a few darker fruits which I couldn't exactly distinguish.

Taste: The tanginess of the spices and a slight sourness from the wheat create an exotic taste. This beer features a taste I haven't come across before. The pumpkin tosses in a good aftertaste after each sip. The head of the beer is thick and powerful enough that you get a slight touch of creaminess atop all of the other flavors. Exotic, yet exceptional taste.

Overall Rating: 

This is a really interesting beer. I went out of my way to stop and try it. I was very pleased with it, to say the least. The spices go well with the wheat that's in the beer.

Monday Rant: Let Yuengling Be

When I first became interested in beer, Yuengling Traditional Lager was that first beer other than the Natural Light and Coors Light you could find in the pubs around your college campus that you drank and reminded yourself that it's a damn good beer.

The bottle has a classic look to it. I don't see many with that green tint anymore. The beautiful brown liquid that houses itself inside that bottle is even better once it hits your tongue. Making it that much better was the fact that this product was made in Pennsylvania. There was always a sense of pride when it came up in conversation. Having family and friends just down the road in West Virginia, I witnessed some of the rejoicing when Yuengling was finally sold in that state.

Dick Yuengling caused a few ripples a few weeks ago when he said that Pennsylvania wasn't the best business climate in the world. He could be right for all we know. I'm not typing this to argue whether or not Pennsylvania (even a spot closer to Pittsburgh) is the best spot for Yuengling to expand. I'm just writing this to bring up the point that Yuengling has earned his and his brewery's right to do whatever he sees fit for his company.

Come on. Yuengling has provided the country with a nationally-recognized product. That beer bottle is pretty much a trademark, isn't it?

Yuengling has done enough. That brewery has done just about everything and more for Pennsylvania. If this supposed expansion occurs in another state, so be it. That's how the cookie crumbles. Yes, it could hurt jobs somewhat in this state, but I don't feel that it's Yuengling's obligation anymore. The brewery can do what it so chooses. I'm still going to be proud the next time I open a bottle of it. It will always be Pennsylvania's beer.

Crowd Control in Craft Pubs?

You're sitting in your local craft beer pub around lunch time. So what? It's your day off. You see a couple wander in and sit their behinds down at a table to indulge in what they believe to be an amazing lunch experience.

You watch and eavesdrop on the encounter as the waiter/waitress walks over to say hello and ask for their drink orders. They aren't sure what they want at first. So, they squint at the board that lists all of the funky-named beers and try to decipher what's what in this unfamiliar land that they've wandered to.

The ever-so-creative beer board at Fat Head's Pittsburgh.

The male in the couple blurts out that he just wants a Coors Light draft, only to be told that the establishment only has it in bottle. The couple then looks bewildered. What was to be a glorious and relaxing lunch is now destroyed.

I'm sure you've noticed this if you frequent any bars featuring craft brews. This vivid, but entertaining memory  popped back into my head after reading a piece on such debacles via a beer blog through the Houston Press.

I'm sure there are some out there (people and establishments) that prefer these types just stay out of the craft pub and the tap lists certainly play a huge role in doing that in most cases.

I, for one, enjoy talking with someone that's curious about new and exotic beers and opening up an entire new world for them. That's how I see it. If you're willing and open, there's room for you in the craft beer movement. The article that inspired this post even gets to that same point towards the end, too.

It's one big learning experience for all of us that's meant to be enjoyed.

Lost Beers: Fat Head's Autumn Sunset

In the latter parts of 2011, an evening spent on Carson Street introduced me to one of the most intriguing brews I've ever had. It was a glass of amazing liquid that set itself far apart from other beers of its style. It was a hefeweizen, but it was far from a typical edition of the infamous hazy brew.

Autumn Sunset or "Rot Weizen" as it is to referred to at Fat Head's Saloon didn't taste nor look like your regular hefeweizen, but it made me wish every other beer of the style was made in accordance with this one.

Ironically, I'm the last person to check into this beer on Untappd.

I distinctly remember getting my witbier glass full of the lovely concoction and looking at what looked like a glass full of the Monongahela River just a few blocks away, but with some remnants of a reddish glow. The taste was amazing. It featured hints of wheat, banana and bubble gum. It was even a bit peppery on the back of the tongue, which I love in a beer.

From what I can find, this beer was only a limited-time brew. The time I came across it was one of its few times on tap. I can't find any trace of it on the Fat Head's website. It's of my opinion that one of the worst experiences a beer fan can go through is really enjoying a beer and not realize it's a limited-release until you're desperately on a mission to relocate it once more.

If anyone from Fat Head's Pittsburgh sees this, here is my plea to you to brew Autumn Sunset once more. The Lost Beer's series is young and blooming, but this is certainly the first beer that has been realized as a limited-release brew.

Yes, I'm one of only two people to check into "Autumn Sunset" as well as the last on Untappd, but there are approximately three or four different versions of the same beer from Fat Heads to select from on the app. Still figured it was comical.

Beer Review: PCBW Home Opener Kolsch

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: N/A

Appearance: Home Opener has a hazy, yellow body with a plethora of carbonation. The haziness gives the effect that this beer might have some heaviness to it despite its color.The head is very foamy and frothy.

Smell: The initial smell is very sweet and malty. Some hints of grassiness sneak their way in behind that. Some citrus scent makes it something pleasant to smell on a decently hot day.

Taste: Home Opener is mostly a sweet and citrus-like beer. The beer also features some hoppiness on the finish, which adds something bitter to the adventurous flavor. This is a great beer for after doing some yard work. A good thirst-quencher.

Overall Rating: 

This is one of the Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week collaboration beers that were brewed in time for the city's week-long celebration of local beers. Brewers from Rock Bottom Brewery at the Waterfront and from Penn Brewery collaborated to make this wonderful concoction. This is an awesome beer when it's hot outside or if you're really looking for something to beat the thirst.

What Keeps Beer Bloggers Going?

Either in a post on this blog or on my Twitter account, I'm constantly observing the small time that this blog has existed and how it continues to grow. I just mentioned in Monday's post how I intend to have a themed post for each Monday in the future.

I'm always on the lookout to see how I can craft a new type of post other than simply posting beer review after beer review. Yesterday I came across something interesting from another beer blog I frequent (Brewpublic). Apparently there has been an entire type of post that I've been missing out on.

It looks as if there's something called "The Session" in the beer blogging community in which a certain blog hosts the event comes up with a certain topic and later discusses some of the posts by other bloggers. For the month of April the topic is "What Drives Beer Bloggers?" I figured that a tad of input from me wouldn't hurt. It's also very fitting since I completed my 100th post on this blog on Tuesday.

Why Am I Here?


I've been part of the blogging community since I was half-way through middle school. My very first blog was a compilation of designs I came up with myself for baseball and football stadiums. From there I spent plenty of time sports blogging until the animalistic attitudes of assorted fans stressed me to the point that arguing and debating sports was no longer in my blood.

I needed something more relaxing. So, I asked myself what relaxed me as I desperately wanted to write about something again. I decided to record a good portion of my beer and bar adventures. In my group of friends I was always the oddball when it came to drinking.

I was always the one that drank the estranged beers that had exotic names. Thus, I began writing this blog as of September of 2011 and haven't looked back. As I've cruised around the web and explored different accounts on Twitter I'm amazed at the amount craft beer folk that exists out there. This is truly a craft beer revolution and I can arrogantly say that I'm a small portion of it.

My mission has been to simply share my thoughts on different beers and cool places to consume said beers. I've also tried to grow in terms of sharing and spreading as much information as I can find pertaining to craft beer.

For the first few months I felt like I was writing without an audience nor did I care. I was happy writing about an obsessive hobby of mine. This changed one day while at a bar on Pittsburgh's South Side and Tweeting about the lack of one of my favorite beers on tap. That's when a guy two stools down from me turns to me and asks if I'm the Pittsburgh Beer Snob. He was reading the very Tweet I sent out seconds earlier.

I've written for my school paper, but I've never posted something onto one of my numerous blogs and found out that what I posted was somewhat important and is beneficial to others.

What Drives Us?


I think it's safe to say that it's pretty obvious that there has been a boom in the craft beer revolution just as there has been with people that have joined in on it as well as others staring a beer blog.

From what I've noticed, a lot of criticism has been poured down on some of these "beer geeks." I don't really understand why. You'd think that the old timers in the craft beer world would be happy that their movement is growing rapidly and has increasing excitement. In my opinion, I think the outcries have just come from people that didn't get their batch of Pliny the Elder or Kentucky Breakfast Stout this year due to the increasing demand.

Collectively most of us are an eccentric group of people. We never were among that group when we were growing up that needed to "pregame" before everyone went out to the local hole in the wall on Thirsty Thursdays. We didn't need to slug down eight Bud Lite's because it was on special. We drank what we thought was damn good beer and stuck to it for most of the time that we've been of legal age.

Some of us are interested in social media, web design and in some cases writing. Because of one or more of these interests we post our adventures and thoughts on our beer blogs.

Most of us are a unique brand of people. A good number of us are somewhat eccentric and have interesting yet complex personalities. I know I definitely am. I can't even count how many times I've purchased a pint of beer and spent the first few moments with said beer taking pictures of it. Sure members of my family make fun of how I drink a beer or sit there admiring the story on the label and a few friends call me a beer yuppie, but I pretty much take it as a compliment to my personality. Some beers just have a certain beauty to them. In some cases searching for that perfect beer is like finding that elusive mate. I think that in the end, that's what drives the lot of us.

Hough's in Greenfield Nationally Ranked

That's just the draft list. Open it up.

I talk about Blue Dust in Homestead a lot. Mostly because it's owned by one of Pittsburgh's kings of craft beer and it's a five minute drive from where I live. If there's a close second for me, it's Hough's Bar in Greenfield.

It's been in the news recently with the WTAE news piece on how you can pay the establishment to brew your very own batch of beer. It's in the news once again, but this time it's for national reasons.

CNN GO, the network's travel website, has a piece that ranked the top-101 sports bars in America. Hough's made the list at No. 77.

What's specially noted about Hough's on this list? The beer selection which I've done nothing but harp about since I first stepped foot into the place. There's usually 300 beers at a time on the menu.

If you're a big fan of beer you'll feel like you've died and woke up in beer heaven when you open up the menu. The beer menu, that is! Always been a class place and a good spot to find interesting beer.

Beer and Stereotypes

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No thanks. 

Came across an entertaining link by A Good Beer Blog about a new fad in the southwest United States. Apparently there's been a rising number of what can be referred to as beer burglaries in the region.

You can find the answer to this question in the blog post I linked and in the article that's linked in the same post, but I ask you what almost all of these burglaries have in common? If you answered with "beer," then you win a cookie. If you answered bad beer, then you've earned yourself another one.

According to that blog post and the article within, most of these burglaries have involved Budweiser and Bud Lite. Also noted is the irony that what some refer to as fancy beer is mostly left on the shelves when these events occur. The article says that in El Paso, 2,876 of these crimes were reported last year. Looks like it has caught on.

My spin on this is a controversy that's been going on for years and most likely won't ever be answered. Are there stereotypes when it comes to the beer we drink.

Take me for example. In his early twenties, fascinated by the craft beer craze and is pretty stuck up about it. I'm sure some would classify me as a "beer geek." Does the fact that these burglaries took place in the Southwest affirm theories that people in rural areas drink crappier beer as opposed to us that live in more urban areas with much better beer selections where ever we go?

I think it's an interesting question to ponder. I've always been one that's believed stereotypes exist because different people have actually done some of the alleged things. Now, I also don't believe that a specific stereotype applies to an entire demographic either, to be fair.

In my opinion, we grow up in certain areas and we become attuned to doing certain things. They become habitual. As I mentioned earlier, I believe the reasoning that most craft beer is not the chosen beer of whomever is stealing Budweiser is because they grew up around it somehow.

I also think that location has something to do with it as well. Just take a ride a few miles north of Pittsburgh. There are some bars I've come across that perceive the finest craft beer as being whatever Sam Adams seasonal is out. With that said, I'm still curious about what everyone else has to say about this.

Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week: April 20-28

Some of the biggest news in the craft beer world involves the announcement of American Craft Beer Week, which will be held the week of April 20-28. I figured a blog post would be the best way I could help to spread the word to as many local craft beer loyalists as possible.

For us craft beer folk, the beer we drink makes us stick out from the sheep out there that have succumbed to the watered-down American style lager syndrome.



If you're interested in finding what breweries and brewers in the Pittsburgh area will be doing around that time I've found articles from both the Beaver County Times and Craft Pittsburgh Magazine.