When Will Rivertowne Delivereth the Cans?

I've been talking on and off about local breweries beginning to can their beers and distribute them. It's been quite a while since I've ran the subject through my mind. That's when a Twitter follower mentioned me in a tweet saying something about  Rivertowne Monroeville cans possibly being out this week.

@burghbeersnob RT cans coming this wk!
— Josh Brikis (@JBrikis) January 9, 2013

Other than that, a quick internet search doesn't find much else on the issue. As far as I've noticed, no Rivertowne cans are in nearby distributors. At least not the few stores I've been in recently.

I'm not the world's biggest fan of beer from cans, but I'll quickly get over it if a world of more variety is unlocked for me. I've only come across bottles of Babbling Blonde, RT Lager and Old Wylie's IPA from the Rivertowne selection.

If you take a look at the Our Brews page on the brewery's website you'll notice the images of a few others that Rivertowne brews. The best part is that they're depicted in cans! I'd love the opportunity to stack a few cans of Hala Kahiki in my fridge.

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: Rivertowne Pumpkin Spice (2012)

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: Rivertowne's Pumpkin Spice pours a vivid shade of orange with some fogginess throughout the body. Yes, it's foggy/hazy, but not in that bad way that resembles one of our rivers. If the beer was a bit darker, we are venturing into that territory. It's head is extremely thick with awesome retention, but doesn't leave a lot of lacing inside the glass at all. I couldn't find out for sure, but if I had to wager anything I'd say this was definitely a nitro draft.

Smell: The three big ingredients you like to see in pumpkin-related desserts this time of the year are all in the aroma of this brew. I got plenty of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Although it was a little tough to discern the brown sugar on the rim of the glass, this beer gives off a few hints of sweetness.

Taste: This is where this beer hits home. It tasted fantastic. There's a ton of pumpkin on the front of the tongue and the spiciness of the beer is perfect. They're not weak nor are they sizzling on your tongue. But the cinnamon is the most noticeable of the three. The thick, white head adds a subtle creaminess that tops this fantastic beverage off.

Overall Rating: 

I'm not quite ready to put this beer above Southern Tier's Pumking, but it's definitely up there. I absolutely loved the combination of sweetness, spice and pumpkin. I'm saddened by the fact I couldn't make it out to Rivertowne's Pourhouse more often to try this a few more times.

Lost Beers: Rivertowne Apricot Cream Ale

A magical beer ingredient. For eccentrics only.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is the first post of yet another experimental post here on this blog. There are quite a few beers that I had once or twice and ended up being really enthralled with them. It just so happens that the few times I had to savor said beers were the only times

I had a chance to drink them at all. So, for future reference, if a beer is among one of these "Lost Beer" posts I'm still currently looking for it. I'm hoping that writing these every once in a while will help me to get more chances to try these beers.

The first "Lost Beer" is one of the first fruit beers I became fascinated with about two years ago. I had just turned 21-years-old and visited Rivertowne Pour House in Monroeville for the first time. I saw its Apricot Cream Ale on the beer list.

I must admit that the beer was fantastic. It wasn't too fruit, but had a strong vanilla backbone to it. It was very creamy. The beer's head wasn't too overbearing nor was it too flat. It was just right. The color was a pretty blond, too. Very appetizing. Excellent as a desert beer or for a hot day on the back porch.

I've been back to Rivertowne Pour House twice since and wasn't lucky enough to come across Apricot Cream on the tap list either time. I've periodically checked the Pour House's tap list online and still haven't seen any sign of it. Does Rivertowne even still brew this? I'm curious to know. Any information pertaining to the drinking of this beer is surely appreciated.