The Pitt News Guide to the Burgh’s Beers

Rivertowne Brewing

5578 William Penn Highway

Export, Pa.

Originally a Verona pour-house that served as a local go-to location for beer nerds, Rivertowne Brewing is quickly gaining fans across the city of bridges and the region. The brewery offers a modest stable of beers   — all of them canned (which the brewery claims yields a superior product) and sporting the visage of the brewery’s mascot, Wylie the Fish.

Best brew: RT Lager — While it’s not the most adventurous of beers, RT Lager, the brewery’s staple, is a can’t-miss choice. Lightly hopped and made with a slew of different malts, it’s a balanced, flavorful brew packed with Pittsburgh pride.

Wildcard: Hala Kahiki — While experimenting with fruit in beers isn’t anything new, the idea of a western-Pennsylvania brewery messing around with something as exotic as pineapple beer is a bit audacious. Enter Hala Kahiki Pineapple Ale, which is the ideal compliment for your Steelers luau. 

East End Brewing Co.

147 Julius St.

East Liberty

As far as micro-brewing goes, East End Brewing Co. is about as micro as it gets. The East Liberty-based brewery — which has been brewing since owner Scott Smith decided to quit his job and make beer back in 2004 — doesn’t have a bar, a restaurant or any of the other frills that adjoin most local breweries these days. For the most part, they don’t even have bottles, opting instead to sell their beers in growlers, which are  64 oz refillable containers, and kegs. Keeping it simple allows Smith and his small staff of volunteers and employees to focus on their goal: brewing interesting, innovative beers.

Best brew: Big Hop — You’ll find it on tap at nearly every bar in Pittsburgh, but that doesn’t make East End’s best-known brew any less appealing. A relatively low ABV IPA, Big Hop is hoppy enough to satisfy the hop heads among us and smooth enough to convert beer novices to the East End brand.

Wildcard: Homewood Reserve — Take East End Brewing Co.’s Black Strap stout, age it for nine months in bourbon barrels, and finish it with a little bit of fresh stock, and what do you get? We’re not sure, either, but it’s called Homewood Reserve, and it’s certainly not for the faint of heart.

Draai Laag Brewing Co.

501 E. Ohio St.

Millvale, Pa.

Out of site but increasingly less out of mind, Draai Laag Brewing Co. specializes in Belgian style ales but with a uniquely American attitude. Unlike Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, N.Y., Draai Laag adheres less to the specifics of the Belgian brewing style than it does to the spirit, crafting truly unique ales that are hard to compare to anything currently on the market. Lots of breweries like to call themselves artisanal, but few actually are. Draai Laag appears to fit well under the artisanal label, cranking out painfully small batches of their products at a time, making them hard to find but worth savoring if you do.

Best brew: Aureus — This Belgian strong pale ale masks its high ABV (8 percent) well, making it highly drinkable for both beginners and experts alike. Currently, it can be found on tap at Independent Brewing Company in Squirrel Hill as well as other beer-oriented bars around town.

Wildcard: Goedenacht — Tasting a bit more like cider than beer, Goedenacht is a fruity ale with distinct flavors of tart apple and an orange-peel citrus note. Despite its fruity nature, it’s not overly sweet. Rather, it’s a heavily balanced brew, perfect for someone who wants something a little different.

Penn Brewery

800 Vinial St.

East Allegheny

Penn Brewery is tucked away in the historic Deutschtown neighborhood on the North Side. Located inside a 19th-century brewery formerly belonging to Eberhardt and Ober Brewing Company, stepping in to its alley feels like time travel. Though Penn Brewery’s only been there since 1986, it has the flavor and the permanence that suggest centuries. The restaurant’s main room, the Bierhalle, is a communal dining and drinking area with large wooden tables and on weekends oftentimes offers live entertainment. In the warmer months, check out the outdoor Biergarten and enjoy choosing one of many ales, pilsners and IPAs.

Best brew: Penn Pilsner — Undoubtedly, first timers need to check out the classic Penn Pilsner, a perfect balance of hops and golden flavor.

Wildcard: Penn Marzen — Penn Brewery offers some outrageous seasonal selections. Fall brings out the Pumpkin Roll Ale, winter produces the deliciously promising Nut Roll Ale and this spring they boast Penn Marzen, a full-bodied and malty amber beer. Look forward to the Penn Summer Berry Weisse in a few months, a wheat beer mixed with a berry blend.

Helltown Brewing

13 Henry C. Frick St.

Mt. Pleasant, Pa.

Helltown Brewing takes its name from an old nickname for the area that would become Mount Pleasant. In the 1700s, the Mount Pleasant area was a hotbed for whiskey production and consequently became infamous for its bootlegging and lawlessness. Helltown is a fairly new player in the Pittsburgh brewing scene, opening its doors in 2011 after a small group of home brewers decided to expand their weekend hobby to a full-time business. The brewery offers a tight selection of hellishly titled brews, including the Extra Sinful Bitter and Mischievous Brown.

Best brew: Rapture IPA — Like the name suggests, the Rapture IPA packs a punch. It’s a reliable — and fairly strong — amber ale that combines a pale malt blend and caramel.

Wildcard: Mischievous Brown — Helltown’s darkest brew on draft, “Mischievous Brown” sounds like the grade-school troublemaker who might pull your hair or push a kid off the swings.  Brown draws on extra-dark crystal and chocolate to achieve its pitch-black coloration.

Pittsburgh Brewing Co.

3340 Liberty Ave.

Lawrenceville

Pittsburgh Brewing Co., best known for its Iron City beer, has been in the brewing game for more than 150 years. Founded in 1861, Pittsburgh Brewing was founded by German immigrant Edward Frauenheim on 17th Street and was one of the first American breweries to produce a lager. In the 20th century, the company was responsible for numerous innovations, such as producing the first snap-top cap for beer cans and the first “draught” beer in a can. Pittsburgh Brewing also makes American Light, a staple at many local college parties.

Best Brew: Iron City Beer — The famous granddaddy of PBC beer, Iron City is the best and most iconic bet from the brewery. It’s lightly-hopped for a crisp and easy-to-drink flavor.

Wildcard: IC Light Mango — Tropical brews have been one of the more persistent recent trends in the beer world. Most of the big light lagers have delved into lime flavoring in the past decade, but mango flavoring is certainly a bit less common. The website description promises a “vacation you can enjoy over and over again.”

Full Pint Brewing

1963 Lincoln Highway

North Versailles, Pa.

Cranking out some of the area’s most consistently strong beers, Full Pint is often taken for granted in the local craft-brew scene. They’re not as playful as East End or as out there as Draai Laag, but a Full Pint beer will never let you down. Think of them as the AC/DC of craft beer; you might not be blown away, but you know that whatever you get is going to be good. There’s a lot to be said for consistency, especially when it’s at a high level.

Best Brew: All-In Amber — While White Lighting takes all of the credit and gets all the attention, All-In Amber is a quietly strong offering that satisfies every time. Think of it as a better-tasting Yuengling, something completely devoid of pretension that is perfectly suited to any and all drinking scenarios. Good and cheap, it’s an ideal beer to have on hand at all times. Be careful though, at 5.8 percent ABV, it’s stronger than you might think. 

Wildcard: Rye Rebellion — Full Pint isn’t all about playing it safe. This imperial stout, brewed with four different spicy rye varieties, is as big and boozy as they come, with a hairy-chested 11 percent ABV. And as if that weren’t enough, it’s aged in rye whiskey barrels for an extra kick.