Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week unites some of the region’s original craft breweries with some new ones and some that aren’t even open yet for “collaboration beers” that they’ll all serve during the promotion, April 15-24.
Penn Brewery was the host for a collab with three other North Side breweries that have yet to open: Allegheny City Brewing, Spring Hill Brewing and War Streets Brewing. They brewed an India pale lager (6.5 percent alcohol by volume) that they dubbed “Mash Paddle vs. Hipster.”
Other joint projects include:
• Plum Puckered — a fruit saison (6 percent ABV) brewed by Rivertowne Brewing with Bloom Brew, Hop Farm Brewing and Reclamation Brewing.
• Greenfield Bridge is Falling Down — an India pale ale (6 percent ABV) brewed by Helltown Brewing with Dancing Gnome Beer, Helicon Brewing and Spoonwood. Dancing Gnome is to open this fall in Sharpsburg, and Helicon is to open soon in Oakdale.
• You’re Killing Me S’mores — a “s’mores-inspired porter” (9 percent ABV) brewed by Church Brew Works with ShuBrew, All Saints Brewing and Mindful Brewing. Mindful is to open this year in Castle Shannon.
• Prospero — a white stout (7.5 percent ABV) brewed with coffee and cocoa nibs by Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery with CoStar Brewing, Hitchhiker Brewing and Eleventh Hour Brewing. Eleventh Hour is to open this fall in Lawrenceville.
• Passionate Embrace ... (Uncomfortable Silence) — a hoppy saison with passion fruit (6 percent ABV) brewed by Gristhouse Brewing with East End Brewing and Roundabout Brewery.
East End also worked with Four Seasons Brewing on a Belgian ale with citra hops and local sumac called Citra Mac. It’s not made with poison sumac, assures East End’s Scott Smith, who says, “I had a really bad case of poison sumac when I was a kid.” For this, they foraged the red cone-shaped clusters of fuzzy fruit from staghorn sumac, which “gives this wonderful, almost rhubarb-like tartness. It also made the beer bright red.” It will be 5 to 7 percent ABV.
East End also has collaborated with Three Rivers Association of Serious Homebrewer’s session beer winner Daren Szakelyhidi on Late Night Mild, a dark mild ale of only 3.5 percent ABV.
Hop Farm Brewing collaborated with Natrona Bottling on a malt-based hard root beer called “Red-Hop Hard Root Beer” that will be available at the Strip District brewery’s tap room during Craft Beer Week and beyond. It also worked with Caliente Pizza & Draft House on an Elderberry Hibiscus Saison. Carson Street Deli worked with Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery on not only a beer (a black IPA called 5 Point), but also a sandwich (the Prehistoric Goat featuring roast beef/steak, horseradish, crispy onions and Bamboozle aged goat cheese from local Goat Rodeo Farm).
“I think it’s our time to really experiment,” says Rock Bottom brewer Meg Evans. “We want [the collab beers] to stand out.” Collaboration beer release parties are among some 300 events on the master PCBW calendar, which you can find at pittsburghcraftbeerweek.com.
The promotion, which started in 2012, is organized by the Pittsburgh Craft Beer Alliance, a nonprofit group of craft beer professionals and enthusiasts who promote the region’s event. It generated some $2.4 million in revenue. They’re hoping to top that in this fifth year.
First Published: April 8, 2016, 4:00 p.m.
