A Pittsburgh-based virtual beer festival on Saturday is giving all ticket proceeds and sponsorship money back to participating breweries, who have lost money due to COVID-19 restrictions that are making beer fests go online.
The Cheers, Yinz! Fest is being organized by the Fueled by Hops blog and online community. Founder Ryan Galiotto and his peeps have put together a slate of speakers and more than two dozen breweries, not all of which want to take any money.
Tickets start at $10, and participants can pay $25 to also receive a commemorative festival pint glass. They can choose to pay an extra $25 to be shared by the breweries.
Organizers suggest that you buy some actual beer from a local brewery or two to enjoy during the event. Some of the breweries are brewing a fest collaboration double India pale ale from a recipe by Adam Bashline, a local home brewer known as “Bash Brew.” You should be able to find it at Devout Brewing in Export and Outerbelt Brewing in Carroll, Ohio, southeast of Columbus.
Most of the participating breweries are in the Pittsburgh region, but a few are as far away as Massachusetts, North Carolina and Ontario. From their computers and smart phones, participants will be able to be part of “meet-and-greets” many are hosting. The event runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
The keynote speakers are Julia Herz, formerly and famously of the Brewers Association, and Barb Baker of the Fermenta women’s craft beer collective (who happens to be a native of Steubenville, Ohio).
“She totally understood the Yinz reference,” Mr. Galiotto notes.
Says Ms. Baker, “I'm going to share my journey and my perspective about the culture and community of the industry.”
Several other speakers will talk about everything from malt to marketing to maintaining draft lines, and then there will be a live music set. Proceeds, less ticket fees, will be divided among the breweries.
“We believe there is strength in numbers, and together we can support the industry when it needs us the most,” Mr. Galiotto says.
Get all the details and tickets at http://cheersyinzfest.com.
Square dancing beer
Craft beer prides itself on working together creatively, and that is reflected in Square Dancing, a collaboration by Sharpsburg’s Dancing Gnome Beer with the forthcoming Necromancer Brewing, which hasn’t even announced its North Hills location yet. Its team used Dancing Gnome’s brewhouse to brew a Kentucky common ale, an old-time style that fits its name. You can find it at Dancing Gnome and in its online shop as well as at Fir Junction in Garfield.
Bob Batz Jr.: bbatz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1930 and on Twitter @bobbatzjr.
First Published: November 19, 2020, 12:00 p.m.
