Oktoberfest celebrations are getting going at the Pittsburgh region’s breweries, including the new one in Ross that is Necromancer Brewing.
Owner Ben Butler says the brewery will hold two sessions Friday and Saturday featuring head brewer Lauren Hughes’ Glug Glug Gluck, her first O-fest since she worked at Penn Brewery on the North Side. She’s one of the founders of Pittsburgh Brewery Diversity Council.
Admission gets you a bench seat in the brewhouse, a souvenir stein with two drink tickets and a T-shirt, and you can listen to live accordion music and buy bratwurst, pretzels and other appropriate fare from a food truck. Tickets are $38 per person or a full table for six people for $33 per person. Get them — and more details — at necromancer.beer.
Of course, Penn Brewery on the North Side is throwing an Oktoberfest, too, after having to suspend the event due to pandemic restrictions last year. It’s set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and Sept. 24-26.
“We and our guests really missed it, and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back again,” President and CEO Sandy Cindrich said.
Hours are 5 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays and noon-9 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free, though there are three levels of VIP seating and perks that you can purchase in advance — at pennbrew.com — for $60-$80 Fridays and $65-$85 Saturdays, plus other upgrades such as a $10 stein.
Otherwise, the German-style bier and food is a la carte to go with the live music. Bring cash for the outdoor bars. Don’t bring children after 8 p.m. Do read the other rules and tips at pennbrew.com.
The brewery said it would follow government mandates and is not requiring masks or COVID-19 vaccinations, but “we highly recommend and respectfully request that all attendees consider taking these measures to protect those who are medically unable to do so.”
On the South Side, Hofbrauhaus also is having people in for festivities featuring Oktoberfest bier that was a bit delayed in getting here from Germany (that’s the only one the brewery doesn’t make) on Friday and Saturday and Sept. 24-25.
This Saturday and Sunday, Bloomfield’s Trace Brewing is spreading out onto closed Clement Way for an outdoor/indoor Oktoberfest party featuring its first Festbier and pretzels from its neighbor Claussen Cafehaus with other food and music (details on its Facebook page).
There are a couple of Oktoberfest events as part of the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild’s Three Rivers Beer Week, including an Oktoberfest can release and festival at Castle Shannon’s Mindful Brewing on Oct. 8 and a fest at Bellevue’s Lincoln Avenue Brewery on Oct. 9 (threeriversbeerweek.com).
You’ll find seasonal beers and fun at various breweries and towns, including Indiana, Pa., where the S&T Bank Oktoberfest returns Oct. 9 with its Homebrewers' Competition. Amateur brewers can submit stouts and IPAs to Noble Stein Brewing Co. by Oct. 1. Get rules and tickets at DowntownIndiana.org.
The big Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest takes over downtown Canonsburg on Sept. 17-19. Information: www.canonchamber.com.
Bob Batz Jr.: bbatz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1930 and on Twitter @bobbatzjr.
First Published: September 13, 2021, 10:00 a.m.
Updated: September 14, 2021, 1:04 p.m.
