Chef Jackie Page, deft with all manner of food as the owner of Jackie Kennedy Catering, is also a beer aficionado. While she’s been known to brew up a batch all by herself, she prefers to savor the flavors of Pittsburgh’s breweries. As a special How to Pittsburgh offering, she shares some of her favorites with TABLE readers.
Pittsburgh Breweries
Trace Brewing
4312 Main St, Bloomfield
Go with a friend and try two from Zach Colton’s on-tap menu. Taps & Tiles (IPA New England, Simcoe and Mosaic hops, 6.5% ABV) serves up heavy notes of citrus and melon. Kellerbier (Unfiltered German Lager, Spaltner select and Tettnager hops, 5.2% ABV) is clean and crisp, with hints of citrus and floral.
Late Addition Brewing + Blending
847 Western Ave, North Side
Frequent visiting food trucks means you’ll have a chance to pair a range of flavors with Late Addition’s range of IPAs, ales, lagers stouts, porters, and ciders. A favorite from brewer Malcolm Frazer’s offering is Eventuality (Hazy IPA, 6.5% ABV). I’ve also enjoyed dark and smooth I Live by the River (London Porter, 4.7% ABV).
Burghers Brewing Beer Garden Highline
319 East Carson St, South Side
Chef Fiore Moletz and Brewmaster Neil Glausier serve up some pretty mean burger-and-brew combos at this Pittsburgh Brewery. Order a Farkleberry Tart (Fruited Sour Ale 5.3% ABV). It’s eminently drinkable and not overly sour, and it’s a nice way to get started. Move on to Sweat & Gold (West Coast IPA, 7.2% ABV). The flavorful, hoppy character will bring out the best in the burger of your choice.
Cinderlands Warehouse
2601 Smallman St, Strip District
Head brewer Paul Schneider puts his 15bbl production capacity to good work. Squish (Hazy Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV) is juicy and amazing. Passion Fruit Yinzerade (Sour, 4.5% ABV) is sweet and deliciously tart. Pair them with a house-made plate of food and settle in for a good time.
Allegheny City Brewing
507 Foreland St, North Side
A trio of owners is behind North Side’s ACB: Al Grasso, Amy Yurkovich, and Matt Yurkovich. Their website keeps you up to date on what’s on tap and what’s in the cooler. Try the Oceanic IPA (hazy IPA, 6.3% ABV). It’s one of their unforgettable flagship brews. If you like a rich, sweet flavor, go for Nancy B’s Choc Chip Cookie (Pastry Stout, 5.6% ABV) and enjoy its chocolatey opulence.
Dancing Gnome Beer
1025 Main St, Sharpsburg
Marbled Hearts (American Cream Ale, 4.5% ABV) has a smooth mouthfeel and a nice notes of marmalade, grapefruit, and honeysuckle. Astroid (West Coast IPA, Sultana, Citra and Chinook hops, 7.2% ABV) is juicy and dank––and if you can’t imagine what I mean by dank, it’s worth a trip to Sharpsburg to taste it. Founder/Brewer Andrew Witchey and Head Brewer Matt Pyecha do a good job on the beer menu here.
Bona Fide Beer Co.
155 21st St, Strip District
Partners Christian Simmons and Travis Tuttle bring business and beer together at Bona Fide. Their Bona Fide IPA (American IPA, 6.0% ABV) has a nice, classic flavor with a smooth finish. Bona Fide Lager (American lager, 4.8% ABV) is great for relaxing with friends.
Lincoln Avenue Brewery
538 Lincoln Ave, Bellevue
Grant and Lisa Saylor and their kids make this brewery a family affair, which means there’s a sense of fun infused into the flavors. Crowd-pleasing A Little Strawberry Gose Long Way (Fruited Sour, 4.4% ABV) is lightly flavored and not heavily soured. The Jalapeño Machete (Cream Ale, 4.8% ABV) is especially great for pairing with spicy food.
Abjuration Brewing
644 Broadway Ave, McKees Rocks
The Candied Sour (CDS, 5.60% ABV) is tart and sweet like a piece of candy. Nobody does sours better than these folks. I also like the Classic India Pale Ale (CIPA, 6.90% ABV) because it’s not heavily hopped but has a great mouthfeel and finish. Overall, there’s a light, smooth touch at work here that you need to taste.
Two Frays Brewery
5113 Penn Ave, Garfield
Founders Jen and Mike Onofray have company titles of Director of Everything and Director of Everything Else. Think that over while enjoying an Imbolc Blood Orange Wheat Ale: (Fruited Wheat Ale, 5.1% ABV). It’s super-enjoyable, and not so heavy that it will interfere with figuring out the Jen-and-Mike situation. Also try It’s Always Sunny With A Beer (Session IPA, 4.6% ABV). It’s something I could drink every day.
Eleventh Hour Brewing
3711 Charlotte St, Lawrenceville
This Pittsburgh Brewery tap room is open every day but Monday, and that’s good because their Robo Jack (American IPA, 7.1% ABV) ranks among my all-time favorites. It’s a great beer for relaxing on the back porch. Noble Spirit Citra (German-style Pilsener, 5% ABV) is lightly fruited and particularly great with a burger.
Grist House Craft Brewery
10 East Sherman St, Millvale
Brian Eaton and Kyle Mientkiewicz call Grist House a “completely insane dream.” That helps explain the surprising flavors here. Pineapple Upside Down (Fruited sour, 7% ABV) is a good example. It tastes like a piece of cake. Hazedelic Juice Grenade (New England IPA, 6.4% ABV) is my number-one favorite beer of all time! It hits all the notes, starting with creamy orange and mango, and finishing with a nice bitterness.
Story by Jackie Page / Photography by Laura Petrilla
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