Great Lakes Brewing News Archive

Pennsylvania Beer News

Originally Published: 10/97

By Ralph Colaizzi

A familiar expression applies to the news this issue. I must begin with "I have some good news and some bad news." I'd much rather be reporting only good news of good beers but both the news and the beers are bound to have ups and downs.

The good news is the opening of John Harvard's Brew House, the first brewpub in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. This is a very pleasant and cozy pub and restaurant with a nice selection of well brewed beers. They are currently pouring a well made pale ale, an easy drinking brown ale, a tasty black raspberry ale, and two beers that were a great surprise. These two beers are the lightest offerings but the most distinctive. AAA Lager is a light golden brew with a sharp bite of hop bitterness in the finish. As the name implies, this is a first class beer. An even better surprise was the "All American Lager". There has been much discussion in the brewing community regarding the revival of pre-prohibition style American Pilsners. This is the style of beer that many small breweries were producing in the beginning of the century. All-American Lager fits the descriptions of this lost style very well. It is a clean and extremely refreshing brew with a pronounced grainy taste and a subtle sweetness balanced by a moderate but noticeable hop bitterness. I had a small taste of it at first but, once my notes were taken, I ordered a pint.

I must confess that I had some pre-conceived notions regarding a "chain" type brewpub before my visit here. I learned quickly that although John Harvard's has many locations, each has it's own personality and the brewers have full control of their art. The head brewer, Peter Seaman, and his assistant, Sean McIntyre have started with a fine group of beers that are a welcome addition here and I look forward to tasting their future creations.

That's the good news and now for the bad. A short two weeks before the opening of John Harvard's, a local favorite closed its doors. Three Rivers Brewing Company, the source of some of the finest, authentic British ales in town has passed on. It's a real shame to have lost one of the finest brewpubs I've ever encountered. Brewer Mark Slater, who is now brewing at Malt River Brewing Company in Latham, New York, had a far too brief stint here and created beers that will live forever in the memories of his local fans. I wonder if there will ever be a porter as good as the one I enjoyed every time I stopped at Three Rivers.

While the opening and the unfortunate closing were going on, a lot of activity was taking place elsewhere in Pittsburgh. The Church Brew Works completed construction of the "Hop Garden", an outdoor courtyard seating area that offers a relaxing, pleasant location in which to enjoy their beers. Bryan Pearson, head brewer, has planted a variety of hops that have climbed their way up the walls and add a special note to the already pleasant ambiance. I imagine that the priests who resided here had formerly used this courtyard as a place for meditation. Its purpose hasn't changed much. The only difference now is that a cool brew enhances quiet meditation. This new addition to a place that Michael Jackson recently described as "one of the three most beautiful breweries in the world" is one that must be enjoyed soon, while the weather is still pleasant. While the hop garden has improved the already grand decor of the Church, the beers have added even more incentive to go to church often. The house beers have been steadily improving and have almost reached a peak. Bryan has been tweaking his recipes as he goes and the entire line is approaching perfection. The "Pious Monk Dunkel" has a rich, malty background with a smooth lager profile combined with a long roasty finish. Bryan filled my glass with a glowing smile while proclaiming "I'm very pleased with this". I had to agree completely, a finer Dunkel would be rare in this country. The brown ale is a fruity, easy drinking brew with chocolate undertones and a full flavored balance. This has been a steady beer from the opening and still satisfies. The two real standouts are the Pale Ale and much improved "Celestial Gold Lager". The "Pipe Organ Pale Ale" has been gradually tweaked to the point where it is almost just right. The hop bitterness, flavor and, most impressive, aroma have increased to the expected level. The dry hopping has brought the aroma just shy of the grassy character so common with other dry hopped ales. Bryan intends to keep it here and avoid the grassy notes. Celestial Gold has always been a tame beer intended to please those who normally drink a mainstream American lager. Although it remains an easy to drink beer, it has developed enough character to please more discriminating drinkers as well. The house beers here are better than ever but the specialty brews have always been the main attraction and will continue. The current specialty tap is a Hefe Weizen with appropriate but somewhat subdued clove and banana flavor and aroma. The balance is a bit on the bitter side for the style but this makes it a more drinkable beer. Unlike the cloying, sweet versions, this one can be enjoyed for several rounds.

The Church is looking forward to their Oktoberfest celebration and the tapping of this year's fest brew. The celebration will be a combination of anniversary and Oktoberfest and will feature a brew that was described by Bryan as "definitely improved, malty and a bit warming." The beer has been aging for more than a month now and should be at its peak when tapped. A cool evening sipping this beer in the hop garden is an event I am looking forward to. (continued on next page)

The original Pittsburgh brewery/restaurant, Penn Brewery, celebrated their anniversary on September 12 with a customer appreciation night. The party included an "all you can eat" German dinner buffet, music, prizes, huge birthday cake and a ceremonial tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. This anniversary marked 11 years for Penn Pilsner beer and 8 years of fine food and beer for the Penn Brewery and Restaurant. After tapping the wooden keg of Oktoberfest beer, owner, Tom Pastorius, made a short speech ending with "enjoy the best Oktoberfest beer in the world, including Munich!" Since I've never traveled to Germany, I can't say if this proclamation is true but I will say I can't imagine any better than this one. The Oktoberfest beer is available on draft in several local bars and restaurants and also at Three Rivers stadium. The beer is also distributed in bottles throughout the area. The brewery's highly regarded Weizen is now available in bottles at local distributors and the Penn Brewery. The Oktoberfest at Penn Brewery begins September 19 through 21 and continues September 26 - 28. Future events include a Gourmet Game and Beer Dinner on November 19 and a "Cooking with Beer" contest. Call the Penn Brewery, 412-237-9400 for details.

In spite of the closing of Three Rivers, the strip district continues to be a good beer attraction. The Strip Brewing Company has added several new beers and a few interesting blends to their beer list. The new beers are "Two Penny Ale", a best bitter, "Hoppus Maximus" an I.P.A., and "Strip Wheat" a light American style wheat beer. The wheat beer can be enjoyed in several flavors. Raspberry, peach, or cherry flavoring extracts are added to the brew to make a wider choice of tastes. "Hoppus Maximus" sounds like a hop head's dream. Head brewer, Bill Ehlert, described this beer as "a massively hopped I.P.A. made even hoppier by dry hopping". An interesting variety of flavored and blended beers bring the total to 14. The porter is available with hazelnut extract. A refreshing drink named "Rattler" is a mixture of Hefe Weizen and lemonade. A twist on the popular black and tan is the "Black and Gold"; with porter on the bottom and pale ale on top forming an inverted black and tan.

Closer to the city, Valhalla continues to do their thing by providing a line of clean German lager style beers and a unique setting. This location has proved to be a gold mine. Valhalla has been packing in the crowds and is probably the biggest hit in town. They are celebrating the season with a Fall Feast every Saturday and Sunday from September 13 through November 30. The feast will include a seasonal selection of fowl, beef, pork and game roasted on an outdoor spit. Football fans can stop here for an after game party on Sundays following Steeler games. These post game parties will feature Pittsburgh's best Blues and Jazz bands.

Although they are not brewing any beer, several local bars have been providing an interesting variety of fine beer and many events. Two of the premier beer bars in town and those that I frequent regularly, are Fathead's and the Sharp Edge. Although each 10establishment has their own personality, they have one thing in common, good beer and fun times.

Are you hungry? I mean, really hungry. If you are hungry and have a taste for beer, then a visit to Fat Head's South Shore Saloon will satisfy. The Headwich and a pint or two of your favorite beer will keep you going for a long time. Fat Head's has a great selection of beer along with a very extensive line up of premium single barrel bourbon and 20 single malt scotches! This is a place to eat, drink, be merry, and meet some fine and friendly folks. Fathead's is currently pouring a rare beer in this city, Fullers London Porter". The locals are sucking it up quickly so go soon to get your share. They also have put two classic Oktoberfest beers on tap, Paulaner and Spaten.

The best connection for rare and hard to find beers, especially Belgian brews, Sharp Edge Beer Emporium, has several events planned. Riding on the success of recent appearances by Pierre Celis and Carol Stoudt, the "Edge" is starting a monthly feature. Dates have not been set but look for a monthly event to happen soon. Another new feature being offered is a weekly beer education and evaluation class. The Sharp Edge will host weekly sessions on Mondays featuring six different styles of beer for $10 accompanied by educational discussions on beer style and appreciation conducted by myself and Mark Benson, noted, award winning homebrewer and BJCP judge. These presentations coupled with five nitrogen dispensed beers, fifty unique draft beers, including the largest selection of draft Belgian Beer in the region make the Sharp Edge a place to check out.

With all this going on in Pittsburgh there hardly seems to be any need to leave this town but several breweries further away have much to offer. Hoppers Brewpub in Erie has a new I.P.A. on tap along with an English mild and their usual house beers. An Oatmeal Stout will be tapped any day now bringing the total number of taps to eight. The plans to open a new brewery in Erie to make their beer available in bottles have been delayed. While searching for a new location, Hoppers plans to bottle from the current brewery.

The homebrewing scene in the region has been interesting lately. The Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers, TRASH, was the host club for the AHA club only competition in August. This competition was unique because all entries had to be brewed from malt extract. The "Extract Extravaganza" was a good opportunity for extract brewers who sometimes feel intimidated competing against all grain beers. Triangle Homebrewing Supply owner and the local organizer for this contest, Del Lansing, said that many notes were included with entries from clubs expressing thanks for this competition. These brewers had felt "out of the loop" a bit because of the dominance of grain brewers in winning these competitions in the past. These feeling may have been unfounded since, as Lansing said " Judging by the quality of the entries we received, the extract brewers in fact have a fighting chance in any competition." The winner of the "Extract Extravaganza" was an I.P.A. brewed by David Adkins of the Quality Ale & Fermentation Fraternity club in Carlsbad, CA.

I'll end this column with an unofficial prediction. I stopped by the Foundry Ale Works last week and the building appears to be just about finished. I think they have finally made it and I will be reporting their grand opening in the next issue.