Best craft beer in the area?

[zippyboy]

I am a craft brew hipster from before it was cool, but for a lot of reasons I do not get to enjoy it as much as I used to.

After taking a break for a half decade or so the scene has changed a lot in Pittsburgh. A lot of wanna be craft brew places have come and gone, a few solid choices have done the same.

What is some of your favorite craft brew joints in the area? Both breweries and bars.

[jmichael]

Grist House in Millvale

[tommy156]

The craft beer thing is such an annoying fad these days. Most of it sucks, too. Basically, you have a bunch of start-up companies selling inferior bullshit to people who don't know what good beer is supposed to taste like. And for top dollar, to boot.

That said, I agree Gristhouse is one of the few and the proud. I like Golden Age in Homestead too.

[zippyboy]

Golden age is great, dukes down the road has a great beer list as well.

[rmg_35]

Southern Tier on the North Shore has really good craft beer.

[yinzerpgh]

I'm with the rest of you that there are too many local breweries; the town of Ambridge (pop - 7000) has 2 breweries.

That said, Allegheny City Brewery on the Northside is solid. Gristhouse in Millvale is solid. Then there's the OG in Pittsburgh called Penn Brewery, and they're still going strong. Est: 1986

[tommy156]

My only problem with Penn is their namesake Penn Pilsner - it's most certainly NOT a pilsner. Wrong color, wrong flavor, just wrong. Oddly enough, Penn Gold is closer to a true pilsner lol. Penn Dark is good, too.

[yinzerpgh]

Originally Posted by tommy156

My only problem with Penn is their namesake Penn Pilsner - it's most certainly NOT a pilsner. Wrong color, wrong flavor, just wrong. Oddly enough, Penn Gold is closer to a true pilsner lol. Penn Dark is good, too.

I agree that Penn Pilsner is not an actual pilsner, but Penn Gold was always my go-to. Their Kaiser Pils is also pretty great.

[tommy156]

I'll have to give Kaiser Pils a shot! I wasn't awares.