Pittsburgh Road Trip
I’ve already chronicled my food journey through Pittsburgh here, but there is much more to discuss about the Steel City. Pittsburgh is known for their breweries, but you can imbibe in other great spirits during your stay as well.
Cleveland natives will be familiar with Fat Head’s Saloon, the Pittsburgh cousin of the well-known CLE brewery. This location often has some beers that are hard to track down in Ohio, such as Hop JuJu and Zeus Juice. They serve perfect, beer-worthy pub food here too, which makes this an easy place to spend a couple hours during your trip.
If whiskey is more your style, then Wigle Whiskey has to be one of your stops. This distillery is almost like a lab inside with stainless steel tables, and beakers and pipettes to mix the delicious cocktails. I did a whiskey, rum, and gin tasting, and it was so much fun. The staff explains each spirit and how ice or water can change the flavor of each. They have their liquors for sale on site, as well as housemade bitters and other swag.
Don’t miss Church Brew Works either. This brewery is in a former Catholic church, and the building’s interior is gorgeous. The stained glass was kept intact, and the pews were re-purposed into seating for the tables. Most impressive of all is the altar and pulpit section, where all of the brewing takes places while you watch. This is something you can’t see anywhere else.
Back at the Pittsburgh Public Market, there are more than just food options. Here you will find booths for both East End Brewing and Red Star Kombucha. East End’s bar at the market had my favorite beers of the trip. The Chocolate Covered Cherry Stout and Monkey Boy Hefeweizen in particular made me wish I hadn’t left my growlers on the counter at home. Don’t skip over the tiny taproom area dedicated to Red Star Kombucha either. If you’re looking for a light and fruity adult beverage, here is your place. This refreshing fermented tea comes in flavors like ginger and blueberry. Check out Columbus’ own Luna Kombucha too!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my two part series on eating and drinking in Pittsburgh. What weekend trip do you think Columbus Culinary Connection should feature next?
Keep Connected,
Caroline
This is the second part of a two part series chronicling my journey through Pittsburgh. To learn more about fun things to do in Pittsburgh, check out part one here.
Find the locations I visited here:
http://fatheadspittsburgh.com/
http://pittsburghpublicmarket.org/
The Franklinton area is one of Columbus’ trendiest up-and-coming neighborhoods, and Land-Grant Brewing is one spot you should definitely not miss while you’re there. The brewery and the taproom are located together in a former elevator factory, revamped into an industrial chic mecca. Sports fans will rejoice upon entering the taproom, as much of the decor is an homage to athletics. There is an electronic scoreboard on the wall, pennants, and Ohio State photographs. When ordering a flight, the clever sports theme continues, with collectible “baseball cards” that have stats about each beer and some trivia about the beer’s name placed behind each taster glass. Isn’t it the worst when you get a flight of beers and can’t remember where each is located in the lineup? Problem solved.
I’ve made no effort to hide my love for 
The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and will help you pick out a beer to suit your liking if you aren’t sure what styles you prefer. Flights are available too, and are a good way to go if you want to try a bunch of kinds, or are unsure about committing to an entire growler of a more unusual-sounding beer. Happy hour is held 7 days a week from 3-7 pm, with 1/2 off pints, $1 off growlers, and 25% off flight tasters.
But enough about the setting, on to the beers! There is a focus on quality over quantity here. Rockmill doesn’t have the biggest beer catalog, but the available choices are crowd-pleasers. All of them are Belgian-style ales, due to the fact that the mineral content of the property’s water is very similar to that found in Wallonia, Belguim. Brewing and bottling are both done on site. All of their beers are very drinkable, and with some of them clocking in above 10%, you only need one or two. Can’t decide which beer sounds best? Try a flight to sample them all. Don’t miss the boozy Cask Aged Tripel or the yeasty spice of the Saison Super. The caramel, roasted complexity of the Saison Noir will leave you wanting more, and the Petite Saison’s bright citrus notes will make you long for summer and sipping weather. Rockmill also frequently partners with other local businesses with their drafts – they age some of their beers in barrels from Middle West Spirits, and even did a collaboration Belgian Stout with Seventh Son Brewing.