I always get so excited for my first trip of the year to Pittsburgh. I get to see friends from work, and visit
some of my favorite beer spots on the east coast. Pittsburgh has become a second home for me
with all the travel we do with our sister company, and I have my favorite
locations all in line for visiting. And
for this trip, we made our first stop even before we got into town.
We
normally stop at Bocktown on the way to the airport (I guess we could stop both
ways), but this time we stopped on our way into the city to avoid traffic and
grab some dinner. A coworker from the
area was surprised that we knew about the place. With a great tap and bottle selection, and
excellent food, it was the perfect choice.
I had their take on a traditional chef’s salad: ham, turkey, hot
capicola, salami, peppered bacon, Swiss cheese, with pickled eggs ’n beets (I
think there was lettuce in there too). I
got a few (only a few) samplers (4oz servings of any beer you want) to wash it
down, highlighted by quite a few Christmas beers: Stoudt Revel Red, Thirsty Dog
12 Days of Christmas, Bell Winter White and Full Pint Festivus (I guess for the
rest of us). I got a bottle and a can to
go, shook some hands, and headed to the hotel.
We checked in and walked down to D’s Six Packs and Dogs (looks like a
converted Pizza Hut) to watch the National Championship Game (what a snoozer,
did LSU make the flight?). I stayed with
my Christmas theme, but no samples (remember we walked to D’s), and tried
Newcastle’s Winter IPA, 21st Amendment’s Allies Win the War, and
Church Brew Works Xmas. The game stunk,
but the beer and the conversation did not.
The
next day was spent in meetings, followed by dinner at Claddaugh’s on South
Side. There weren’t any new beers
(although they had Belhaven Twisted Thistle on tap), but their take on corned beef
and cabbage was awesome. We followed up
our meal by going across the street to the Hofbrauhaus for a nightcap. I got the Hofbrau Weihnachts, a German
Christmas beer, and listened to my boss pine for a new career as a tuba player
in a German beer hall. Next it was off
to the Rivertowne Pourhouse where I got to try their homage to Spongebob,
Pineapple Under the Sea, a pineapple wheat beer that was super sweet. I even have a lady (and her husband, weird) by
me their best beer in the house, the Shepherd’s Cook Scottish Ale. It was a real good evening. 
We
headed home the next day, stopping at the Sharp Edge Creekhouse on the way
out. This place offers a great
selection, but doesn’t rotate it much. They
did offer the Hell Town Insidious, an English Pale Ale brewed nearby in Mount
Pleasant, PA. I’m convinced, I’ll stay a
Bocktown fan. We stopped there for good
measure where I got a Clipper City Bourbon Barrel aged Below Decks. It was a good trip, but tiring. Business travel is tough. Good thing I’ve learned how to make the best
of it. - 5959/11792“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.” - Ernest Hemingway
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