Three Rivers Beer Week starts Wednesday and runs through Sunday with a bunch of events aimed at celebrating the 40-plus breweries in Allegheny County and the liquids they make.
Their group, the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild, is coordinating the promotion, which includes the launch of a Friends of Pittsburgh Beer Program. Beer lovers pay $99 and receive a copy of the guild’s new Pittsburgh Brewery Guide, another gift, and discounts at various breweries each month as well as on tickets to two upcoming events: Barrel & Flow Fest on Aug. 12 and Beers of the ’Burgh on June 3.
As with past passport-like guides, brews travelers can get theirs stamped at each brewery they visit to earn different levels of prizes, including, for those who hit 40 places, their choice of an “exclusive” party later this year.
As Guild spokesperson Jen Walzer puts it, “It’s a big thank you to everybody that’s been to 40 breweries and probably more because you have previous guides.”
Beer weekday events include an Imperial Breakfast with food and cellar beers at Dancing Gnome Beer in Sharpsburg Wednesday, a premiere of the Sharpsburg episode of “Ed and Day in the ’Burgh” at Hitchhiker Brewing there and an Ice Cream Mixer at Abjuration Brew Co. in McKees Rocks on Thursday, and a beer and spirits pairing at Arboretum Trail Brewing in Larimer on Friday.
The weekend features, on busy Saturday, a housewarming for the new Gristhouse Beer building in Millvale; the East End Pedal Pale Ale charity bike ride of kegs to a mystery location; the first Lawrenceville Brewery Crawl; drag bingo at Necromancer Brewing to benefit diversity, equity and inclusion efforts including the Brewers Guild Code of Conduct and training; even a fourth birthday party for 11th Hour’s popular pup, Archer.
Sunday chills it down with fun such as the release of the Mindful Brewing and Schneider’s Dairy collaboration, Lemon Tea Sour. That’s just one of the brew teas being released this week, as Pittsburgh Brewing also is dropping its Iron City collab with Turner Dairy called IC’d Tea. Other brews to be celebrated include sours (at Full Pint), Franconian Rauchbier (at Golden Age Beer) and lagers from all over (at Old Thunder Brewing).
And other beer events are just happening to fall this week, such as the 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesday opening of vast Velum Fermentation on the South Side.
For a full schedule and other information, visit https://threeriversbeerweek.com.
Bob, a feature writer and editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and serving as interim editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Contact him at bbatz@unionprogress.com.
