Exploring 16 Pittsburgh Breweries
Don’t look now, but the Steel City is overflowing with fantastic craft beer makers. Pittsburgh breweries have been popping up one after the other for the better part of a decade, to the point now that there are great breweries all around Western Pennsylvania.
While that may be surprising to visitors of Pittsburgh, locals know that this isn’t a total surprise. Pittsburgh is a true drinker’s town, ripe with legendary dive bars, under-the-radar cocktail spots and, now, some of the most renowned breweries on the East Coast.
Several Pittsburgh breweries are highly sought after by beer geeks everywhere. It’s not difficult to understand why. Pittsburgh breweries make super expressive IPAs, delicately balanced barrel aged sours, traditional European lagers and everything in-between.
Don’t believe us? Check it out for yourself as we run down some of the best breweries in Pittsburgh here.
Abjuration Brewing
644 Broadway Ave, McKees Rocks, PA
Found out in the classic Pittsburgh borough of McKees Rocks, Abjuration Brewing is truly one of Pittsburgh’s coolest breweries. To start, it is connected to an independent film theater that hosts film festivals, community events, concerts and more.
On top of that, Abjuration’s beers just flat out rock. Abjuration makes its beers with a science-forward focus and keeps its recipes open and available to local homebrewers. Turn to Abjuration if you want to discover a brand new beer made with experimental hops, new yeast strains and an unconventional recipe.
Old Thunder Brewing Company
340 Freeport Road, Blawnox, PA
Head north on the Allegheny River for a bit and you’ll stumble across Old Thunder Brewing Company in Blawnox. This place has it all, from a fun patio to a sleek bar and interior tap room, to a beer menu that includes just about everything for everyone.
Old Thunder doesn’t lean into one style too much, instead producing clean lagers, big IPAs and mixed-culture sours all under one roof.
COVEN Brewing
4901 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA
Even though it is one of the newest Pittsburgh breweries on the scene, COVEN Brewing has already made quite the name for itself.
Few breweries make more intense and flavorful IPAs than COVEN Brewing. The Lawrenceville brewery has a knack for loading its IPAs with hop additions and balancing them with clean malt profiles.
Allegheny City Brewing Co.
507 Foreland St., Pittsburgh, PA
For any Pittsburgh Pirates fans looking for a craft beer excursion before or after the ballgame, Allegheny City Brewing Co. has to be on the top of your list. The North Side brewery features an inviting taproom that is perfectly designed for knocking back a few pints on a beautiful day.
Allegheny City Brewing Co. brews on a 7 BBL brew house, so you’ll always find a new beer on tap whenever you visit. The brewery even occasionally releases beers aged in spirit barrels, so keep an eye out for those releases as they come out.
READ MORE: 12 Must-Visit Bars Near PNC Park
Brew Gentlemen
512 Braddock Ave., Braddock, PA
This Braddock-based brewery needs little introduction, as it has built up an impressive reputation since it first opened its doors in 2014.
Brew Gentlemen is most well known for some of its flagship IPAs, which remain some of the best examples of the style in America. Its General Braddock’s IPA is consistently rated as one of the top beers in all of Pennsylvania, and Brew Gentlemen continues to brew incredibly flavorful beers to build onto its portfolio.
Cinderlands Beer Co.
3705 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA
2601 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, PA
171 Wexford Bayne Road, Suite 101, Wexford, PA
With locations in the Strip District, Wexford and Lawrenceville, it’s fair to say that Cinderlands Beer Co. has taken the Pittsburgh beer scene by storm. The brewing company uses all of its distinct locations to build a library of diverse and highly-rated beers.
Cinderlands is perhaps best known locally for its use of foeders to make delicate and curious beers that are crisp, balanced and tied to centuries of brewing tradition. To top it all off, the team at Cinderlands pairs its brews with fine dining plates, providing visitors with an unparalleled gastronomic experience.
READ MORE: Drinking Through the 24 Best Bars in Pittsburgh
Trace Brewing
4312 Main St., Pittsburgh, PA
Housed in one of Bloomfield’s many historic buildings, Trace Brewing is paving its own path among Pittsburgh breweries. The neighborhood brewery is making a name for itself regionally through a combination of its community efforts and incredible beers.
To boot, Trace Brewing operates out of an expertly designed space that is as wondrous as it is downright cool. Head to Trace Brewing for hard-to-find beers, like unfiltered kellerbiers or foeder-aged lagers, in addition to the brewery’s lauded collection of IPAs.
Dancing Gnome Brewery
1025 Main St., Pittsburgh, PA
As you may have noticed, the Pittsburgh beer scene is quite well known for its bevy of highly-rated IPAs. Well, none may be better at the art of producing IPAs than Dancing Gnome Brewery.
Dancing Gnome boasts some of the top IPAs in the state of Pennsylvania, from dense DIPAs to clean and balanced West Coast IPAs. Of course, Dancing Gnome branches out to offer a full menu of balanced beers, including crisp pilsners and sour beers. You can even visit the Dancing Gnome taproom for traditional Kölsch service as it is done in Cologne, Germany.
Strange Roots Experimental Ales
501 E. Ohio St., Millvale, PA
4399 Gibsonia Road, Gibsonia, PA
977 5th Ave., New Kensington, PA
Taking after European farmhouse brewing traditions, Strange Roots Experimental Ales makes beer hyperlocal to Pittsburgh. The brewery uses native yeast and locally-sourced ingredients to craft barrel aged brews that are truly unique to Western Pennsylvania.
Of course, you can find the regular crowd pleasers like IPAs and stouts, but the best beers at Strange Roots are found inside bottles. Strange Roots uses spontaneous fermentation to make some of its beers, and the results are tart, funky and finely balanced farmhouse ales.
Necromancer Brewing
2257 Babcock Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA
Still very young on the Pittsburgh breweries scene, Necromancer Brewing has already turned itself into a well-known brand. Necromancer focuses on keeping up with contemporary beer styles while keeping one foot in the past.
The result? A lineup of beers that is incredibly fun to drink through on any given day of the week. Yes, you’ll get to sample hazy IPAs and dessert stouts, but you’ll also find rare beers like Necromancer Brewing’s Lichtenhainer smoked sour, Rotbier and Export Stout. Few breweries in the entire U.S. are doing what Necromancer Brewing is doing right now.
BURGH’ERS Brewing
3601 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA
215 W. New Castle St., Zelienople, PA
What do you get when a couple of Yinzers combine their love for burgers and beer? Well, it turns out you get something like BURGH’ERS Brewing.
The locally-driven BURGH’ERS Brewing features a full menu of burgers and craft beer that serve as culinary expressions of the Steel City. With beers like its 1890 Lager to its Block House Pale Mild Ale, BURGH’ERS Brewing brings you an unfiltered taste of Pittsburgh to enjoy.
Hop Farm Brewing Company
5601 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA
Now one of Pittsburgh’s oldest craft breweries, it’s no secret why Hop Farm Brewing Company remains a beloved watering hole for the city’s locals.
Hop Farm consistently puts out approachable beers crafted to satisfy Pittsburgh’s blue-collar spirit. Hop Farm IPA is one of Pittsburgh’s most recognizable and widely-distributed beers, but don’t look over other traditional styles from Hop Farm.
Grist House Craft Brewery
10 E. Sherman St., Pittsburgh, PA
If you’re on the hunt for the Pittsburgh taproom with the best collection of insanely flavorful beers all under one roof, your best bet may be Grist House Craft Brewery.
The brewery, located in the always-cool Millvale neighborhood, has built up a portfolio of clean and balanced barrel aged farmhouse beers over the years. Then, it went and added an incredible lineup of perfectly-hopped hazy IPAs, as well as barrel aged stouts and fruited sours. There may not be a better expression of flavorful beers in Pittsburgh than at Grist House.
Inner Groove Brewing
827 E. Warrington Ave., Pittsburgh, PA
751 E. Railroad Ave., Verona, PA
With both of its locations in some of Pittsburgh’s most-overlooked neighborhoods, Inner Groove Brewing is helping to revitalize the Steel City. Inner Groove offers inviting taprooms and plenty of leg space to adventurous drinkers who aren’t afraid to explore outside Pittsburgh’s inner city.
What will you find at Inner Groove? The brewing company prioritizes bold and flavorful beers, meaning you’ll always find something hazy and hoppy at its tap rooms. Also keep an eye out for Inner Groove’s super-tart fruited sours, perfect for enjoying on a Pittsburgh summer day.
Southern Tier Brewery Pittsburgh
316 N. Shore Drive, Pittsburgh, PA
Conveniently located just a short walk from Acrisure Stadium—home of the Pittsburgh Steelers—Southern Tier Brewery Pittsburgh has become a must-stop gameday experience for local sports fans.
Whether you’re on the North Shore for a Steelers or Pirates game, Southern Tier is worth the stop. The brewery sits in a massive space with plenty of seating, TV screens and, most importantly, beer taps. Its most famous beer is the seasonal Pumking, but the Southern Tier Brewery Pittsburgh also makes some craft beer exclusive to this location.
Arsenal Cider House
300 39th St., Pittsburgh, PA
2905 West Liberty Ave., Dormont, PA
2537 Brandt School Road, Wexford, PA
Ok, this one isn’t technically a brewery, but we wanted to throw a bone to all of our friends who don’t love beer so much. The crew at Arsenal Cider House are Pittsburgh’s resident cider experts, with a full deck of fruity and crisp drinks to enjoy on any warm day.
Arsenal’s Lawrenceville location is an oasis in the city, offering bucolic vibes near Pittsburgh’s hippest urban center. Enjoy a frosty and flavorful cider slushie on Arsenal’s patio while bell tolls from a nearby monastery whisk you away to a faraway farm. There are few experiences like it in Pittsburgh.