GIVE ME YOUR BEER SUGGESTIONS!!

[BadHands71]

Not the biggest cider fan but picked one of the local Australian ciders up at the recommendation of the store clerk. It's a Cinnamon Vanilla Cider, and DANG... It's dry with a slightly sweet and spicy finish. I'm really loving it. Wish I could bring it home with me.

[eddysnake]

Allagash White is an incredible beer, and I am not even a fan of wits so much. MUST try it.

had one for the first time over the weekend. I'm not sure price wise if it's a lot more than Hoegaarden, but for comparison sake, I didn't find it overwhelmingly better or worse than hoegaarden.

[MWB]

Had Dogfish Head Baton Burton the other day. A little sweeter than I like, but still good.

[JS©]

Budweiser unveils beer glass that connects to Facebook

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/04/ ... z2Se3HgBLd

Toasting with new friends just got a futuristic, and slightly creepy, upgrade.
Budweiser recently unveiled the “Buddy Cup,” a pint glass with a built-in chip that connects to Facebook. The cup automatically connects people on Facebook when they clink glasses with another “Buddy Cup” user, creating a virtual friendship instantly.

Cool. Now I know which friends are drinking crap beer.

[eddysnake]

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/life/libations/beer-a-new-kind-of-beer-bar-opening-on-north-shore-686842/

Opening "softly" this weekend near PNC Park is an interesting new concept: The Beer Market.

It's a beer bar with a huge selection of 500 beers, 50 to 60 of them on draft, that doesn't serve its own food, but lets customers bring in food from neighboring restaurants and enjoy it with their beers and music.
In the Boggs Building at 110 Federal St., this is the second in a chain of beer bars that started in suburban Chicago. Investors now include longtime "General Hospital" and now "The Young and the Restless" actor Steve Burton. He left his old ABC show, where he played Jason Morgan, in January to play a veteran, Dylan McAvoy, on the CBS show.

Over the phone from Los Angeles, Mr. Burton explained that Beer Market customers can bring in food from wherever they want, even home. The menu also lists restaurants in the immediate vicinity that will deliver food. The beer market works with restaurants, even giving them maps of the tables.

beer list:

http://the-beer-market.com./?q=node/861

[Kraftster]

I meant to post about that. Heard about it the last time I was at Stage AE.

[Troy Loney]

Looks amazing. Delivery places need to get their menus in there.

[Kraftster]

Definitely. I hope this does some damage to Sharp Edge.

[canaan]

im intrigued to see if it works long term. My brother lives down the road from Bolingbrook, IL and hes pretty confident that it will be a short-lived concept versus what he owns (gastropubs). He said the concept has been done before by World of Beer (wobusa.com), and they make a good portion of their money from franchising.

personally, i think its a headache to go to a restauranty-type establishment and then arrange or bring the food portion of the experience. I cant imagine the diversity of the craft selection is that astronomical that it would be worthwhile.

[shafnutz05]

personally, i think its a headache to go to a restauranty-type establishment and then arrange or bring the food portion of the experience. I cant imagine the diversity of the craft selection is that astronomical that it would be worthwhile.

I tend to concur with this. We love our local gastro-pub, because they offer interesting and delicious foods combined with an incredible beer list. If I wanted the experience above, I would merely go to the store, buy a six pack of craft beers, and drink them at home for much cheaper.

[Idoit40fans]

Sounds like a good place to waste a Saturday afternoon, evening, and night.

[Troy Loney]

what is the hassle of picking up a pizza and going to a beer bar?

I don't know, A lot of breweries have places setup to drink and you can bring your own food, it's always been a good time. Plus that really helps keep the bill down.

[Kraftster]

personally, i think its a headache to go to a restauranty-type establishment and then arrange or bring the food portion of the experience. I cant imagine the diversity of the craft selection is that astronomical that it would be worthwhile.

I tend to concur with this. We love our local gastro-pub, because they offer interesting and delicious foods combined with an incredible beer list. If I wanted the experience above, I would merely go to the store, buy a six pack of craft beers, and drink them at home for much cheaper.

Pittsburgh doesn't have many options with the type of beer list you are accustomed to seeing in Philly. If there were even a dozen options for places in Pittsburgh to get something approaching the variety of beer this place has available, then I'd be skeptical. This is going to be the only place you can go to get a lot of that stuff in Pittsburgh. I'm guessing that is why you don't see any of these in cities known for their wide-ranging craft distribution.

With that in mind, I think you and canaan are you looking at it the wrong way. People will go there for the beer because they can't get it anywhere else. They won't be going for food. If there is a way for them to get food, that is just a bonus.

Edit: So the real question is, does Pittsburgh have enough interest in crafts for this to work. I'm interested to see the answer to that question.

[canaan]

maybe i undervalue the craft beer niche as a standalone business model. i dont think i do in terms of long term sustainability because of the gastropub joints like fatheads, and sharp edge to a point, rely on their food to make their big time money, even with a relatively decent spread of beer offerings. This is just an opinion. I could be wrong, but the doubt/concern is a valid one.

[eddysnake]

Just had my first Rye of the Tiger IPA, outstanding.

Had that last night. Pretty good.

how is the taste on this, is it real hoppy? Thinking about grabbing a sixer of this and Iron City for the game.

[legame]

I'm amazed this is a novel idea in Pittsburgh... I assumed there were places like it already? The "carry ins welcome" approach is very popular with small breweries and beer bars in the South and I find it much more convenient to stop at a burrito place or order Chinese rather than spend ten bucks on a mediocre chicken sandwich that's the same at every brewpub. Brewers here are banking on their beers being good enough to be the main draw, and thus far it seems to be working.

[shafnutz05]

Just had my first Rye of the Tiger IPA, outstanding.

Had that last night. Pretty good.

how is the taste on this, is it real hoppy? Thinking about grabbing a sixer of this and Iron City for the game.

It's not overly so. It's nicely balanced.

[Kraftster]

Yeah, there's reason to doubt it. I just think if you're thinking you wouldn't go because they don't sell mediocre food (Sharp Edge) then you are probably not the real target crowd.

[shafnutz05]

because they don't sell mediocre food (Sharp Edge) then you are probably not the real target crowd.

This is legitimate. Not to mention how prohibitively expensive Sharp Edge can be.

At my local gastropub, here are the current specials:

Caramelized Shallot Dip, house made root vegetable chips

Shaved Lamb Sandwich, herb crusted lamb loin wrapped in lamb belly, slow smoked on alder wood chips, Warm LeBus Bakery ciabatta bread, sriracha-kewpie sauce, pickled red onions

Chocolate Chip Raisin-Nut Bread Pudding, Bailey's Irish Crea, anglaise

And the rest of the menu is not your typical "Brewpub" menu, it's a whole lot of experimental, great stuff. So from my perspective, I don't see a major point, but I can see it perhaps being a bigger draw in Pittsburgh.

[Kraftster]

Sharp Edge is ridiculous. They have gotten totally complacent with their beers because they're the only show in town. They make their food sound fancy, but I've never had any food there that would draw me back. Although the cheap chicken bites nights are nice.

Fatheads has solid food, but I don't think there beer list is all that impressive. Smokin Joes has probably the best beer list in the city, but I can't recall ever being wowed by their food, and I'd go there for the beer anyway.

House of 1000 Beers is hopping these days and they have no food at all, except for some chex mix available at the bar. They are inviting burger trucks, pierogie trucks, and the like to their parking lot, and that seems like its been a big success.

[JS©]

Sharp Edge is ridiculous. They have gotten totally complacent with their beers because they're the only show in town. They make their food sound fancy, but I've never had any food there that would draw me back. Although the cheap chicken bites nights are nice.

Fatheads has solid food, but I don't think there beer list is all that impressive. Smokin Joes has probably the best beer list in the city, but I can't recall ever being wowed by their food, and I'd go there for the beer anyway.

House of 1000 Beers is hopping these days and they have no food at all, except for some chex mix available at the bar. They are inviting burger trucks, pierogie trucks, and the like to their parking lot, and that seems like its been a big success.

Agreeing with all of this.

I haven't been to Sharp Edge in awhile, but the menu never amazed me and the selection of beer hasn't impressed in awhile. That's not taking anything away from it in it's current state since they still do have quite a selection there, but complacent is probably the perfect word to describe the place.

Fatheads has great food, but there isn't a beer at Fatheads that I can't get somewhere else, their micros being the lone exception.

Smokin' Joes is probably my favorite place to go if I'm looking for something I haven't had before, but the bar area sucks if it gets even semi-crowded.

I haven't been to Ho1kB but I'll take your word on it. If I'm drinking and if Chex Mix is the only thing around, in some cases that's all I really need.

[Rylan]

Sidelines is pretty good.

[columbia]

So can you take your bag of Arby's to that place and slam down a 40 of Schlitz?

[eddysnake]

So can you take your bag of Arby's to that place and slam down a 40 of Schlitz?

oh, you are thinking about a dark and scary alley.

[Troy Loney]

Sidelines is pretty good.

It's cheap.