Breweries in Allegheny County Pa since 1795

This is a preliminary list of evey brewery in Allegheny County, Pa. since 1794. The final list will be published. on my site: pittsburghbrewers.com. The (Post 1980) indicates that the brewery was established after 1980.

Brewery

14th Ward Brewery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

180 and Tapped Brewery, Allegheny Co., Coraopolis +

412 Brews Brewery, Allegheny Co., McKees Rocks (Post 1980)

5th Ward Larger Beer Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

8th Ward Brewery, Pgh., North Side

A

Abjuration Brewery, Allegheny Co., McKees Rocks (Post 1980)

Acrospire Brewery, Allegheny Co., Glennshaw (Post 1980)

Alleghany Valley Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville

Allegheny Brewery (Lutz), Pgh., North Side

Allegheny Brewery & Pub, Pgh., North Side

Allegheny Brewery & Pub, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Allegheny Brewery, Pgh., North Side (West)

Allegheny City Brewery, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Allegheny County Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Amber Brewery, Pgh., North Side

American Beverage, Allegheny Co., Varona (Post 1980)

American Pure Beer Brewery, Allegheny Co. Millvale

Anchor Brewery, Allegheny Co., Brackenridge

Arsenal Cider House & Wine Cellar, Allegheny Co., Penn Hills (Post 1980)

Aurochs Brewery, Allegheny Co., Emsworth (Post 1980)

Aurochs Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District (Post 1980)

B

Baeuerlein (Star) Brewery, Allegheny Co. Millvale

Baird Brewery, Pgh, Downtown, (Kensington)

Bavarian Brewery (Winter Bros), Pgh., South Side

Bavarian Brewery, Allegheny Co. Millvale

Beck Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Benitz Brewery , Pgh, Downtown

Benitz Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Bennett Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Bennett Star Brewery, Allegheny Co. Millvale

Bohemian Brewery, Pgh., North Side

British Army Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Brownstone Brewery (Hauch), Pgh., South Side

C

Carson & Darlington Brewery , Pgh, Downtown

Chartiers Valley Brewery, Allegheny Co., Carnegie

Cinderlands Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville (Post 1980)

Cinderlands Warehouse Brewery, Pgh., Strip District (Post 1980)

Cobblehause Brewery, Allegheny Co., Coraopolis (Post 1980)

Collins Avenue Brewery, Pgh., East Liberty

Coltart & Sikvery Brewery, Pgh, Downtown, (Keningston)

Concord Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Copper Kettle Brewery, Pgh., Garfield (Post 1980)

Copper Kettle Brewery, Pgh., Greenfield (Post 1980)

Costar Brewery, Allegheny Co., Etna (Post 1980)

Costar Brewery, Pgh., Highland Park (Post 1980)

Couch Brewery Pittsburgh, Larimer (Post 1980)

D

Dancing Gnome Brewery,  Allegheny Co. Sharpsburg (Post 1980)

Darlington Brewery & Malster , Pgh, Downtown

Deppel Brewey (Downtown), Pgh, Downtown

Depple Brewery, Pgh., North Side (West)

Derby Brewery, Pgh., Hazelwood

DeWald, Wuesthoff & Company, Pittsburgh, Downtown

DeWald, Wuesthoff & Company, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Diamond Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Diders Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Draai Laag Brewery, Allegheny Co., Allison Park (Post 1980)

Draai Laag Brewery, Allegheny Co., Gibsonia (Post 1980)

Draai Laag Brewery, Allegheny Co., Millvale (Post 1980)

Duquesne Brewery, Allegheny Co. Duquesne City

Duquesne Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Duquesne Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Dutch Brewery, Pittsburgh, Uptown

E

Eagle Brewery (Bauerlein),Pgh, Strip District

Eagle Brewery (Ebrhardt & Ober), Pgh., North Side

Eagle Brewing, Allegheny Co. Duquesne City

East End Brewery Pittsburgh, Larimer (Post 1980)

East End Brewing. Pgh., Homewood (Post 1980)

Eaton, Conrad, Pgh., North Side

Eberhardt & Ober Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Eberhardt Brewery, Conrad, Pgh., North Side

Eleventh Hour Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville (Post 1980)

Enix Brewery, Allegheny Co., Homestead (Post 1980)

Enterprise Brewery (P Gerst), Pgh., North Side

Enz Brewery, Allegheny Co. Millvale

Ernst Brewing, Allegheny Co., McKeesport

F

F. L. Ober Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Faller Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Felson Brewery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

Fink Brewery (Downrown), Pgh, Downtown

First National Brewery, Allegheny Co. McKees Rocks

Fisher Brewery (Harrison M Fisher), Pgh., North Side

Fisher Brewery (J Fisher), Pgh., North Side

Fleming Brothers, Maltsers & Brewers , Pgh, Downtown

Fort Pitt Brewing, Allegheny Co. Sharpsburg

Franklin Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

French Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Fretz & Co. Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Fridel Brewery, Pgh., South Side

G

Gangwisch & Company Brewery, Pgh., North Side (West)

Gangwisch Brewery, Pgh., Bloomfield

Gangwisch Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville

Gangwisch Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Gangwisch-Straub Brewery, Pittsburgh, Bloomfield

General Braddock Brewery, Allegheny Co., Braddock

Gorman & Company Brewery , Pgh., Downtown, (Kensington)

Grist House Brewery, Allegheny Co., Collier Twp. (Post 1980)

Grist House Brewery, Allegheny Co., Millvale (Post 1980)

Gustav Shult Brewery, Allegheny Co., Braddock

H

Hauch Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Hauffmans Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Hawley & Company Brewery , Pgh, Downtown

Hazelwood Brewery, Pgh., Hazelwood

Headley’s Brewery, Allegheny Co., Heidleberg (Post 1980)

Hechelmann Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Helicon Brewery, Allegheny Co., Oakdale (Post 1980)

Herdt Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Highland Brewery, Pgh., East Liberty

Hilltop Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Hitchhiker Brewery,  Allegheny Co. Sharpsburg (Post 1980)

Hitchhiker Brewery, Allegheny Co., Mt. Lebanon (Post 1980)

Hochschwinder & Heine Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Hoeffling Brewery , Pgh, Downtown

Hoehl Brewery, Allegheny Co. Millvale

Hofbrauhaus Brewery, Pgh., South Side (Post 1980)

Hofbrauhause Brewery, Pgh., South Side (Post 1980)

Hoffman Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Hoffman Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Hogl (Hogel) Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Hogl & Rohry Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Holstein Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Home Brewery, Allegheny Co., Braddock

Homestead Brewery, Allegheny Co. Homeseatd

Hop Farm Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville (Post 1980)

Hop Yard Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville (Post 1980)

Huffman Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Hugi Distillery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

I

Inner Groove Brewery, Allegheny Co., Varona (Post 1980)

Inner-Groove Brewery, Allegheny Co., Gibsonia (Post 1980)

Insurrection Brewery, Allegheny Co., Heidleberg (Post 1980)

Iron City Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville

Iron City Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville (Post 1980)

Iron City Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

J

John Harvard's Brew House, Allegheny Co., Wilkins Twp. (Post 1980)

K

Kaiser Brewery & Distillery, Pgh, Downtown

Kallenborn Brewery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

Kaltenhaeusser, V, Pittsburgh, Oakland

Kennedy sarsaparilla and beer factory, Pgh, Downtown

Kensington Brewery, Pgh., Downtown, (Kensington)

Keystone Brewery, Pittsburgh, Hill District

Keystone Brewing, Pgh., South Side

Klein Distillery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

Klinzing Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Krauss Brewery, Pgh., North Side (West)

L

Lafayette Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Lauer Brewery, S 18th St, Pgh., South Side

Lauer Brewery, S 8th St, Pgh., South Side

Lawrecnceville Brewery (Church), Pgh., Lawrenceville (Post 1980)

Lemp Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Lewis Brewery, Pgh., Downtown

Liberty Brewery, Pittsburgh, Larimer

Lincoln Avenue Brewery, Allegheny Co., Bellevue (Post 1980)

Lion Brewery (D Lutz & Son), Pgh., North Side

Lutz & Walz Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Lutz & Walz Brewery, Pgh., North Side

M

Madison Street (group of) Breweries, Pgh., North Side

Manchester Ale Brewery, Pgh., North Side (West)

Manor Street Brewery, Pgh., South Side

McKeesport Brewery, Allegheny Co. McKeesport

Metzer Brewery (see Etna), Pittsburgh, West End

Metzger Brewery, Allegheny Co., Etna

Meussner Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Meyers Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Milkman Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District (Post 1980)

Miller & Lang Brewery, Pgh., North Side (West)

Miller & Lang Brewery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

Miller Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Mindful Brewery, Allegheny Co., Castle Shannon (Post 1980)

Mindful Brewery, Pgh., Mt. Washington (Post 1980)

Monongahela Brewery (Baird) , Pgh., Downtown, (Kensington)

Monongahela Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Monongahela Valley Brewery, Allegheny Co., Carnegie

Mueller Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Muth & Company Brewery, Pittsburgh, Soho

N

National Brewery (Gibberich), Pgh., North Side

National Brewery (Heid), Pgh., North Side

National Brewing (Nusser), Pgh., South Side

Ninth Ward Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

North Side Brewery (Hippely & Hopf), Pgh., North Side

North Side Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Nusser Brewery, Pgh., South Side

O

Oakland Brewery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

Oregon Brewery, Pittsburgh, Uptown

Ormsby (Reichenbach) Brewery, Pgh., South Side

P

Penn Brewery 1 Tom, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Penn Brewery 2 Berchnmire, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Penn Brewery 3 Vinial Street, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Peoples Brewery, Allegheny Co. Duquesne City

Peoples Brewery, Allegheny Co. McKeesport

Peter Walter & Company, Pgh., South Side

Phoenix Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Pig Hill Brewery, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Pig Hill Brewery, Pgh., Point Breeze (Post 1980)

Pitt Township Brewery, Pittsburgh, Oakland

Pittsburgh Bottle Shop & Brewhouse, Allegheny Co., Collier Twp. (Post 1980)

Pittsburgh Brewery (Brown & Verner), Pgh, Downtown

Pittsburgh Brewery (Carson), Pgh, Downtown

Pittsburgh Brewery (Rhodes & Verner), Pgh, Downtown

Pittsburgh Brewery No. 4, Pgh., Downtown, (Kensington)

Platform Brewery, Pgh., Garfield (Post 1980)

Point Brewery (Shiras-Point), Pgh, Downtown

Point Brewery Shiras-Pitt St, Pgh, Downtown

Point Brewery Smith-Pitt St, Pgh, Downtown

Prospect Ale Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Q

R

Rauch & Rudman Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Reed Brewery, Allegheny Co. McKeesport

Reichenbach (Ormsby) Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Rivertowne Pour House Brewery, Allegheny Co., Monroeville (Post 1980)

Riverview Brewery (G Schuitz), Allegheny Co., Braddock

Roads Brewery, Allegheny Co. McKeesport

Robber Baron Brewery, Allegheny Co., Ross Twp. (Post 1980)

Rock Bottom Brewery, Allegheny Co., Homestead (Post 1980)

Rogan Brewery, Allegheny Co., Duquesne City (Post 1980)

Roundabout Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville (Post 1980)

S

Schafer Brewery, Allegheny Co., Braddock

Schenck, G F Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Schiltz Brewing Co., Joseph, Pgh., South Side

Schiltz Brewing Co., Joseph, Pittsburgh, Strip District

Schmeltz, Pgh., South Side

Schmelz Brewery, Pittsburgh, West End

Schoenhofen Brewery, Peter, Pgh., South Side

Seewald Brewery, Allegheny Co., Braddock

Seiferth Brothers Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Shaffner Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Sheridan Brewery (Schaffner), Pgh., South Side

Shiras Brewery, Perter, Pgh, Downtown

Siedle Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Sly Fox Brewery, Pgh., South Side (Post 1980)

Smith Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

South Side Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Southern Tier Brewery, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Spoonwood Brewery, Allegheny Co., Bethel Park (Post 1980)

Spring Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Spring Brewery, Pittsburgh, Bloomfield

Spring Hill Brewery, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

St. Julien Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville

Star Brewery (Bauerlein), Allegheny Co. Millvale

Stoltz & Co, Pgh., North Side

Stonehaven Brewery & Restaurant, Pgh, Strip District

Stonewall Cider House and Meadery, Allegheny Co., Varona (Post 1980)

Strange Roots Experimental Ales, Allegheny Co., Gibsonia (Post 1980)

Straub Brewery , Pgh, Downtown

Straub Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Strim Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville

Strip Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District (Post 1980)

Sweet Water Brewery (Foundry), Pittsburgh, Strip District (Post 1980)

T

The Brew Gentlemen Brewery, Allegheny Co., Braddock (Post 1980)

The Leaning Cask Brewery, Allegheny Co., Springdale (Post 1980)

Three Mugs Brew Pub (Brewery), Pgh., East Liberty (Post 1980)

Three Rivers Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District (Post 1980)

Tracy & Wilkinson Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Trios Brewery, Allegheny Co., Homestead (Post 1980)

Tschudy Brewery, Pgh., North Side (West)

Tube City Brewery, Allegheny Co. McKeesport

U

Union Brewery (Schaefer), Pgh., South Side

Union Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

Union Brewery, Pittsburgh, Bloomfield

United States Brewery, Pgh., North Side

V

Valhalla Brewery, Pittsburgh, Strip District (Post 1980)

Vicroy Street Brewery, Pittsburgh, Uptown

W

Wacker & Steuernagle Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Wainwright Brewery (J), Pgh., Lawrenceville

War Streets Brewery - Biers Pub, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

War Streets Brewery, Pgh., North Side (Post 1980)

Weisert & Giesy Brewery  AKA Wessel & Geisy, Pgh., North Side

Weiss Beer Brewery, Pgh., North Side

West End Brewery, Pittsburgh, West End

Wilheim's Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Willow Grove Brewery, Allegheny Co. Millvale

Winter Brothers Brewery, Pgh., South Side

Winterton Brewery, Pgh., Lawrenceville

Wood Brewery, Pgh., Downtown, (Kensington)

Wood Brewery, Pittsburgh, Bloomfield

Wood Brothers Brewery, Pgh., North Side

Wood Steam Brewery (Phoenix), Pittsburgh, Strip District

X

Y

Yearman Brewery, Pgh, Downtown

First Beer Engine in Pittsburgh

This all came from my collection of notes taken over the years for the Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers. I wrote the newsletter, The TRASH Can for eleven years. Looking back I wish I took more detailed notes. C'est la vie.

In olden times (‘90’s) Kangaroo’s Outback Café was in the North Hills and in Robinson I visited the North Hill pub and found it to be a nice place with a good beer selection as well as good food. In September 1995 they did something no other beer-serving restaurant in Pittsburgh thought to do; they purchased a beer engine. I did not visit the Robinson location so I do not know if they had an engine nor do I know how many they actually had. I can’t remember how I knew of this but as others from the homebrew club was there I have to think it was from the late Tony Knipling. Tony had his ear on all thing s beer in Pittsburgh. My notes tell me that one engine went to the Fuel & Fuddle and two went to the Fox and Hounds.

Specifically I can’t remember the day we went to Kangaroo’s but Pittsburgh radio personality Jim Quinn was at there that evening as well as a few TRASH members. I think Quinn was having one of his think tanks. We older ‘burghers remember “the daddyo of the radio” when he was a DJ on KQV-FM back in the ’60. I was there for the beer. I also remember getting the swordfish and bursting out with !!!!’s on how good it was.

Nobody in Pittsburgh had any knowledge on how to keep and serve beer with a hand pump back then. Not too soon after its debut it was pulled from duty. It does take dome tender loving care and some find it a tad warm.

The Sharp Edge was the second tavern in Pittsburgh to sell Cask Conditioned Ale. They had one engine and served a new keg every Wednesday at 6PM and ran it until it kicks. I don’t have the specific date but I believe it was in 1996.The first beer out of the swan neck was Rouge Red at $4.25. Eventually they installed a second engine about March 1997. The Church Brew Works as well as Three Rivers Brewing opened in 1996. I can’t find anything squirreled away in my notes when they started pulling the pump but Seam Casey of the Church has pictures of me pulling the first draft.

The third tavern to sell cask ale was the Fuel & Fuddle in Oakland. Fist pull was in June or July 1997.  The only served one keg of Pretzel City IPA and took the hand pump off.  They wanted to continue with the cask but they could not keep the keg at the proper temperature. The beer was on the warm side and more than it should have been for cask ale. There was no room under the bar and no place convenient under the floor. They purchased the one hand pump from Kangaroo's. 1998.

John Harvard’s opened in 1997 and I have to believe they stated doing cask beer right from the get-go. The Foundry Ale Works followed that year but no cask until 1998.

The Carson Street Chop House had a beer engine on the bar during my visit on February 10, 1998. The beer that day was Victory Briar Bitter. The House was a sister pub to Fat Heads South Shore Saloon across the street. We know the House today as Pipers Pub (opened 1999). Fat Heads eventually put an engine on for several years but after a remodeling it was taken out of service. Tony then acquired it from Glenn and used it for TRASH meeting and other events around town.

One engine was installed at Strip Brewery on Penn Avenue in the Strip District (of course) on March 1, 1998. After this visit I went out to the Foundry Ale Works on Smallman. They were closed every Sunday in February for work and reopened today. It was nice to see 2 engines waiting for me. We were blessed on Sunday, April 5, 1998 when the Foundry Ale Works installed three beer engines (at end of March). This was a Pittsburgh first.

On my June 15, 1998 visit to John Harvard’s in Wilkins Township I got nice treat. Today was the day they served their first cask ale. I did not write the beer in my notes but I did take note that it was $2.75. The next day I waddled into the Strip Brewery on Penn Avenue and found one engine. As I recall the Strip and John Harvard’s were the only two breweries serving beer on gravity from wood casks. Penn Brewery did gravity during functions like Christmas and their birthday party but the cask was plastic lined and with regular beer. I never complained.  Gravity beer is not under pressure nor is it pumped or forced from the cask. It just pours out on its own into your mug. 

The Sharp Edge Creek House (opened 1998) next to the Thornburg Bridge on Rt. 60 stared cask beer in February 1999. Jeff Walewski was an early supporter of cask beer. Jeffery traveled with me to Chicago for the first Real Ale Festive in November 1997. It was fun for us, and a learning experience for Jeff. A real treat for me was having drinks and breakfast with world famous beer writer Rodger Protz. We stayed in contact ever since and that is something I will always treasure.  

The Fox & Hounds in the North Hills opened in 1999 and the manager was formerly with Kangaroo's. He had two cask pumps but had no plans to install them. I wish he did as that would have been a perfect place for me to chill between London trips.

On the South Side Pipers Pub (operating 4 engines because I go there a lot) and Carson Street Deli (one pump at my barstool). Smoken Joes had one but I haven’t had a brew there in a while. Rock Bottom has two. East End Brewing has one that is at the ready. The Map Room in Regent Square had one doing Scot Smith’s brews. Now closed Rivertowne Brewery in Monroeville had one and North Country Brewing has one. Although not via an engine the Hofbräuhaus in the South Side Works does a gravity keg every First Wednesday of the moth when they debut a beer of the month. I don’t know the status of today. Over the years they have come and gone. I know I probably missed some spots. Sorry, I need to get out more.

Brewery opening dates not after 1999:

Penn Brewery September 12, 1989 as Allegheny Brewery & Pub

Church Brew Works August 1, 1996

Three Rivers Brewery December 4, 1996

Valhalla Brewery May 1997

Strip Brewery June 1997

John Harvard’s August 26, 1997

Foundry Ale Works November 1997

If I get updates I should repost this for the benefit of future parakeets.

(If you read my newsletters you would understand the parakeet reference)

I wanted to get this out there as I was always in awe that Kangaroo’s had the first beer engine. At that time there were no breweries other than Allegheny and they only served draft and bottles. We had a good representation of imported beer but American craft was nothing like it is today.

Cheers, Ed Vidunas

edvidunas@gmail.com