JACKASS BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

Residing at a red brick Industrial building one block South of Bullfrog Brewing and Gennetti Hotel, JACKASS BREWING opened this second location in 2025. Olden wood floors ground the white-walled converted warehouse and the U-shape bar (with twelve taps, caged Edison lights and cornered TV’s) services several windowed four-seaters and the large furnished mezzanine.

The 22,000 square-foot tap room includes a restaurant, event space and rooftop bar. A varied beer menu displayed a colorful spectrum of stylistic delights. Brew tanks are towards the rear and patio seating is available when warm.

My wife and I visited after our Pittsburgh roundup at 7PM, mid-October ’25.

Tart lemon-salted oaken cherry pucker, green grape esters and parched lime souring induced Ch-Ch-Ch-Cherry Bomb, an extremely dry fruited sour.

Rustic mineral graining guarded the orange banana breaded spicing of Saison Of The Asses, leaving white peppery shards.

Unspecific Belgian yeast engaged autumnal Belgian strong ale, Jackass O’Lantern, pitting rummy cinnamon-nutmeg spicing and orange-bruised banana sugaring against white-peppered herbage.

One of Jackass’ most popular year-rounders came next. Tangy grapefruit, salty pineapple, zesty orange peel and peachy tangerine blitzed the lightly oated wheat creaming of Juicy Ass, a fruit punched New England IPA with latent pine tones.

Lightly wood-smoked coffee roast saddled mocha-driven porter, Dumbass, scattering dark chocolate, caramel and espresso tones among the dark roast hop bitterness.

Mocha-fortified milk Stout, Mules, placed creamy milk chocolate across caramelized coffee, molasses breading and tart dark cherry frolic.

“Intense” bourbon-aged Imperial Stout, Imbecile, let pudding skinned dark chocolate fudging drape dry burgundy, sherry, chianti and Muscat wining as well as a stiff whiskey back (at 12.2% ABV).

HELLTOWN BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

At Pittsburgh’s Strip District, HELLTOWN BREWING opened its fourth of five (as of October ’25) locations in 2020. Beginning in a Colorado mechanics garage in 2011, Helltown’s founders settled in the Iron City’s Mount Pleasant section, creating their initial brewhouse (before buying nearby Rivertowne’s Export production facility and gaining a second spot). The other two Southwest Pennsylvania Helltown outposts are in Houston and Butler.

Occupying a two-story white aluminum barnhouse-styled depot, Helltown’s 1700 Penn Avenue locale in the Strip features wood barrels, wood benches and chairs leading to the lacquered wood top bar. There are 24 draught handles serving both Helltown and Rivertowne fare. Wine, cider and cocktails are also available.

A large fenced-in benched side deck offers plenty of seating.

During my mid-afternoon Saturday stop, October ’25, bought cans of Helltown’s Bluff 78 American Lager, Grand Prix English Pale Ale, Hefeweizen, Star Breaker Hazy IPA and Mischievous Brown Ale (all reviewed in Beer Index).

BACK ALLEY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Occupying a prominent marble-columned Municipal building along the cobblestoned roads of Pittsburgh’s southern Dormont section, BACK ALLEY BREWING COMPANY opened its doors in 2022. A yellow Back Alley signpost leads patrons to the Classical large arched entrance.

An elongated cement-topped bar serviced the white walled main space as well as the dainty restaurant garden room. Arched windows and the high ceiling bring a simple elegance to the cafe tables and leather booths surrounding the bar.

I visited Back Alley on a Sunday at noontime, October ’25, when the Steelers had a home game and many fans hit the streets. I tried the two tapped IPA’s and took home a half dozen more (reviewed in Beer Index).

Flagship Back Alley IPA retained orange rind bittering, yellow grapefruit tang and salty pineapple zing as well as herbal tea whims and grassy hop astringency atop honey-spiced pale malts.

Dry rye graining surged next to grapefruit rind bittering for Raccoon Ninja Warrior Rye IPA, snuggling dark roast-hopped brown leaf musk across dusty cocoa powder.

BURGHER BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Right after Friday brunch in October ’25, headed to Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville section to take on three brewpubs within a quarter-mile walking distance. Long Story Short on Butler Street offered franchised Cinderlands brews and Eleventh Hour Brewing on Charlotte Street crafted its own beer onsite. As for BURGHERS BREWING, besides its street-cornered Butler Street taproom, the fine ‘burgers n’ brews joint’ has locations (as of this date) in Millvale, Southside and Zelienope.

Gathering ingredients from nearby farmers, Burghers shoots for total sustainability with approachable fare well suited for the average American beer drinker. On my stopover, there were four easygoing German-styled brews on tap alongside an IPA, Czech lager, Italian pils and malt liquor.

Inside, the concrete-floored pub features a twelve-seat, tile-fronted, wood bar with ten draughts (and two TV’s sidling the beer menu). There are several windowed yellow metal-seated wood tables and a corrugated standing post plus a back kitchen cookin’ burgers.

Crisp light-bodied Italian pilsner, Coltivare, put floral perfumed hop oils alongside moldy lemon rot above delicate truffle-like pilsner malting.

Sweet barley-corn crisping met polite Noble hop herbage for Czech amber lager, Wyrmslayer’s Reserve, a simple bronze-cleared moderation.

Chestnut and tobacco roasted German dark lager, Dunkel, let lightly creamed cocoa onboard.

Dewy festbier, Aufstoin, plied lemony orange tartness to gluey spelt and doughy wheat.

Stylishly dryer than most hefeweizens, Yellow Funicular scurried lemony banana-clove sweetness and wispy navel orange, mango and plantain illusions thru cilantro herbage topping whittled white wheat base.

Dry kolsch, Nubbel, let grassy hop herbage seep into mild lemon zesting over tidy mineral graining.

Zestful hazy IPA, Hipstertone, placed lemony orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess next to dank pine resin atop delicate oated wheat creaming.

Bettering most premium malt liquor, smooth Gold Chains guided sugary lemon at honeyed corn malts without getting gunky (and hiding its hefty 7.4% ABV).

LONG STORY SHORT

United States Brewpubs,

In the heart of Lawrenceville just down the street from one of Burgher’s Pitt-based franchised brewpubs, LONG STORY SHORT serves Cinderlands draughts crafted a few miles south at the microbrewers’ large warehouse facility in The Strip. Operating since 2016, Cinderlands ‘foederhouse’ originally occupied the Long Story Short space but was then renovated to be a ‘humble neighborhood bar’ and sandwich shop November 2020.

Inside a uniquely Classical sienna columned municipal post, Long Story Short features a spiffy white tile-floored barroom with exquisite white marble top bar, twelve white-walled tap handles, two TV’s and a sidled dining room plus an open kitchen counter serving four front patioed metal chairs. Mezzanine seating is available and pinball, darts and billiards are welcome games.

My wife and I tried all seven respectable draughts during our October ’25 stopover. The payload included the following Cinderlands suds.

Dryer ‘n hoppier than most stylish competitors, Archive: American Wheat, brought lemony orange tartness to its mineral-grained flaked wheat base.

Brewed with local Saaz hops, bohemian Czech lager, Saazy Saazbourne, swept dewy fungi and mild floral spicing thru musty pilsner malts.

Floor-malted Bohemian pilsner malts gave Czech Them Buns (a musky Czech lager) its buttery toasted breading and brioche bun warmth.

Following those two Eastern Euro lagers were three Germans.

Easygoing helles lager, Low Voltage, pinned corny pilsner malts to herbal tea-like Noble hops with a light lemon twist.

Also brewed with pilsner malts, Dusseldorf dark ale, Allegheny Altbier, let caramelized wheat soak its toasted biscuit base.

Smoke-dried beechwood gave smoked schwarzbier, Feurig, its cured meat seduction backed by subtle cocoa-coffee riffs and blackened barley malts.

Snuck in a hazy pale ale before departing. Sunshiny lemon zest and orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess settled across resinous pine bittering for Squish, the moderate version of Full Squish IPA.

INNER GROOVE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Along Pittsburgh’s hilly Allentown neighborhood south of Monongahela River, INNER GROOVE BREWING opened this second location in May ’22. A “spacious modern taproom” fifteen miles from the original vinyl record-inspired Verona brewhouse (birthed 2019), Inner Groove’s glass-fronted pub delivers homemade draughts emulating from its primary location.

A white-walled art deco-styled depot tucked into Allentown’s bustling downtown, Inner Groove slings varied suds from a black brick-walled draught board at its epoxy plywood-topped, U-shaped bar. Pristine wood decor dots the spare barroom and a nifty beergarden adds further seating.

My wife and I step up to the bar to try all twelve available brews this Saturday afternoon, October ’25.

First up, dry Mexican lager, Rocket 88, brought compost-wafted lemon rot to the fore as mild green peppered herbage and phenol hop bittering reach its maize-flaked base.

Next, leafy-hopped marzen, Conan The Bavarian Oktoberfest, picked up mild orange oiling and earthen residue atop sweet bready pilsner malting.

Powder sugared candied Pez tartness and marshmallow-creamed strawberry merged for limey kettle-soured Margarita spinoff, Straw Hat, picking up waxy lemon licks.

Rye-spiced Taloo Rye, a toasty Bavarian roggenbier, topped its pumpernickel base with sour prune and dried fig snips.

A West Coast IPA with a dry English malt backdrop, Fall Back Crutch sidled sharp piney fruiting next to pale malt spicing.

Pina Colada fruited sour, Nobody’s Poet, boasted salty pineapple tanginess, coconut creme richness and light rum sugaring.

An oatmeal raisin cookie knockoff, Tuff Cookie Brown Ale, stuffed ripe raisin (as well as red grape tannins) inside confectionery brown chocolate sweetness.

Then came two contrasting pumpkin ales. Soft-toned pumpkin pie spicing tingled Hallowed Ground Pumpkin Ale, leaving sweet yam, perfumed ginger and cinnamon toast subtleties.

On the dark side, lovely Pumpkin-Cino Coffee Ale let cappuccino coffee sink into its cinnamon-nutmeg-spiced pumpkin pie sweetness, gaining dark chocolate, espresso and cocoa powder remnants.

Before heading out, dry coffee-stained Darkside Light Stout retained a mild mocha profile perfect for lighter thirsts.

HITCHHIKER BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

A mile away from friendly competitors, Chimera, HITCHHIKER BREWING COMPANY created a taproom in Pittsburgh’s Mount Lebanon area (neighboring Castle Shannon) after initiating its nearby tan brick-factoried Sharpsburg brewery during 2014 (formerly housing Fort Pitt Brewery). Willing to go all over the place creating exciting, varied beers, Hitchhiker has crafted over 100 different recipes in a decade-plus.

At a gray brick cornershop with small deck, Hitchhiker’s wooden insignia welcomes patrons to its casual neighborhood pub serving an amazing amount of diversified liquids. Old metal-backed chairs crowd the wood top bar (with a dozen-plus tap handles) and a TV hangs from the back black wall.

My wife and I visited October ’25 at noon on a warm n’ sunny Saturday during our four-day Pitt brewpub sojourn, discovering several fruited sours, one blondie, a gourd spicer and Oreo stout.

Beige yellow-glowed Conversion Blonde Ale let polite lemony grapefruit bittering and subtle mandarin orange tang swing thru grassy-hopped pining.

Autumnal goodie, Throwback Pumpkin Ale, tossed bittersweet vanilla beans at perfumed pumpkin pie spicing (cinnamon-nutmeg-coriander-ginger) over molasses toast.

Dry waxy fruiting and candied citrus spicing led medium-bodied Bane Of Existence IPA, leaving lemon-limed grapefruit and orange bittering as well as tart mango-guava-passionfruit tropicalia and herbal notions on its cereal grained bottom.

Fruit punched milkshake IPA variant, Whole Punch: Jelly Donut, conditioned on donuts, raspberry, and vanilla beans, picked up mild strawberry, boysenberry and blackberry illusions atop creamy oats.

Kettle-soured IPA, Usual Chaos, conditioned on tart blackberry, raspberry and vanilla beans, supplied milk-sugared oated wheat creaming to its Citra-Amarillo-hopped piney fruiting.

Conditioned on peanut butter and raspberry, fruited kettle sour, MMHMMM Raspberry brought creamy milk sugaring to salty strawberry-jammed rhubarb tartness to its honeyed Graham Cracker base.

Conditioned on strawberry and marshmallow, chewy pastry sour, Yoberry, spread cocoa nibs splendor across oated wheat creaming.

Peach Mimosa-like Smoothie sour, Peach Bottle Service, spewed lightly acidic orange concentrate on peachy milk-sugared vanilla creaming and wheat-flaked pastry dough.

A confectionery nightcap conditioned on Oreo cookies, Oreo Speedwagon Imperial Milkshake Stout loaded milk-sugared dark chocolate syrup onto minty vanilla, creamed coffee and honeyed oats.

ALLEGHENY CITY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

In the historic northside Deutschland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the booming German-influenced business district houses the multitiered ALLEGHENY CITY BREWING COMPANY. Down a side street from its 2016-opened brewery, this casual taproom (christened May 2024) brings the semi-formal warmth and elegance of a cozy parlor to life.

Allegheny City’s brewhouse (a 7-barrel system with fermenter room and packaging area) services the taproom with its commendable traditional in-house fare, but hard seltzer, soda, cider and cocktails are also available. On my October ’25 midday stopover, the wife and I grab bar seats and sink seven suitable suds.

A black-gated alleyway courtyard leads to the entrance of the two-storied red brick pub. The main bar space services the front beer garden, fire pitted side deck, second floor mezzanine and homey plant-ensconced solarium (with four-seat tables).

Mild lemon musk saddled the musty grain stead of dry light-bodied Rally Pilsner, a mildly herbal-floral hopped pleasure.

Dry Norside Kolsch snuggled rustic barnyard graining inside compote lemon rot given brisk cucumber water crisping.

Raspy raspberry tartness caressed Starlake Raspberry Wheat, letting phenol hop spicing ransack waning white wheat waver.

Candied pineapple, peach and tangerine tang joined grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering for Mon Ripper West Coast IPA, a Centennial-Simcoe hopped medium body with dry herb-daubed pine spine.

Lively grapefruit-forward Most Dope Hazy IPA splashed salted orange-peeled pineapple tanginess upon mild floral-daubed spicing and tidy pine respite secured by dry pale malting.

A fruited sour variant, Fruita – Blueberry/ Raspberry, strung Pez-candied tartness thru acidulated oaty malts.

The only dark ale on tap this autumn eve, Deutschland Brown, left coffee-stained nuttiness and powdered cocoa on dewy residue.

PENN BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

PITSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Celebrating the city’s German heritage, Pittsburgh’s PENN BREWERY came to fruition in 1989 as Allegheny Brewpub. Residing at an old red brick factory with an illuminated arched sign bearing its name, its old industrial setting harkens back to 19th century urban architecture.

Penn’s white tile-floored entrance leads to the right side bar of the multi-tiered complex. The U-shaped, copper-topped, wood-stooled bar features a tap station servicing the booths, tables and benches across the way. Windowed brew tanks and multiple TV’s fill out the main bar space. A red-tiled basement catacomb called the Ratskeller provides bench and pew seating and could be used for parties. And the narrow walkway works as a makeshift beergarden.

Terrific “Ethnic-Pittsburgh” food included wurst, schnitzel, pierogi, and goulash plus sandwiches, soup and salad were available.

My wife and I settled in at noon on a Saturday, October ’25, to tackle six previously untried suds alongside the wienerschnitzel.

Dry German-styled Kaiser Pils pitted musky lemon-rotted Noble hop herbage against roasted barley crisping.

Nebulously dry Oktoberfest dragged cheesecloth gauze into its leafy hop astringency, coarse cereal graining and barren nuttiness.

A terrific autumnal ginger beer, Pumpkin Shandy, loaded powder-sugared pumpkin spicing atop honeyed Graham Cracker, retaining a sharp edge as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove seasoning sweetened the pumpkin pie finish.

Another radler-styled lager, the more conventional Lemon Shandy let sparkling water crisping tingle its lemon-juiced honeyed wheat entry and sweet lemonade continuance.

Delightful eggshell-headed Weizen placed candied orange, bruised banana and clove-nutmeg spicing atop sweet sourdough breading.

Reliable Munich dunkel, Penn Dark, tossed dried cocoa, glazed walnut, molasses toast, spiced toffee and fig at moderated dark-roast hop bittering.

ELEVENTH HOUR BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Residing at a beautifully renovated red bricked stone columned roadhouse in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville section, ELEVENTH HOUR BREWING COMPANY opened 2017. Family-owned and operated, the pristine establishment’s casual homey vibe and elegant wood design contrast the towering industrialized aluminum brew tanks staged beyond the bar.

Inside, Eleventh Hour’s elongated, corrugated aluminum-fronted, wood-topped bar services three butcher block community tables and five wooden four-seaters. The olden wood ceiling, plumber piped draught board, shiny epoxy floor and large air ducts bring a rustic feel to the tidy pub.

A tented cement-floored umbrella-lined deck offered further seating.

During my October ’25 visit, tried seven homemade “balanced, reliable” craft brews.

Floral-perfumed Noble hop herbage and mild lemon licks serenaded German pilsner, Noble Spirit, a dry pilsner malted light body.

Soft-toned hoppy blonde, Allegheny Flight, stuck dry lemony herbal musk inside barley-roasted Vienna malt sweetness.

Dryer-than-usual kolsch, Archer Heavy, let laidback lemon pit bittering and wispy floral herbage reach raw honeyed pilsner malts.

Lemon-tinged orange briskness, red apple tartness and green grape tannins softly guided Maibock, an acridly barnyard, straw-dried moderation.

Equally soft on the tongue, Planets & Gods: Ouranus IPA splashed lemon zest across orange peeled sweetness and peachy pineapple tang, picking up light herbal snips.

Politely bitter and dry NEIPA, Cole Bear, coalesced West Coast-styled piney dankness and yellow grapefruit bite with orange-candied pineapple twang and guava whims of a hazy New Englander.

Dryer-than-sweet English barleywine, Ye Olde Lamplighter, posted dry bourbon and sweet sherry notes as well as dark cherry, red grape and plum nuances to caramelized molasses malts.

TRACE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

After visiting Andy Warhol Museum on a seasonably warm Friday at noon, October ’25, headed to Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield section to toss back a few at TRACE BREWING (with a satellite taproom uptown). Opened springtime 2021, Trace occupies an old warehouse next door to fabulous Liberty Beer shop.

Serving home brewed coffee as well as beer, cider, cocktails and wine, the casual neighborhood pub features a ten-seat wood top brick-fronted bar (with twenty taps), strewn metal-wood tables, fluorescent flytrap lights and exposed pipes. A rustic right side room with seating leads to an alleyway beergarden. Rear brew tanks store the stylishly amiable suds.

Founder Dave Kushner, whose experience includes stints at Harpoon Brewery, John Harvard’s – Cambridge, Lord Hobo and Remnant Brewing, also organizes events for Trace. Special thanks to Phat Bagels for the bagels and candied jalapeno dip.

Peaty barley-roasted graining and dry Noble hop musk centered autumnal Festbier, picking up lemondrop tartness, mild Scotch licks and leafy dew.

Chameleonic NEIPA, Bricks & Bridges, let cologne perfumed citrus zesting reach lacquered pine stead as lemon balm, candied pineapple, honeydew and ‘Juicy fruit gum’ illusions sidled minty eucalyptus swipes.

DANCING GNOME

United States Brewpubs,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Consuming a large metal-furnished aluminum warehouse in the Pittsburgh borough of Sharpsburg, DANCING GNOME opened its original taproom one block down in 2016. An early focus on ‘hop forward’ brews eventually led to a more varied traditional menu crowded with appreciable Euro-styled fodder upon my October ’25 perusal.

A polished copper top bar faces the gray subway-tiled draught board, liquor-stacked wood shelving and large on tap menu. The epoxy-floored, gray-walled, high ceilinged taproom features skinny community tables, stooled wood tables, several orange crossbeams and windowed brew tanks. A wood benched patio section adds outside seating.

Dancing Gnome’s large screen TV showed the Penguins home opener against the Islanders while I snagged four easygoing yellow suds and two dark ales on a crisp autumn night.

Dry grained mustiness and musky hop bittering united for German-styled Pilsner, a fluffy-headed gold body with oated spelt barnyard acridity and light lemon licks meeting at saltine cracker stead.

Specialty-grained German moderation, Spelt Lager, retained earthen spelt, alfalfa and millet dryness for its frisky citrus hops.

Peacherine and Citra hops reinforced Cubism India Pale Ale’s brisk tropical zesting as lemony yellow grapefruit bittering, waxy gooseberry-guava tartness, candied pineapple tanginess and white peach sweetness gathered above creamy oats.

Even creamier oats regaled Art Deco India Pale Ale, underlining lemony grapefruit, pineapple and orange rind bittering.

On the dark side, cask conditioned English porter, Guard The Tower, welcomed coffee-burnt dark chocolate nuttiness.

A less mocha-insistent milk stout, Dead Sleep, encored with dark chocolate syrup draping nutty coffee, mossy soy and charred wood.