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| - This is my favorite of Pittsburgh's many craft beer breweries and there are several reasons why this establishment is close to my heart. As a neighborhood brewery, they are as good as it gets. With bi-annual group bike rides for charity, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and an environment that invites and promotes the discovery and discussion of beer, East End Brewing is a fantastic destination for just about anyone who enjoys quality brews.
Most of the beer is available on tap and distributed on a per customer basis through refillable growlers. I like that this promotes a conscious reuse of materials and reduces the net resource impact of the brewery's activities. Several specialty brews are also available in 750ml bottles. Samples of all the beer are available upon request free-of-charge at the brewery and are highly advisable given the following:
All of their beer is live, qualifying as "real ale," and provides pro-biotic benefits alongside great flavor. As a fermentation enthusiast, I appreciate that my local brewer risks an occasional lapse in quality control for a shot at greatness. This means that their beer will be slightly different every time I go due to the metabolic processes ongoing within. I feel this is a huge advantage over other area breweries that are more interested in producing a predictable and easily distributed beer. After all, why drink a local beer brewed to withstand shipment across the country when there are better beers shipped in to Pittsburgh from other places available at a comparable price? East End's products are uniquely fresh, competitively priced, and variable. This variability is exactly why you should try the beers on-tap before purchasing a growler as even the year-round brews are bound to differ batch to batch and evolve with age. As for the bottled beer, it is "conditioned" in the bottle (meaning naturally carbonated by ongoing fermentation) and thus a given bottle will taste different than one consumed on a different day. The gamble of live beer allows for a shot at the legendary, something many other local breweries don't even try out of fear of the occasional bad beer. East End gives it a go and succeeds 9 times out of 10.
Now that I have cleared up exactly why I think East End is the best brewery in Pittsburgh, here are my opinions about a few of the beers: The Monkey Boy (hefeweizen) is perhaps one of the greatest of this style brewed in America. It is impossible to get one this good, this fresh, unless you are in Belgium. A fresh bottle of imported Franziskaner comes close. Fat Gary (nut brown ale) is alright fresh but truly excels if you leave your growler un-opened in the fridge for several days. Somehow this always tastes thin from the tap but matures quickly in the growler. Big Hop (IPA) is a standard, a great beer to have fresh, but is eclipsed by competitors in a crowded and popular American style. Black Strap Stout is quaff-able quality anytime of year and indicates that you should never pass on the brewery's darker seasonal beers in the colder months. There is a rotating selection of seasonal brews that you should ALWAYS try when you stop in for a refill.
The staff has been of great help in my own brewing endeavors by providing sound advice and encouragement. It is well worth your time to visit East End and try a few of their beers whether you are an accomplished beer aficionado or stepping outside of the mainstream for the first time. The hours are weird but the beer is literally one-of-a-kind.
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