Greetings Great Beer Now fans and followers! This is the second entry in a multi- part series of blog posts relating to the Great Beer Now Brew + Brew Tour 2018, which took place in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The tour featured some of the finest brew the city has to offer, whether it was brewed with hops, grain, and yeast or coffee beans. So pour a cup of java and your favorite roasty stout and follow along as I explore the Steel City and its rebirth as a craft beer and coffeehouse mecca. Cheers!
Do you recall fondly your college days? Most of us who worked hard to complete a Bachelor’s Degree have positive memories of the social scene but not as many have good memories of academics. It could be that studying was worse than expected but it could also be because, once the degree was earned and the diploma was in our hands, we realized that what we really wanted to do with our lives was something completely different. This is the situation that Matt Katase and Asa Foster found themselves in, but rather than accept the career that their university degree was tied to, they decided to venture in a completely different direction and founded Brew Gentlemen, a brewery located at 512 Braddock Ave., Braddock, PA.
Welcome to Our Home
Brew Gentlemen is a smaller, more intimate brewery. The interior features brown and green hues, with brick and paneled walls and several plants. You feel like you’re visiting a friend’s house and hanging out in the basement, ready to chat about old times, play a game or two, and sip on a glass or two of your favorite brew.
Speaking of games, Brew Gentlemen does have several board games to play and the establishment is both kid and dog friendly. Again, this makes it seem like home and I couldn’t help but imagine coming back here in the future with my own dog and kids, playing a board game, and kicking back with a few house brews.
Brew Gentlemen is a newer brewer, dating back to 2014. It is located very close to the Monongahela River, just minutes southeast of downtown Pittsburgh, so it takes little time to find.
A Beer for Anyone
Brew Gentlemen is generous with its offerings. There is a large array of beers on tap- more than I could quickly count- and that means there is a style to suit you no matter what your preference. Here is a summary of the beers I sampled, listed alphabetically by name, followed by the style and my Untappd rating for each, on a 5- point scale:
- Atomic Goat, Double IPA, 4.25
- Certified Public Accountant, American Pale Ale, 4.25
- Garden Party, Cucumber Wheat, 4
- General Braddock’s IPA, American IPA, 4.5
- Mr. Automatic, Robust Porter, 4.25
Overall average rating: 4.25 out of 5
The beers I tried here were all exceptional and I recommend every last one of them, but I was partial to the General Braddock’s IPA. It was a classic example of the style and a beer I could easily sip on all day long, from dawn to dusk and beyond.
Career Dream Realized
Brew Gentlemen was my second brewery visit during my tour of Pittsburgh. Like I often do, I came here completely free from bias. I didn’t read any online reviews ahead of time and I had never sampled any Brew Gentlemen beer at any national festival. Thus, I walked through the doors with open- minded anticipation, ready to discover what Brew Gentlemen had to offer, both in terms of beer quality and atmosphere.
As I have stated above, my first impression of Brew Gentlemen was a positive one and it quickly left me with a feeling of domestic comfort. I immediately felt like I was in someone’s home, ready to talk about the latest sports, current events, my kid’s school, and other chit- chatty things. When I learned that Brew Gentlemen was founded by two college buddies, my mind quickly went back to my own university days and the many nights spent in the basements of my fellow classmates, sipping on beer and debating the issues of the day.
Brew Gentlemen serves a wide selection of beer, both for on- site consumption and as growlers to- go. The beer is sold in 6 oz., 12 oz., 750ml, and 2 liter serving sizes. I like the 6 oz. size because it’s just right when, like me, you want to sample multiple beers without overdoing it. I was quite impressed by everything and my overall rating of 4.25 stars out of 5 is one of the highest I have ever rated any brewery.
Brew Gentlemen maintains an open, welcoming, atmosphere and the family- friendly nature adds tremendously to its appeal. About the only thing I didn’t see that surprised me was televisions. Unless I overlooked them, there were no televisions at all. And again, the lack of television distractions is perfect for this type of atmosphere because it encourages social interaction.
A college education is a valuable, but the degree one earns doesn’t always correspond to one’s chosen career. Matt Katase and Asa Foster likely had no idea they would one day own a brewery when they entered college, but life has a funny way of taking a turn for the different, if we allow it to. Brew Gentlemen is the product of two guys who changed their minds and decided to venture down a different career path and the folks in Braddock, Pennsylvania are undoubtedly grateful that these two men decided to ditch the diplomas and followed their dreams. It’s a great place to discuss your own career aspirations or anything else, for that matter, with friends or total strangers. So be sure to visit Brew Gentlemen the next time you’re in the Pittsburgh area. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
Sounds like a fun place to hang out. Loved your review.
Yes, it is a very comfortable place- the type of place where you feel free to be yourself