Pittsburgh Beer Week – Release The Firkins Real Ale Fest – Recap W/ Pics
(PITTSBURGH, PA) – On Saturday, April 20, The Release the Firkins – Real Ale Fest brought together over 625 craft beer enthusiasts from throughout the greater Pittsburgh region. Over an hour before the start of the event, a large line of beer-thirsty patrons wrapped around the newly constructed Highmark Stadium in Station Square on a beautiful afternoon. Due to the great turnout for this unique festival, Mindy Heisler, one of the chief organizers for Release the Firkins, expects the Real Ale Fest to expand to 2 separate gatherings for next year’s Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week.
The event featured 40 cask-conditioned beers from local and national breweries (full list below). Some of the most sought-after beers of the afternoon included Gratitude 2013 by East End Brewing Company, Pittsburgh Left Rye Ale by Southern Tier Brewing (brewed specifically for PCBW), and Dragon’s Milk by New Holland Brewing Company. In addition to the real ales, attendees were also treated to local food, a commemorative logo taster glass, music, and an incredible view of downtown Pittsburgh.
When asked about the appeal of a cask-conditioned beer, attendees of the fest continually repeated words like “real,” “unique,” “historic,” “original,” “unfiltered,” and “flavor-forward.” Church Brew Works’ Ethan Buckman, who was pouring a Brett Ambrosia at the event, said, “real ales give the brewer an opportunity to be creative with beer and offer the drinker a completely different tasting experience.” This message was shown to be true as many of the beers being served at the event had added flavors and aromas when comparing to their non-cask counterparts.
Hopefully, the great success of this event will make waves for future PCBW festivals. If Release the Firkins is any indication of the direction the craft beer scene in Pittsburgh is headed, the future looks promising!
The Beer List for 2013 Release the Firkins-Real Ale Fest:
Troegs Hop Back
Lancaster Hop Hog
Victory Uncle Teddy’s Bitter
Bell’s Two Hearted
Weyerbacher Merry Monks (Mojito Style)
Heavy Seas Black Cannon
Penn Brewery Bourbon Oak APA
Penn Brewery Keller Kaiser
Cisco Island Reserve Tripel
Yards Love Stout
East End Honey Heather
East End 2013 Gratitude
East End Chocolate Covered Cherry Stout
Rivertowne Brewing IPA
Founder’s Centennial IPA
Fat Head’s Brewing Imperial Up in Smoke
Fat Head’s Brewing Head Hunter IPA
Duck Rabbit Brown Ale
Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster
Southern Tier Iniquity
Southern Tier Pittsburgh Left Rye Ale
Atwater Teufel Bock
Abita Vanilla Double Dog
Arsenal Centennial Hop Cider
Arsenal Picket Bone Dry Cider
Helltown Extra Sinful Bitter
Helltown First Anniversary Belgian Stout
Andy Kwiatkowski Cheeky Yinzer
Thornbridge Beadeca’s Well
MOAR Brewing MOAR Stewpid
Thornbridge Scotch Ale
Church Brew Works Brett Ambrosia
Indigo Imp Spring Saison
Indigo Imp Jester Pale Ale
Sly Fox O’Reilly Stout
Great Lakes Rye of the Tiger IPA
Harpoon Summer
New Holland Dragon’s Milk
Stay tuned here at The Full Pint for more Pittsburgh Beer Week 2013 Coverage
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