Which Beer Festivals in Pittsburgh Are Right For You?

The Pittsburgh Guidebook is Now Available

Our first book, The Pittsburgh Guidebook: 175 Things to Do in Pittsburgh, is on sale now!

Grab a print copy from online retailers Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org. Digital downloads and local distribution information can be found on our book's website.

Thank you for supporting independent media!

Beer Festivals for Philanthropy – Brewing for a Cause

Brewing for a Cause is an annual beer festival / competition put on by the Three Rivers Underground Brewers association (home brewers). The homebrewers donate beer for a fun throw down to find crowd favorites, and profits go to local charities- typically Paws Across Pittsburgh.

Sampling up to 100 different beer, ciders, and mead while raising money for adoptable pets? What is not to love about that! Even better, this one often has adoptable animals attending the event, so we did what every good dog lover would do, pet some puppies while drinking a beer!

More information about Brewing for a Cause can be found here.

Beer Festivals for Those Who Want to Drink a Ton – Pittsburgh Beerfest

If drinking copiously is what you seek, then attending the Pittsburgh Beerfest summer (typically at Stage AE) or winter (typically at the convention center) should be on your radar.

This is a local iteration of a national beer festival and features dozens upon dozens of breweries ranging from local favorites to national breweries like Cigar City (Florida), Dogfish Head (Deleware), Rhinegheist (Ohio), and more. 

While the sample quantity will certainly outlast anyone's ability to drink, it is definitely an interesting festival to attend for those who want to enjoy volumes of beer.

If you have to pick between summer and winter, we recommend attending the winter festival for this one since it is inside and temperature controlled. The summer event is typically indoor/outdoor at Stage AE and can either include rain or be absurdly hot- two things that don't mix well with drinking.

We recommend getting the VIP pass to get in early here, if only because we like the luxury of drinking when it is a bit less chaotic and leaving before individuals get a bit too over-the-top. 

Beer Festivals for Local Beer – Beers of the Burgh

If drinking local beer is what you seek, most every beer festival will get you an abundance. But if a festival only about local beer is what you seek, it is really hard to beat Beers of the Burgh.

This festival offers two annual events, one in the summer and one in the winter, and, if we have to be honest, the summer one is a must-attend event each year. 

Why is that? Well, recently it has been hosted at the iconic Carrie Furnace, a National Historic Landmark protecting the Steel City's heritage, and has featured over 50 breweries from western Pennsylvania. Local beer and steel history all in one spot? Sign us up.

We also recommend getting the VIP pass to get in early here too, but, unlike the Pittsburgh Beerfest, we recommend this one because a lot of breweries will have special taps just for early admission drinkers!

Alternative choice: We also really enjoy Imbibe Northside as well! This one features all of the libations producers (including beer, wine, and spirits) in the North Side at the wonderful Mattress Factory during their winter and summer events.

Beer Festivals for Specialty Creations – Good Wood Barrel Aged Beer Fest

When it comes to specialty beer festivals, your choice is likely going to depend on your taste in beer first and foremost (naturally).

Out of all of the specialty beer events we've attended, the one that really blew us away was the Good Wood Barrel Aged Beer Fest.

Part of this is because of its size- only twenty or so breweries participated and, in being hosted at East End (Threadbare in 2020), meant the crowd was small enough that you hardly ever had to wait for a beer. But the other part is due to its theme- breweries had barrel aged creations ranging from imperial porters, sours, and even aged IPAs (so not all were dark or high ABV!). A few even made beer specifically for the event!

If you like aged beers, it is hard to beat this one.

Alternative choice: Don't like barrel aged beers? How about Rose beer (amongst other libations) at the aptly named Rose All Day or dessert beer at Drink the Cookie Table!

Beer Festivals With a Twist – Barrel & Flow Fest

To wind down this list, we want to talk about the festival that is perhaps our favorite of them all- one that is a beer festival with a twist!

Barrel & Flow Fest (formerly Fresh Fest) started in 2018 to be America's first black beer festival. Their goals were many, including introducing several minority-owned breweries from around the country to Pittsburgh, and also partnering the local (primarily white) brewery owners with minority business owners and entrepreneurs to create beers suited for their tastes.

What resulted was a beer festival with over 50+ breweries on hand, new creations designed specifically for the event, and all-around a wonderful time- especially when you consider it was its inaugural year. 

We're really looking forward to great things at this one as it expands in the coming years!

No Matter Which You Attend, Drink Responsibly

As with everything revolving around alcohol, we caution you to drink responsibly when attending beer events.

Many of these festivals are centrally located such that an Uber is a wonderful option, and most festivals offer a designated driver ticket for cheap. To put it simply: don't drink and drive!

In any case, no matter which beer festival you choose from the above list, odds are good you're going to have a fantastic time- and we'll see you there!

Not into beer festivals? Check out a brewery tour instead with the folks at City Brew Tours (click here to book)!