We have a soft spot for all things Oktoberfest, and after getting to enjoy the celebration in Munich for its wild party, we love checking out all of the Pittsburgh Oktoberfest celebrations that take place throughout September (and spill into October).
As there are no shortage of events taking place in breweries and other public places, we thought we would share a few of the top Oktoberfest events you may want to consider. Prost!
If you've frequented Market Square in recent years, you may be familiar with the Wine Bar at Market Street Grocery. This little hangout spot tucked away in the back of the small grocery store offered an assortment of Italian wines in a relaxing ambiance.
In 2024, the Wine Bar underwent a rebranding and expansion to become The Aperitivo Club. While still offering a stellar selection of wines, this one added on an impressive collection of cocktails featuring Italian amaro, spirits, and more, small bites, and more!
Naturally, we had to check out the cocktail side of this bar shortly after opening.
Is there anything better than having a beer outside on a gorgeous day? What about having a beer next to a waterfall on a gorgeous day? Well, at Cobblehaus at the Falls in Mercer, PA, you get just that with a gorgeous view of Springfield Falls!
So if you are looking for a different kind of brewery experience on the next nice day in southwest Pennsylvania, put this gem on your radar and make the trek about an hour north of the city to check them out!
Sharpsburg-based Love, Katie Distilling may not occupy the largest space by distillery standards, but it packs a punch with its beautiful decor, large spirits portfolio, and even larger cocktail menu.
This one is a love letter through and through, and not just in the name. As a woman and LGBT-owned business, Katie dedicates the space to her partner and opens it up to all those looking for a good space full of love!
So, with great anticipation, we visited the distillery to check out a spread of their cocktails.
We love a themed cocktail bar, and when it is run by the team behind The Warren, even better.
E.T.A is a Japanese whisky and cocktail bar that opened in The Warren's back room in early 2024. The space was where the former wine shop was located and has been a bar we've been waiting to check out for quite some time. In fact, it wasn't until our friend Alex Eats Too Much stumbled upon this one on opening week that we even found it was close to opening at all.
Naturally, we visited right away.
Whether you are visiting for whisky, a highball, one of their inventive house cocktails, or even a modest food menu, there really is a lot to enjoy about E.T.A.!
When it comes to drinking in Pittsburgh, you have a lot of options. But if you are looking to go out without spending a lot of money, your first thought may turn to everyone's favorite time of the day- happy hour!
It would be very easy for us to come up with a list of every happy hour special in Pittsburgh, but most would end up being unpalatable beers or daily discounts that aren't that interesting ($1 off a frozen cosmo on Wednesdays is not a good happy hour in our books). In this one, we wanted to focus on some of the best beverages with discounts to match at some of the best happy hours in Pittsburgh.
So if you're looking to try a unique and delicious libation in Pittsburgh without emptying your wallet, check out these personal favorites for great cocktails, local beer, and wine!
Note: Happy hour specials have been known to change without us being made aware. As such, it is especially crucial to reconfirm any promotions prior to visiting. If you have noticed a happy hour change, please contact us.
Christmas popup bars are a dime a dozen these days, and we almost always treat new concepts with a bit of suspicion.
But when we heard the international charity pop-up, Miracle Bar, was launching a second concept, we were interested. When we heard that it would be called Sippin' Santa and was going to be tiki themed, we were in.
Naturally, we went to this one as quickly as we could after it open for the season. With tiki classics, unique house creations with tropical themes, and profits going to charity, this certainly makes for a different kind of pop-up bar that we hope will return in future seasons!
Pittsburgh really is becoming a space city, and the molecular mixology cocktail bar, Space Bar, will help everyone explore the universe- with tasty libation in hand.
Located right in the heart of Market Square (aptly referred to as the holodeck when onboard), the cocktail lounge is the resident bar of the SS Oasis ship which travels distant worlds and services locals of the various systems visited with tasty cocktails- some familiar, some simply other-worldly.
We were fortunate enough to visit this one during its soft open in fall 2023, and share some early thoughts of what you can expect in this one!
Disclaimer: We are friends with the owners of Space Bar, provided consulting during start-up, and attended a preview event at opening. We have also purchased the cocktails discussed below outside of these instances. As always, all opinions are our own.
The holiday season is a wonderful time of year, and Christmas in Pittsburgh is truly a sight to behold.
But as the holiday season is as much about spreading goodwill, taking in the decorations, and the like, Pittsburgh also has another avenue for enjoying the holiday- via its libations scenes!
In fact, there are several Christmas bars in Pittsburgh to enjoy during the holiday season, ensuring that you'll have some holiday cheer from Light Up Night (or in the case of a few of the pop-ups, Black Friday) to New Years. Check them out below!
Please Note: We are featuring all of the holiday popups we are aware of in this guide, whether we have personally visited or not. As such, experiences may vary. When available, click the link to read our full review of the bars we have visited!
If you've been enjoying Pittsburgh's cocktail scene, odds are good you've had a creation from Sean Enright. From local bars and restaurants, he's been found creating stellar menus at quite a few of our favorite places over the years.
But in late 2023, Sean opened his latest project, Poetry Lounge in Millvale.
This one combines a welcoming neighborhood bar with the added splash of craft cocktails featuring a mix of house creations, classics, and shots- all with reasonable price points. Just the kind of neighborhood bar we like!