Every so often we'll open our mouths and say that we need more wine bars in Pittsburgh, and whenever we do one seems to open the following week.
This was the case for Spill, a wine bar that opened in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood in early 2019. Naturally, I rushed over to it during their soft opening to try it out as quickly as possible- and I was hooked.
Leo. a public house opened its doors in Pittsburgh's North Side (Manchester neighborhood) in early 2019. Not being ones to say no to a cocktail bar in Pittsburgh, especially in a lesser-visited neighborhood, you should know we rushed down to check this one out shortly after opening.
When it comes to drinking in Pittsburgh, we have a number of great options ranging from beer, to wine, to liquor, and even a strong scene of local producers for all three of those as well!
One industry that has been growing at a rapid pace in recent years is wineries, and more specifically that of the wine bar.
Today, we wanted to share some of our favorites from our explorations around the city!
Market Street Grocery is a small grocer located just steps away from Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh.
If you didn't know any better, odds are good you'll walk by it without giving it a second glance. Today, we want to let you know about something special that is tucked away at the back of the store- a beautifully stocked wine bar!
Apericena wine bar opened in late 2018 across from South Hills Village in Upper St. Clair. Serving higher-end wines in full pours or in flights, the bar had our name on it and we made our way to the South Hills to check them out shortly after opening.
Kingfly Spirits opened its doors in Pittsburgh's Strip District in early 2019 and is poised to be a new drinking hotspot in one of the city's most popular neighborhoods.
We ventured down to the Strip to check this one out on opening day and were rather impressed with what we found.
If you've spent any time driving through Lawrenceville, specifically up Liberty Avenue from the Strip District, odds are good you've seen Dreadnought Wines (just a few blocks from Church Brew Works).
Odds are good you've also never checked this one out besides seeing it in passing.
The reason for this is because Dreadnought Wines is not a winery, but rather a specialty wine importer that serves many restaurants, wine shops, and other businesses in the state. But their sister business, Palate Partners, is for the public- and this one holds wine tasting events and more formal wine classes at the same location.
We recently visited for one of their informal First and Third Friday wine tastings events and wondered why it took us this long to go in the first place.
Strange Roots (originally founded as Draai Laag) is one of the oldest breweries in Pittsburgh, and is certainly one of its most unique.
And to be completely honest, they're one of our favorite breweries in the region as they focus on wild fermentation that produces an array of stellar sour beers!
When Hitchhiker Brewing Co. first open its doors in Pittsburgh (in Mt. Lebanon), we thought their beer was decent but were not overly blown away. But after their rapid expansion with a second facility in Sharpsburg, PA, did we notice that the brewery had vastly improved into what we believe is one of the finest breweries in Pittsburgh.
Grist House is a popular brewery in the Pittsburgh suburb of Millvale (located just across the Allegheny River from Lawrenceville) that serves up an array of beer styles ranging from the hoppy IPA to fruited sours and everything in between.
Even better? This stunning spot features a gorgeous outdoor beer garden and is dog friendly!