Alcohol

Drinking Your Way Around PA at Pennsylvania Libations

Pennsylvania liquor laws are weird. In fact, we'd go as far as saying they're awful. Between the state-run liquor stores, limited accessibility of beer and wine outside of producers and select sellers, and other oddities, finding a good bottle to enjoy in Pennsylvania does not come without its challenges.

Thankfully, some of the most archaic of regulations have been changing in recent years, and one such change has allowed for the creation of a unique store in the Strip District called Pennsylvania Libations (now with a second location in Shadyside, too!).

Their products? 100% Pennsylvania-made spirits.

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Cocktails from the Crypt Review – Halloween Themed Libations

In 2022, Cocktails from the Crypt will be located at 705 Liberty Avenue downtown and is opening on October 6th. The below review is from a visit of ours in a prior year when the bar was located in South Side.

Pittsburgh's Halloween season is in full force with a number of hauntingly fun attractions to enjoy. Naturally, some pop-up bars have jumped onto the scene to celebrate this spooky season with themed libations!

One of these themed bars is Cocktails from the Crypt, a South Side pop-up managed by Spencer Warren of The Warren (a popular cocktail bar in downtown Pittsburgh).

I checked this one out shortly after it opened for its limited run and share a bit more on what the bar and cocktails are like below! 

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CJ Big Pour Beer Festival – Our Kind of Fundraiser (With Beer)

Construction Junction is one of our favorite re-use centers in Pittsburgh, and every year the facility puts on a fundraiser in the form of a beer festival known as the CJ Steel City Big Pour.

We've been wanting to attend this one for a while, but the relatively expensive ticket prices had kept us away for a while (it is still a fundraiser, after all). But while it took us a bit longer than we would've liked to finally attend this one, we made it happen and attended the afternoon session of Big Pour #13.

Armed with our glasses, our necklace cupholders, and a thirst, we hit the festival to see what it is all about.

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Bridges & Bourbon Review – Elevating Pittsburgh’s Craft Cocktail Scene

Bridges & Bourbon opened in Pittsburgh's Cultural District in June 2019 and was a much-awaited cocktail bar due to their strong lead-up on social media.

The bar focuses on high-end cocktails with some rather interesting flair and novelties thrown into the mix as well, making it rather unique in Pittsburgh's cocktail bar scene!

We were guests of Bridges & Bourbon for a media preview event and wanted to share some of the great cocktails we tried in this one!

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36 of the Best Cocktail Bars in Pittsburgh for a Libation

Almost everyone is down for a good cocktail, and we are spoiled with a number of truly awesome cocktail bars in Pittsburgh that specialize in these creative beverages.

We've been exploring many of the best cocktail bars in recent years, and today we want to share a list of some of the best. So if fortified libations are in your future, check out one of the following!

As per all of our guides, the following is a list of cocktail bars we've personally visited. As we find more, we'll update this guide accordingly!

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Spill Wine Bar Review – A Welcoming Ambiance in Bloomfield

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.

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The Lion Review – Craft Cocktail Infusions in the North Side

The Lion was formerly operated as Leo, a Public House. We have visited this one a few times since the rebranding and it remains true to the original model. This review has been modified slightly based on recent visits.

The Lion (formerly Leo, a Public House) house opened its doors in Pittsburgh's North Side (Manchester neighborhood) in early 2019 and changed ownership with a new name in 2025. 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 (and, in 2025, re-opening).

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13 Pittsburgh Wine Bars You Must Stop at For a Delicious Glass

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!

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First and Third Friday Wine Tasting at Palate Partners

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.

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