5 New Cocktail Destinations in Pittsburgh

Sponsored by Party Bus Pittsburgh PA

Bartenders at Spirits and Tales

Here are five new fantastic destinations for drinks to consider checking out in and around Pittsburgh. Remember, safe transportation is inherently important any time you decide on drinking with friends. For more information on transportation options, check out Party Bus Pittsburgh PA. In the meantime, read on for more details on these fresh establishments in the area.

Alta Via

Italian American cuisine

46 Fox Chapel Road in Blawnox

This newly opened Italian restaurant in Blawnox has an intimate atmosphere as well as high quality food and drinks that all will enjoy. From classic Italian cocktails like the Negroni and Basil Margarita to an extensive wine list, there's quite a lot to take in when it comes to the drink menu.

Wolfie's Pub

Traditional pub

274 Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh

Come enjoy the low key environment and welcoming staff at this new pub in downtown Pittsburgh. We're sure you will love their inventive drinks here. Don't leave without trying their "Grandma's Liberation Libation" which is a draft beer of your choice, a shot of whiskey, and a piece of hard candy.

412 Brewery Taproom

Taproom

847 Western Avenue in Pittsburgh

While the brewery itself is located in McKees Rocks, this newly opened taproom near the North side is a smaller establishment with an industrial vibe. Why not enjoy a flight of awesome brews at this taproom? The orange IPA is extremely tasty and the perfect addition to any day with the warmer weather.

Spirits & Tales

Cocktail bar

5130 Bigelow Boulevard

This cocktail bar is located inside of the Oaklander Hotel. You are sure to be impressed by the ambience as soon as you walk in. Their hand crafted cocktails are made with local spirits, so you can feel good knowing that you're supporting local businesses when you come here for some drinks with friends.

Kingfly Spirits

Distillery

2613 Smallman Street in Pittsburgh

This craft distillery, cocktail bar and event venue is making a splash over in the Strip District. Seemingly every detail has been thought out here, down to their ice cubes adorned with their butterfly logo. Tasting pours are $4 for an ounce, and their cocktails are very affordable at $9 when you consider the size.

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Four New North Shore Bars and Restaurants

Guest Post by Pittsburgh Limousine Bus

Southern Tier

Pittsburgh is always evolving with new businesses, events, and community celebrations. It makes it a perfect destination for those who enjoy exploring the night life! There are plenty of opportunities to have fun regardless of what your interests are. If you're looking for a fresh spot to check out, here is some information for you to consider. These are four of the newest restaurants and bars in the North Shore and surrounding area. For a transportation solution that makes sure you're not in charge of traffic and dealing with parking, check out Party Bus in Pittsburgh.

Brugge on North

40 W North Avenue

You can find this restaurant attached to the City of Asylum bookstore. There's a stage for live entertainment and a center area that functions as a reading lounge. It's quite an interesting space! If you enjoy cocktails, you'll love browsing their extensive list of creative concoctions. Some of the menu highlights include their artisan cheese plate, poutine, chevre fritters, and tomato based mussels.

Molinaro Ristorante

2 PPG Pl

This new Italian eatery is closer to downtown, but it's worth the trek! Everything is made fresh in house, including the bread and the pasta. The wait is known to be a bit long, but that just testifies to the quality of the food and service here. All of the favorites are served here including margherita pizza, pomodoro, filetto, gnocchi, and more. We love their outdoor seating options.

Southern Tier Brewing

316 N Shore Drive

This brewery focuses on delicious craft beer with over thirty drafts available at any given time. There's also a full wine menu and cocktails made with their own spirits. You can purchase growlers that you can refill at their taproom, or you can mix and match your own six pack. They have the ability to host small events here which would be perfect for a bachelor or bachelorette party. The food menu is a lot more complex than your usual bar food, as is made to pair with their selection of beer.

Tequila Cowboy Bar & Grill

380 N Shore Drive

This bar gets pretty busy on the weekend! There's an outdoor bar and a wide range of music played here. It's a fitting spot to catch a sports game or catch some live local music. You can expect a standard menu of bar appetizers and entrees to choose from as well as daily specials on food and drink. Don't leave without trying their amazing chicken and waffle sliders.

For transportation solutions be sure to contact:

Party Bus in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Limousine Bus

232 Taylor Street #2

Pittsburgh, PA 15224

(412) 385-4412

City Brew Tours

Pittsburgh is the newest city to join the City Brew Tours family.  Their other cities include Philadelphia, DC, Baltimore, Boston and Burlington. Apparently the owner, Chad Brodsky, got his start in Burlington running around town in lederhosen telling people to get into his suspicious van.

The current City Brew Tours van is much less suspicious and seats about 16 people. For $99 they will pick you up and drive you around to tour some of the following breweries: Spoonwood, Penn, Draai Laag, Cobblehaus, Couch, Allegheny City, Grist House, Aurochs and Hop Farm. They generally select which breweries your tour will visit, but can customize your tour upon request.

You can expect plenty to drink, some fun banter about the history of beer, an inclusive lunch paired with some local brews and a lot of information about the brewing process from the brewers themselves.





Auroch's was my second favorite stop of the day. It is located on Rt. 65, aka the Ohio River Boulevard in the last place you would look for a brewery. (Right next some establishment where you can wash your dog. How anyone would go somewhere other than their home to wash a dog makes no sense to me. Throw the beast in the tub or hose it off in the yard.)

An auroch is a type of extinct cow whose demise was thought to be brought on due to the expansion of agricultural development. The name is quite cute as Auroch's is a gluten free brewery. Their beer is made from quinoa and millet and uses a process that includes no gluten whatsoever. (Many other gluten free beers are made by stripping the gluten from the brew after the fact.) Their faux wheat beer and their session IPA were some of the best beers I tried on our tour. I could not even tell they were gluten free which was quite uprising.

I asked the brewers if they'd be interested in taking on a purine free beer. They didn't seem super interested. (The gout is brought on by the over consumption of purines which are extremely prevalent in beer.) The gout affects more people than gluten intolerance, and as such, I certainly hope to see some purine free beers in the US market soon. Several purine free beers exist in Japan, apparently they are not very good. For more information, check out this great reddit post.

We had a wonderful lunch at Hop Farm. As I said above, your lunch is included in your ticket price. We were treated to a buffalo chicken ceaser, soft pretzels, a beef slider and some gouda beer mac.  Each course was paired with a different beer, you can check out the pairings on the menu above. If you've been following my musings closely you are already aware that I simply love the food at Hop Farm and I have many nice things to say about them.

Carl hated all the beers. (I'm just kidding, he seemed to really enjoy them.) My favorite beers of the day were served by Draai Laag. I've always though of Draai Laag as a small time operation that played second fiddle to Millvalle's  Grist House. Boy was I wrong. Draai Laag is actually distributed in some 39 states throughout the country. Their beers are uniquely sour and yeasty in a way that makes me tingle. I've started drinking their products basically anywhere I can find them, and I can't wait to go back.

Overall, I have to say the beer tour was excellent! A ton of great information and a wonderful excuse to get out and enjoy the city. If you are considering booking a tour, just do it. You'll absolutely enjoy yourself.