Yinz

Beer #353 Pipe Organ Pale Ale / Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Beers to go: 13

Winter made an early house call today with some fluffy white snow.  My initial thought this morning was that I wanted to be huddled under a blanket, drinking some hot chocolate, sitting in front of a fire.  Nothing that happened today changed that original opinion.  I don't mind winter one bit, but I really prefer when winter doesn't happen on work days and does happen under my terms and conditions.

What better way to welcome some big, wet snowflakes than with a beer?  How about the Pipe Organ ale from Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh?  This beer was a gift from friends at our tailgate last weekend, who brought us some choice selections from the Steel City.  This American Pale ale is a crystal clear light amber color.  The aroma is a nice blend of pine and citrus.  The taste is clean, with hops throughout and ample malt sweetness. Clean, dry finish, with some bitterness on the end.  Light enough at 4.3% ABV, this is a good beer for those who like hops, but maybe don't want to marry hops and have hop babies.  Just wish I hadn't burned the roof of my mouth on the pizza I made for dinner, which would have allowed me to enjoy it a bit more.  Not the beer's fault, that one is on me.

The only way I like going to church!

Cool story behind this brewery, as they operate in a former Catholic Church.  The building was built in 1902, and served as St. John the Baptist Church until 1993.  Church Brew set up shop in 1996, and has been going strong ever since.  Definitely a destination I intend to visit next time I'm in the 'burgh.

Thing to Think About Today:
You may not think about this every day, but the city of Pittsburgh has been the setting for some great movies.  Your preference might be the high school football movie All the Right Moves (Tom Cruise!) or the action flick Striking Distance (Bruce Willis!), but for my money, I'm definitely taking the comedy route and going with Gung Ho.

Directed by Ron Howard and starring Michael Keaton, this film tells the story of a recently shuttered automobile plant outside Pittsburgh, which is given a new lease on life when a Japanese auto firm moves in to manufacture cars in America.  Great... in theory, except the marriage of two diverse cultures doesn't get off on the right foot, and it's up to Keaton to bring peace to the plant and the town. Or else the Japanese firm will move their business elsewhere!  Classic film, great selection to watch on a cold winter day.  You can trust me on this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8odnFywwp6Q

"Afterwards, we have a beer and piss for distance."
   "For us, it's accuracy."

Beer 352: Church Brew Works and Itching on a Photograph

I have a great post rattling around in my head and I cannot get it out to save my life. I've started three different intros. I attempted to jump in the middle and sneak up on it. I sat here and flipped through a bunch of photos from this football season. Ok that last one wasn't even supposed to help, but I mean, come on! Who doesn't want to look at Michael Mauti?



Instead I'm just going to sit here with this song rolling through my brain...courtesy of KFOG radio...



So in lieu of a long rambling, nostalgic and perhaps a bit maudlin post, I'll tell you about a beer from The Church Brew Works. It's their Pipe Organ pale ale -- an American pale ale made in Pittsburgh. Thanks to our friends Casey and Mike for getting this one for us!




It pours a clear golden color with very little to no head. It has a soapy hop aroma. For a beer with an ABV of only 4.3%, the alcohol is very noticeable. The flavor has lots of cracker and bitter, earthy, piney hops. Thinking back on some of the other American pale ales I've had this year, I can only rate this one average.

Cheers!