The first Pittsburgh Mixed Culture Beer Festival will take place at the Freedom Farms Event Center in Valencia, PA on July 30, 2022.
Listen up, beer lovers – a new beer festival is coming to Pittsburgh, and you’re not going to want to miss this one!
The first-ever Pittsburgh Mixed Culture Beer Festival will take place on July 30 at the Freedom Farms Event Center in Valencia, PA, about a 45-minute drive north of the city. There, more than 30 breweries from all around the country will be offering samples of their mixed culture beers, and you can enjoy traditional beer fest essentials like food trucks, live music, and memorable beer gear.
So, what is mixed culture beer? Well, many beers are made using predictable, lab-cultivated yeasts for consistent flavor, but in mixed culture brewing, brewers may select ambient or wild yeast strains and bacterias – and even a combination of them – to create something that is unique and interesting. Mixed culture beers can range from farmhouse-style ales and saisons that are lighter and more nuanced to wild ales and lambic beers that are more acidic.
According to festival organizers, the mission of the Pittsburgh Mixed Culture Beer Fest is to “demonstrate our love for the Belgian brewing traditions that inspire us, make a clear connection between local agriculture and beer, showcase fermentation-driven beer, and highlight the complementary roles of brewer and nature in making mixed-fermentation beer.”
There will be two sessions available on the day of the event: one from 11:30am-3:00pm and one from 5:30pm-9:00pm. General admission tickets for both sessions are currently on sale for $55 with early bird pricing in effect.
VIP tickets with early access are available for the second session only for $100. VIPs will be able to start sampling at 4:30pm and can also take home some exclusive swag, including a Rastal Teku tasting glass as well as a Pittsburgh Mixed Culture tote bag and wine key.
Of course, because the event is outside the city, organizers are offering a shuttle service for both sessions that picks up at the Cinderlands Warehouse in the Strip, which is conveniently next to a parking garage. Shuttles will depart 60 minutes before each session and will leave 15 minutes after its end, and you can add on shuttle service to your ticket for $30 per person.
However, if you want to make the trip yourself and have a designated driver, you can purchase DD tickets for just $15. (This includes refreshments for your awesome DD!)
One of the local breweries bringing this beer fest to life is Cinderlands, which has outposts in the Strip District, Wexford, and Lawrenceville.
Two local breweries, Cinderlands and Trace Brewing, are presenting partners of the event, and in addition to working so hard to bring breweries from around the country here to Pittsburgh, they’re partnering with local and national organizations that will help ensure that the event is a safe, inclusive space for all beer lovers.
Barrel & Flow Fest and the Pittsburgh Brewery Diversity council are local organizations that celebrate the accomplishments of Black people and people of color in the craft beer industry and advocate for diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) initiatives for underrepresented communities in the industry, including queer and female brewers. The event is also working with SisTers PGH, a Black- and trans-led nonprofit serving QTBIPOC people in southwest PA, and True T Pittsburgh, which celebrates queer people of color through art and community activism.
Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) will be facilitating a day-of wellbeing station at the event and training event staff leading up to the festival to ensure attendees’ safety from sexual violence, and the #NotMe app will be available for guests to quickly and safely report any misconduct at the event, including racism, harassment, discrimination, or any other issues.
For the most up-to-date list of breweries that will be attending or offering samples at the event, be sure to check the @pghmixedculture Instagram page! The Instagram page will also offer information on food trucks, live entertainment, and other additions as the event gets closer. For information on COVID policies, hotel blocks, and more, visit the Pittsburgh Mixed Culture website.
Tickets for the Pittsburgh Mixed Culture Beer Festival are available now, and for the time being, early bird pricing is in effect! Save $10 on general admission tickets for either session by acting fast and booking your tickets ASAP.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.