Summer weather is going strong and so are the Downtown pop-up beer gardens and cocktail shops! As a lot of office buildings Downtown are bringing their staff back in, the courtyards and outdoor seating spots around the city are starting to look the way we remember them — packed with Yinzers enjoying their lunch breaks and heading out to happy hours! Luckily, Brew Gentlemen, Pittsburgh Brewers Guild, and Creatives Drink have made it super simple to head to happy hour after the work day!
Pittsburgh Brewers Guild hosts a beer garden pop-up every Friday and Saturday from 4-10 pm in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, Market Square! This pop-up rotates out several local breweries each weekend to expose Pittsburghers to breweries all over the suburbs. This pop-up is so awesome because it almost resembles a mini beer fest where you are able to try a number of local craft brews in the same location! This past weekend they had 5 different breweries represented from Springdale all the way to Coraopolis. These favorites included Leaning Cask, Cobblehaus, 28 Bridges, Grist House, and Abjuration breweries.
You are able to find this pop-up on the faux grass area outside of Emerson’s and Market St. Grocery. The vibes are great and the atmosphere is very chill. Be sure you keep an eye out for the beer garden area specifically at 435 Market Street! This weekend’s lineup includes 4 breweries we LOVE — Two Frays, East End, Eleventh Hour, and 412 Brewing. Be sure to stop by for cans of your favorite!
Next up on the Downtown summer pop-up beer garden list is the Brew Gentlemen pop-up outside of the U.S. Steel Tower! This pop-up is hosted by the same group that put together the Allegheny Overlook last year, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Complete with three outdoor coworking spaces and the Brew Gentlemen truck, the Steel Tower Plaza is perfect for an afternoon work session or an after-work happy hour. This beer garden runs Tuesday through Saturday from 3-8 pm with the workspaces open Monday through Friday from 9 am-5 pm. The exact location is 600 Grant Street. The idea of bringing folks back into the Downtown area flourishes with this dual work and play environment, especially for those working around the city!
Brew Gentlemen provides several of their beers on tap, featuring their flagship brew, General Braddock’s as well as seasonal favorites. Our personal favorite is the Garden Party, a nice 5.2% beer made with fresh cucumber! Other seasonal brews that have rotated through this summer include Akamai, Muchos Mahalos, BG Kölsch, and Lou (a beer benefitting Ales for ALS).
Not only are brews flowing at the Steel Plaza, but also sick beats from local DJs! On Tuesdays and other select days, you will find live music provided by DJs such as Slim Tha DJ (@slimthedj) and DJ Samuel Andres (@djsamuelandres). Each Tuesday features “Rush Hour” from 5-7 pm where you are encouraged to skip out on rush hour traffic and enjoy happy hour at the beer garden. This past week’s “Rush Hour” featured Creatives Drink’s hard iced tea from Lawrenceville Distilling, The T, and a free Pirates ticket raffle alongside the typical Tuesday live tunes. Stop by this week for the best way to spend your rush hour! This Steel Plaza space will be set up through September!
Last but not least, a fun spirit-driven pop-up can be found Downtown called the Lemonade Stand. Each Friday throughout the summer, you can sip on cocktails while listening to live music at the Lemonade Stand in Market Square! Located on the patio at Simple Greek, you can find this pop-up at the address 431 Market Street courtesy of Creatives Drink.
The Lemonade Stand runs from 5-11 pm every Friday (with a second location in Lawrenceville on Saturdays from 5-10 pm). Cocktails will be flowing the whole time, but the live music begins at 8 pm. DJs that have been laying beats at this pop-up include Arie Cole (@thearie_cole) and Rojaüs (@rojausofficial). As far as drinks go, the Lemonade Stand serves up their classic collaboration drink with Lawrenceville Distilling, The T, as well as other classic cocktails in their adult-style Capri Sun pouches. You’ll love their different craft concoctions!
Now, who is ready to sip their way around Downtown Pittsburgh?! We know we are! Be sure to make your way to these three local pop-ups while the weather is nice. They are only around for a little while longer before they depart for the season! Happy sipping!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.