::news::

2nd annual Big Pour Tickets on Sale!

Tickets will be going on sale Friday August 1st for the 2nd Annual Steel City Big Pour benefit. This year's event will be taking place on Saturday September 13, 2008 at Construction Junction in Point Breeze. There will be two sessions again this year - Noon to 3pm and 5 to 8pm. 1000 tickets will be available for each session through the Construction Junction Website and are priced at $35 in advance, $40 at the door if available. Event planners expect the event to sell out in advance so we strongly recommend purchasing tickets a soon as possible. Ticket price includes a 4oz commemorative taster glass, food and entertainment. A $10 designated driver ticket will also be available.

This year's event promises to be bigger and better than last year with 30 craft brewers (6 more than last year!), incredible food from local restaurants, brewery art, live hot metal pouring, and live music. New for 2008 are two special sections featuring Belgian inspired craft beers and food and an organic area featuring organic beers and organic food from local restaurants and food stores.

The Pittsburgh Beer Society is again proud to be participating in this years event and as a member you will receive first crack at getting tickets. If there's one event you don't want to miss this summer, it's the Steel City Big Pour. It's like our aging old hippie friends say "If you remember the first Big Pour, you weren't there".

The Steel City Big Pour benefits the capital needs of Construction Junction, Pittsburgh's unique non-profit building surplus warehouse and retail store. Construction Junction promotes conservation through the reuse of used and surplus building materials by re-selling usable building materials back to the community at a lower cost. Which in turn, keeps building materials out of landfills.

Meeting #30

We are going to allow the giganticness of the Big Pour announcement to totally overshadow anything we had to say about Meeting #30. All we can say is that the RSVP is now open on the website - got there, register, come and taste!!!!

Meeting #30 - RSVP
Wednesday August 6th
D's Six Packs and Dogs
1118 South Braddock Ave
Regent Square - Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Check in at 7pm - Tasting at 8pm

2nd annual 4th of July picnic!

Our 2nd annual 4th of July picnic will take place on Saturday July 5th at 2pm. We have reserved the North Star shelter in North Park again this year and it's shaping up to be a great day of fun with friends. Directions are at the bottom of this page.

Picnic gets underway at 2pm and there is a suggested donation of $5 to help reimburse for the shelter rental and the alcohol permit. We're encouraging you to bring your favorite libations, food items to grill, a dish to share, chips, dips, etc. Don't forget to bring a cooler/ice and chair or blanket too!

There are a few items we're needing to see if people can pitch in and bring again this year; we've made a short list below.

• Grill/Charcoal - Charlie unfortunately cannot attend with his nuclear powered flame broiler this year :(
• Coolers
• Ice
• Portable radio or iPod type docking unit for music
• Lights - Christmas type lights for night
• Extension cords
• Plates/cups/flatware
• Garbage Bags
• Paper towels/napkins
• Citronella candles
• Games - last year we had Bocce, Twister, Frisbees - anything to play outdoors

If you can bring any of these items please shoot Nikki an email and let her know you'll be bringing them - nikki@pittsburghbeersociety.org

GOOGLE MAP LINK TO NORTH STAR SHELTER

Millvale Borough Development Corporation Second Annual Brew Festival

The Borough of Millvale, Millvale MainStreet and The Millvale Borough Development Corporation will host their Second Annual Brew Festival on August 09, 2008 at the Millvale Riverfront Park. The event will feature two sessions, 1-4 PM or 5-8 PM. Tickets are sold separately for each session and will include beer, live entertainment, food, and souvenir logo tasting glass. Ticket cost is $30 (advance) or $35 (at the event); designated drivers can purchase a food ticket for $10 (advance) or $15 (at the event). Tickets can be purchased at the Millvale Municipal Building, Atkinson Beer Distributor, Vecenie Distributing, Mr. Small's Box Office, Attic Records and Brighton Music Center, The Brew Festival will be held at the Millvale Riverfront Park on the shore of the Allegheny River. Craft, Micro and Specialty Import Brews from around the country will be featured along with local food and live entertainment.

Millvale was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and is still recovering from the devastation. Monies raised will help the Nonprofit Millvale Borough Development Corporation and Millvale MainStreet stabilize, revitalize and rejuvenate Millvale's neighborhoods, through the development of housing, and businesses.

Meeting #27

Greetings, clubbers y clubberistas!

As you've no doubt noticed from the afternoons of sweet sunlight and cool breeze quickly turning into evenings of frigid, not-quite-snow storms, it's springtime in Pittsburgh. And to celebrate this season of tulips, losing baseball, and everyone falling in love except you, we're going to try something a little different for this next tasting.

May 7th will be Draft Night. Five of the six beers we have chalked on the tasting slate will flow straight from the taps at D's, where the barrels and casks are stored at optimal pressure and temperature in a mystical beer cellar that's guarded by this guy.

And everyone knows beer tastes better when it's 1) straight from the keg, and 2) guarded by a man in a funny hat.

We don't want to give too much away, but most of this week's selections are recent arrivals to the Pittsburgh area, and a few are entirely new concoctions, including one from a brewery whose name rhymes with "Blogfish Head." In honor of spring, D's is tapping these new beers especially for us. If weather's nice, we might even get them to open the garage door in the dining room, so that you can enjoy a fine draft with the sweet Regent Square breeze caressing your cheek.

And if these aren't reasons enough to attend, we're also going to have a few announcements about the schedule of summer events we're working on (field trips, excuses to drink outdoors), and we'll be raffling off a few specialty beers as well.

God save Gary Roberts!

RSVP is now open for Meeting #27 - Be sure to select Meeting 27 from the dropdown menu.

Survey

Thanks to everyone who took our survey and added their $.02 to the future existence of the Pittsburgh Beer Society. A LOT of you did, but much more of you didn't (yet, apparently).

If you haven't taken the survey it's very easy and there's only 1 question!Seriously, only 1 question and totally anonymous.

Please take the time to make your selection and we'll all be forever indebted to you.

Click here to take survey

MS XYZ Beer Tasting
Saturday March 29, 1-4pm
Cork Factory
Strip District - Pittsburgh
www.msxyz.com

MS XYZ, a newly formed committee within the MS Allegheny District Chapter, is holding their launch event, a beer tasting, on March 29 from 1-4 at the Cork Factory located at 2349 Railroad St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. The tasting features 10 beers from A.M. Lutheran Distributors, as well as food from various local restaurants, cheese samples, a take home 6- pack of unique beers, a tasting glass and beer opener. Various raffle prizes will be drawn throughout the afternoon donated from local restaurants, companies and vendors.

Tickets to this event are $45 and can be purchased by calling 412-261-6347 and asking for Mary or Colleen. This event is only available to the first 150 people who RSVP. Major credit cards are accepted. Proceeds benefit the MS Society of Allegheny County.

Reminder - John Harvard's Tasting

A quick one...

Don't forget about our trip to John Harvard's taking place this week!

Wednesday March 19 - John Harvard's in Monroeville
7:00pm check-in/8:00pm tasting.

Tasting fee is $6 (including drink tax!) for a 7-beer sampler, AND they will very generously extend their happy hour beer prices for PBS members: 1/2 off nachos and kettle chips, and $1 off all pints.

Head Brewer Stephen Sloan will be on hand to answer any questions about what you're consuming and his brewing process. Stephen comes to Pittsburgh via a great stint at the Applachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg. He's no slouch!

Visit the John Harvard's website

View a map and get directions

Contest: Nik's Picks

We have been trying to think of a way to give you, the fantabulous members of the PBS, a little bit more opportunity to get involved with the organization. So this week we thought "eh, what the heck - let's see if anyone wants to have some fun."

We're going to give you the opportunity to come pick beers for the April tasting with Nikki (and our number cruncher Kate) at D's. You won't be picked up by limo and there certainly won't be any paparazzi there, but you will have the chance to pick a few of the beers we place in the next tasting.

It's simple to enter this contest. Send an email to Nikki with the subject line: Nik's Picks.

We will randomly select one person who will join Nikki and Kate at D's for beer pickin'.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are going to submit an entry please make sure you are available in the evening on Wed March 26. Nikki will send you any details after we've picked a winner.

Good luck!!!

Exclusive John Harvard's Tasting

We here at the Pittsburgh Beer Society Utility Muffin Research Kitchen are always thinking of new and exciting things for our members to experience in the world of beer. Our next little shindig is perfect for the whole family.

Last spring Shaun visited John Harvard's to meet their new head brewer Stephen Sloan and to sample some of the outstanding beer he was brewing. Now we all know what you're thinking, because we thougth the same thing...brewpub + franchise = crud beer. FAR from the truth with this one old chap. Very impressive line up of beers from a very experienced and respected brewer.

Shaun planted the idea in Stephen's head right then and there about bringing our little group of suds swillers out to try some of his great beers. Almost a year later, we're all invited over to Stephen's house...ahem...we mean John Harvard's in Monroeville for an exclusive tasting night.

Wednesday March 19 - John Harvard's in Monroeville
7:00pm check-in/8:00pm tasting.

Tasting fee is $6 (including drink tax!) for a 7-beer sampler, AND they will very generously extend their happy hour beer prices for PBS members: 1/2 off nachos and kettle chips, and $1 off all pints.

Head Brewer Stephen Sloan will be on hand to answer any questions about what you're consuming and his brewing process. Stephen comes to Pittsburgh via a great stint at the Applachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg. He's no slouch!

Visit the John Harvard's website

View a map and get directions

A PBS Survey

A quick bit of administrative announcing...

In the coming weeks please keep your peepers peeled for a survey from the Pittsburgh Beer Society regarding the organization.

We are going to use this survey as a gauge for how to move forward with some of our interal and external operations. It's very important that YOU the members of the Pittsburgh Beer Society respond to the survey. We greatly appreciate your input in advance.

And now back to our show, As The World Turns, already in progress....

Incorporation Meeting | Rescheduled Date | Saturday, March 1

We're still looking for folks who might be interested in helping out with incorporating the PBS.

Our original meeting has been rescheduled for Saturday March 1, 2008 at noon. We are going to be discussing our options or incorporation and highly encourage anyone with non-profit or legal experience to please join us for this meeting.

If you are interested please send an email to info@pittsburghbeersociety.org with a subject line - Incoproration meeting interest. We will get back to you with more information about the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns with regards to our incorporation please feel free to drop us a line at this same address.

Meeting 25 | Irish Beers

Hey, how are ya?! Good. Good.

March brings with it a whole slew of reasons to try great beer. Spring is almost here, football season is only about 5 months away, and a lot of breweries are blooming with their take on "Irish" beers.

We thought you should try a few.

RSVP is open now for Meeting #25 - hop on over to the RSVP page and let us know you are coming!

John Harvard's Brewhouse | March 19, 2008

Have you been to John Harvards? Staying away because you think it's just some goofy franchised brewpub with bad beer? You are WAY wrong.

John Harvards has invited you, the members of the Pittsburgh Beer Society, to an exclusive tasting at their Monroeville location.

Wednesday March 19 - 7:00pm check-in/8:00pm tasting.

Tasting fee is $6 (including drink tax!) for a 7-beer sampler, AND they will very generously extend their happy hour beer prices for PBS members: 1/2 off nachos and kettle chips, and $1 off all pints.

Brewaster Stephen Sloan will be on hand to answer any questions about what you're consuming and his brewing process. Stephen comes to Pittsburgh via a great stint at the Applachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg. He's no slouch!

Visit the brewpub's website.

View a map of the area and get directions.

How do I look?
Ok, we realize that not all of you are fashion aficionados, but for those with a real itch for the latest trends and a yearn to flaunt how cool they really are we offer a solution. No, it isn't more skinny jeans and we ran out of those decorative sling shots the ladies are wearing now a days (Carl bought us out). The staple of anyone who is anyone's summer wardrobe is official PBS apparel!! Check out the fancy new 'SHOP' link in the top and bottom navs. Or click here to outwardly affirm your awesomeness™*

*'awesomeness' is a trade mark of the pittsburgh beer society