Presenting your Elite Eight picks for The Incline’s Ultimate Pittsburgh Brewery Bracket.
“PITCHER” PERFECT: Eleventh Hour Brewing vs. Dancing Gnome Brewery
EXTRA SPECI”ALE”: East End Brewing Co. vs. Allegheny City Brewing
ETERNAL “HOP”TIMISTS: Grist House Craft Brewery vs. Roundabout Brewery
SO “BREW”TIFUL: Hitchhiker Brewing Co. vs. Spoonwood Brewing Co.
This race was filled with tight competitions, wipe-out wins, and underdog contenders.
We learned a LOT from our second round of match-ups. Scroll on for the results — and start voting now for the Final Four.
😊 Classics (sort of) were the toast of the town, with some scrappy contenders
Breweries like East End Brewing, Dancing Gnome, and Hitchhiker Brewing Co. sailed into the Elite Eight like it was nobody’s business, bringing in the majority of the votes across the board.
🤔 Early potential winners have emerged
All of the winners of this round brought in well over 300 votes each in their respective races, with Hitchhiker Brewing Co. hitting the top total with 516. While this bracket isn’t playing favorites, the incoming votes from you made it clear that these breweries are forces to be reckoned with.
😬 Some of the races were neck and neck
While Hitchhiker Brewing Co. put up a good fight against Acclamation Brewing, the race between Hopfarm Brewing Co. and Spoonwood Brewing Co. was TIGHT, with the former snagging a win by just 25 votes. As we progress through each round, it’ll be interesting to see how Spoonwood squares up against the esteemed Hitchhiker Brewing Co.
To reiterate — our bracket is not here to find the “best” Pittsburgh brewery, because “best” means something different to everybody. But we are here to highlight the breweries that Pittsburghers really love and which ones you feel best represent our fair city.
Regardless of whether or not your favorite brewery made it to the next round, be sure to show the Elite Eight — and by extension, some of the ‘Burgh’s most beloved local institutions — some love and support.
Vote here by 9 a.m. on Monday, July 19 to see who’ll make it to the next round.
🍕 + 🍺 = ❤️ Thanks again to our bracket sponsor, Caliente Pizza & Draft House. Mark your calendars because Caliente is coming to Sewickley and Crafton this fall.
❓ Bracket FAQs
How does a bracket work?
Here’s a quick primer on how our brackets work.
Who lands on a bracket?
The original 32 slots are based on reader nominations and staff research. There’s a nomination period before each bracket to collect recommendations on who to include. There is no fee to participate, and you can’t buy a spot in the bracket.
Keep on votin’.
Who advances in each round is strictly based on the number of votes for that round. We’ve had some tight match-ups, so every vote counts! Yes, you can vote more than once in each round.
How can I sponsor a bracket?
So you want a sponsor spot like Caliente’s Pizza and Drafthouse? Our sales team works with companies who want to sponsor brackets and related events. For more information, contact our sales team at benjamin@whereby.us.
Tell your friends!
Contenders are welcome to encourage their fans to vote for them. Past participants have posted flyers and created social media campaigns to rally their troops. If you post on social, use the hashtag #TheInclineBreweryBracket. Visit the links to see The Incline’s past Ice Cream and Fish Fry brackets.