Presenting your Final Four picks for The Incline’s Ultimate Pittsburgh Brewery Bracket.
Did your favorite brewery make it to the Final Four? Who will be the final matchup? Scroll for the results and vote for your favorite.
“PITCHER” PERFECT
Dancing Gnome Brewery was chugging along strong, but Eleventh Hour Brewing poured out the most votes in this round. Not by much, though. This race was the closest of them all; Eleventh Hour won by just 14 votes. Check them out at their location in Lawrenceville; you can sit outside at a picnic table, grab some grub from their rotating schedule of local food trucks, and enjoy the latest monthly Full Moon IPA release.
EXTRA SPECI”ALE”
East End Brewing came out on top of Allegheny City Brewing, both longstanding and loved institutions. East End Brewing is known for its “You Are Here” beers dedicated to celebrating all 90 Pittsburgh neighborhoods. So far, they’ve released 53 hyper local brews representing neighborhoods from every side of the three rivers. You can also pick from their year-round or seasonal beers on the menu, as well as beers from the “loophole,” which support small brewers in Pennsylvania. Check out their spot in Larimer on Julius St.
ETERNAL “HOP”TIMISTS
Grist House Craft Brewery took the win over Roundabout Brewery in this round. What should you know about Grist House? Well, for one, we’ve been keeping an eye on their ambitious project; Grist is turning a Collier Township Cold War-era Nike Missile Command Center into another outpost. And it’s going to be HUGE. But it will take awhile, so just sit back and enjoy their beers (and food truck lineup) at the Millvale location for now.
SO “BREW”TIFUL
Hitchhiker Brewing Co. won its matchup against Spoonwood Brewing Co. Their brewery is located in the former Fort Pitt Brewing Co. building in Sharpsburg, and they also have a taproom in Mt. Lebanon. Plus, Hitchhiker is working to open a location Downtown on Liberty Ave. What’s better than another brewery downtown? Oh yeah, a brewery that’s also a cafe. In addition to their craft beer, the spot will also serve cold brew coffee, espresso, and other caffeinated beverages.
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.
Vote here by 9 a.m. on Monday, July 26 to send your favorite to the Final 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.