Tags:




Crafty (beer) day in Pittsburgh!
posted January 1, 2012 7:30 PM   RSS | iCal | +googleCal

Fri February 3 at 8:30 PM, Hough's
Let's start 2012 right.
Happy New Year, MeFites!!

I decided upon some great goals for 2012. I signed up to run Pittsburgh's Half Marathon despite having to ask strangers for nitroglycerin after running to catch the bus. I'm finally going to say goodbye to my boxes full of gems like diagrams of amoebas from the fifth grade and partially used AA batteries so my friends stop calling the producers of Hoarders. And this is really, truly going to be the year where there's not someone I have to stay 500 feet away from at all times.

So I was on Facebook the other night, getting in some last minute procrastination (One of my other goals is something about realizing that I can't solve life problems by looking at pictures of cats on the Internet. Whatever.) and somebody posted this little quiz called the Beer Drinkers Challenge. It's a list of 100 beers and you mark off how many you've had. Well, I took the quiz and scored a dismal 35. 35!

Hold the fucking phone.

I put those 65 beers right on the goal list. And as this is now the new year, it's time to start making dreams happen!

So I'm proposing a meet-up at Hough's in Greenfield. It's a fine drinking establishment with a nice list of microbrews. Good looking place that generally doesn't get intolerably crowded. And it's near my house so I can get sloshed.
posted by unannihilated to Meetup (39 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite

I am so totally in for this, and may be able to drag as many as three +1s with me depending on date.

I suggest early in a month (not necessarily this month) so that those of us who only get paid on the first have a little more cash available. But more importantly, I suggest not a Tuesday, as I have a standing Trivia date at the Park House!
posted by FlyingMonkey at 12:10 AM on January 2


I live really close to Hough's. Depending on the date and my work schedule, I'd be down. I would make sure it's not during a Penguins game though, because then yes it does get pretty crowded. Wednesdays are their Wing Night... not too many flavors, and I haven't had them all, but they are tasty! I'll be sure to keep checking in.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 3:56 AM on January 2


Yes. They have Peach Lambic on tap and I relish any occasion that I have an opportunity to drink that.
posted by Alison at 5:35 AM on January 2


Oh my god yes to Hough's. Yes to beer. Yes I will be there.
posted by amicamentis at 5:55 AM on January 2


I haven't been back to Hough's since the 10th year Mefi anniversary celebration. I (and maybe we) should be able to show up depending on schedule.
posted by octothorpe at 6:12 AM on January 2


Oh and unannihilated, Hal Higdon's 1/2 marathon training program works well. I finished the half both of the last two years after (mostly) following his plan and you're probably not as old and fat as I am.
posted by octothorpe at 6:16 AM on January 2


I've never been to Hough's. I should expand my taste palette to include more beers. Count me as interested!
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:38 AM on January 2


I'm not a serious beer drinker, but I read somewhere (Esquire?) recently that 2012 is supposed to be the year of sour beers, and since the only beers I can tolerate are the Lambics or sour beers, this might be my year! And like Octothorpe, we haven't been back to Hough's since the 10th anniversary celebration. The mister is a beer guy, so this has definite interest.

We're fairly flexible on dates, but I would ask that we go at a time that's less crowded? It's early enough in the year that I haven't started my "oh god I have cabin fever must plot our every free second" thing. :)
posted by librarianamy at 9:27 AM on January 2


Also, this might go without saying - but I rise very early for work, so a weekend would mean we'd be much more likely to attend than a "school night."
posted by librarianamy at 10:16 AM on January 2


Thinking it might be a good beginning (or ending) to a few days at 7Springs. Count my as curious.
posted by neversummer at 1:23 AM on January 3


I am moving to Pittsburgh on February 1, and would absolutely be down for this if it happens after I get there.
posted by tryniti at 6:52 AM on January 3


I'm in. Flexible on dates.
posted by IAmBroom at 6:57 AM on January 3


I would love to come. My time is mostly not my own so I wouldn't suggest any particular date. Also haven't been back to Hough's since the glorious 10 anniversary meetup. And it looks like they've maybe been sprucing up the place. Is there some "copper kettle brewing co." or some such place, opening next door?
posted by chinston at 1:49 PM on January 4


Yes. Yes. Yes.
posted by glaucon at 5:39 PM on January 4


The kettles are where they brew their own beer, and I think you can actually brew your own there too.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 6:06 PM on January 4


There's an article in the P-G today about the Copper Kettle/Brew Your Own.

Article
posted by librarianamy at 5:03 AM on January 5 [1 favorite]


Depending on the date I might be able to swing over
posted by Blasdelb at 10:00 AM on January 5


Okay, guys, I'm going to call it. Friday, February 3rd at 8:30pm.
posted by unannihilated at 10:03 PM on January 6


Just stopped in a Hough's last night with some friends. It's expanded a bit since the last meetup there and was very crowded but it was Saturday night and there was a Pen's game on. Amazing beer selection.

We'd just had a wonder dinner at Jozsa Corner down in Hazelwood which was such a great Pittsburgh experience. It's this tiny Hungarian sort-of restaurant run by one guy, Alex, who serves you a multi-course traditional Hungarian while you sit at long table wedged into a tiny back room in this little building that sits all by itself in the empty urban prairie of Hazelwood. You don't get a choice of meals and you're not really sure how long the meal will take since Alex just keep bringing out more dishes as he completes them. Here's a write up of Jozsa from Road Food.
posted by octothorpe at 8:15 AM on January 8 [3 favorites]


Yes, I specifically picked a date that there was not a Pens game to reduce crowds.

Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways -- go out on a weekend night AND have it not crowded -- unless you are going somewhere that sucks or going at a ridiculously early hour.
posted by unannihilated at 11:39 AM on January 8


I've been dying to get to Jozsa Corner - now there's an idea for a meetup...
posted by chinston at 8:33 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]


I am 90% sure I'll make this. I am rolling into town on the 2nd, so assuming my movers show up with my stuff on time and I have unpacked enough to have clothing to wear, I'll be there. Looking forward to meeting some people in my new city!
posted by tryniti at 12:06 PM on January 9


Jozsa Corner is one of those places that I've been meaning to get to as well. I'd be totally down for a future meet-up there. Anyone else? We'd need a higher level of commitment since it's by appointment.
posted by unannihilated at 5:17 PM on January 10


Give me some time to recover from the carb overload but I'd love to go back to Jozsa.
posted by octothorpe at 4:33 AM on January 11


So, now that the date & time have been settled, I think we need a link to this 'Beer Drinkers Challenge', so the rest of us can make our own goal lists...
posted by FlyingMonkey at 7:07 AM on January 13


By request, FlyingMonkey!

1. 400 Pound Monkey

2. AleSmith Speedway Stout

3. Alhambra

4. Anchor Steam

5. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

6. Beamish

7. Beck's

8. Blue Moon

9. Boddingtons

10. Boulevard Wheat

11. Breckenridge Agave Wheat

12. Brooklyn Brown Ale

13. Budweiser

14. Chamberlain Pale Ale

15. Chimay Red Ale

16. Colt 45

17. Coors

18. Corona

19. Daisy Cutter Pale Ale

20. Deschutes Red Chair NWPA

21. Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

22. Dos Equis

23. Double Diamond

24. Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale

25. Flying Dog IPA

26. Flying Fish Exit 11

27. Foster's

28. Free State Oatmeal Stout

29. Full Nelson Pale Ale

30. Ginger Bee

31. Goose Island 312

32. Guiness

33. Hair of the Dog Matt

34. Hamms

35. Harp

36. He'Brew the Chosen Beer

37. Heineken

38. Hop Juice Double IPA

39. Ithaca Beer Company Brute

40. Kentucky Breakfast Stout

41. Keystone Light

42. Killian's Irish Red

43. Labatt Blue

44. Land Shark

45. Left Hand Porter

46. Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss

47. Lindemans Framboise

48. Lion Stout

49. London Pride

50. Mickey's

51. Miller High Life

52. Mirror Pond Pale Ale

53. Molson

54. Moon Man

55. Moose Drool Brown Ale

56. Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale

57. Natty Light

58. Negra Modelo

59. New Belgium Fat Tire

60. Newcastle

61. North Coast Blue Star

62. O'Dell 90 Shilling

63. Old Rasputin Imperial Stout

64. Old Style

65. PBR

66. Pliny the Elder

67. Red Stripe

68. Rogue Dead Guy Ale

69. Rogue Mocha Porter

70. Rolling Rock

71. Samuel Adams Boston Lager

72. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

73. Sapporo

74. Sarajevsko Pivo

75. Schlitz

76. Shiner Bock

77. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

78. Sleeman Lager

79. Smithwicks

80. Smuttynose Summer Weizen

81. Snow

82. Son Of A Peach

83. Stella Artois

84. Stone Imperial Russian Stout

85. Surly Coffee Bender

86. Tecate

87. Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster

88. The Abyss

89. Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale

90. Tongue Buckler - Imperial Red Ale

91. Trout Slayer

92. Two Hearted Ale

93. Warsteiner

94. Whistler Black Tusk Ale

95. Widmer Hefeweizen

96. Wild Blue

97. Wisconsin Belgian Red

98. Wynona's Big Brown Ale

99. Young's Double Chocolate Stout

100. Yuengling
posted by unannihilated at 5:55 PM on January 13


Welp, looks like I won't make it after all. My apartment in Pittsburgh won't be ready until February 15th, so I'll be stuck down south until then. I am so disappointed - was really looking forward to meeting some people. Hopefully there will be another meetup soon!
posted by tryniti at 5:36 PM on January 15


Count jon1270 and deliriouscool as very interested in a meetup at Jozsa. We just moved to Pittsburgh last week.
posted by jon1270 at 4:57 AM on January 16


Scored about a 50 on that list... but there's a lot of piss masquerading as easy points there, too. (Wasted youth, drinking shit beer, thinking I didn't really like it - what I didn't like was shit beer.)
posted by IAmBroom at 1:20 PM on January 16


eesh. I get about a 30, including things I only barely managed to get down. Some weird choices there, too--Dogfish Indian Brown, but none of the XX-minute IPAs?
posted by FlyingMonkey at 1:04 PM on January 19


Weird list of beers, I got 50 but there's a lot in there that I'd never want to drink again. We have a beer exchange club at work where we all buy cases, bring them in and then mix them up and bring home a two of each. I just checked the online spreadsheet that the club leader keeps and there are 188 different beers listed but very few of them matched any on this list.
posted by octothorpe at 4:51 PM on January 19 [1 favorite]


Piss beer has its place on the list...you can't truly appreciate the good stuff until you know how bad some of the rest can be.

Octothorpe, I'd be curious to see your list. Oh, and thanks for the half-marathon training program suggestion. Right now I'm on track to be able to do three miles at the end of the month, and then there's three months remaining to the race, so I think I'm going to be okay.
posted by unannihilated at 1:13 PM on January 23


Welcome to town, jon1270!
posted by palliser at 7:00 PM on January 26


Arg, I'm going to be entertaining a Korean business delegation that evening. I'm hoping that they'll be jet-lagged and ready to turn in before 8:30 so I can head straight to Hough's.
posted by Alison at 7:08 AM on January 29


I plan on being there, although maybe not till 9:30 or so. See yinz.
posted by chinston at 8:08 AM on February 2


I should probably tell you how to find me, no? I'll be the blonde woman in the black trench coat and dark rimmed glasses. (Oh yes, we're making meet ups chic and mysterious now.) If anyone wants a phone number you can private message me. I'll be there by twenty after eight, and I'll try to get a table by the back (i.e., the left side not the right). I'm not doing the sign thing cause it's dorky.
posted by unannihilated at 11:58 AM on February 3


oh come on, since when has 'cause it's dorky' been a reason not to do something around here? (you get to pick whether 'here' means metafilter or pittsburgh...)

i'll be there. will shoot for 830, but i'm not exactly known for my on-time record...
posted by FlyingMonkey at 1:07 PM on February 3


Soooooo crowded. I'm at a table in the back part by the smaller bar, if anyone is still checking this.
posted by unannihilated at 5:32 PM on February 3


If you're standing at the stairs looking at the side room, we're directly under the left tv...
posted by FlyingMonkey at 5:51 PM on February 3



This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments