Pittsburg - The Beer Thrillers

Arboretum Trail Brewing is Closing Their Taproom

B. Kline — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 00:30:00 +0000

Arboretum Trail Brewing

Arboretum Trail Brewing is Closing Their Taproom

If you are a member of the Fueled by Hops Facebook group – you might have just seen Ben Steffen (owner and head brewer of Arboretum Trail Brewing Company) announce the closing of the taproom located on Washington Boulevard in Pittsburgh, PA.

We announced back in June of 2022 that they were opening in the old Couch Brewery after their closure. (Arboretum Trail Brewing Is Opening Their Doors – The Beer Thrillers; June 16th, 2022.)

They had made a few recent Facebook posts commenting on how the location is not a great, or wonderful, or fabulous location. Even having a beer release with the beer titled “It’s a Tough Location”. As per Ben Steffen’s post – the Arboretum Trail Brewery will be closing their taproom on August 31st (8.31.23), but will continue production and distribution from a different location.

His full post reads:

I guess I’ll put this out there for the fam. Arbo is closing its doors on 8/31 at the taproom. Production and distro will still continue at another location so this isn’t goodbye, just see you soon. Stop in before the end of the month and drink some beer and hangout with me. Love you all and appreciate the continued feverish support. See below for a great article written by a pgh beer lady, Annette Bassett.

https://nextpittsburgh.com/eatdrink/arboretum-trail-finds-being-off-the-beaten-path-puts-future-at-risk-plus-more-brew-news/?fbclid=IwAR21YmpB9qhoCOApvCUwLoo1q6JFC76GJbELDcUXnK_bV8Hr4FWn-vEcofc&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Ben Steffen (via Facebook Groups – Fueled by Hops Community)

I had previously gotten the chance to visit Couch Brewery and take a tour there. (Brewery Tour: Couch Brewery)

Going Another Direction

As Ben stated in his Facebook post, and from the NEXTPittsburgh article he linked in his post – Arboretum Trail Brewing Company will be going another direction – still producing, and distributing from a different location.

One of the newest Arboretum Trail Brewing beers, a hazy pale ale called It’s a Tough Location, is described as “paying homage to a line spoken over and over at Arbo.” Owner Ben Steffen puts it more bluntly: “The location should have scared me off.”

The brewery sits on an industrial stretch of Washington Boulevard (Route 8), off Negley Run Boulevard in Larimer. The speed limit is 35 mph but the cars are flying by at 50 mph or better. It’s a tricky left from the northbound lanes. There’s no foot traffic.

Couch Brewery operated out of the space for four years, until closing in late 2021. Arbo opened the following spring and Steffen isn’t sure how much longer he can hang in there.
Arboretum Trail finds being off the beaten path puts future at risk, plus more brew news – Annette Bassett

The article continues to discuss Ben Steffen’s home brewing credentials. Touting his several medals won via home brewing competitions. The article also states that via Untappd and BeerAdvocate his beers have consistently been rated high. As well as their four pack sales have stayed strong.

Ben Steffen hiding behind Arboretum Trail beer.

I have the product. I have the work ethic.
Ben Steffen

Steffen notes that there has been trouble with the location, and that he finds it hard to book food trucks. Saying they would rather park at busier breweries than at Arboretum Trail.

There has also been a falling out with him and his partner concluding in Steffen taking over full ownership of Arboretum Trail Brewing Company.

There has also been issues with attendance for brew pub events and activities at the brewery on Washington Boulevard. (With a few notable exceptions – like the release of “Its a Tough Location”.)

Other Pittsburgh breweries have been very supportive, Steffen notes: Tortured Souls Brewing held its Mango Fett Blonde Ale can release at Arbo in July. And Steffen hopes to make it to autumn, when Arbo will feature his seasonal beers, including Pump(kin) It Up, an amber pumpkin ale, and The Hills Have Pumpkin, a stout made with pumpkin rolls from Pastries A-La-Carte. This year, for the first time, there will also be a barrel-aged version, coming in at 12% ABV. He also hopes to host UGG boots and scarves event in late September.
Arboretum Trail finds being off the beaten path puts future at risk, plus more brew news – Annette Bassett

Fall was very good for me last year. There’s something coming for Arbo. I’m not sure what that looks like. I have to get a lot of beer to a lot of people.
Ben Steffen

Whats to Come

Ben Steffen’s Post

As Ben Steffen posted – the taproom at 1351 Washington Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 – will be closing on August 31st, 2023. Also – like he said – the brewery will remain open with a production location that will be focusing on distribution.

No word yet on the location of their production facility.

There has been no official word of the taproom closing or the move to production and distribution on their social media outside of the Fueled by Hops Community group on Facebook.

When official word is announced we will update here, and keep everyone updated going forward on whatever information we get / have.

To Find Out More About Arboretum Trail Brewing

You can find our articles about them here:

Arboretum Trail Brewing Is Opening Their Doors
Arboretum Trail Releases “Its a Tough Location”

For More Information

For more information on Arboretum Trail Brewing, you can check them out at the following social media pages:

The following information comes from Untappd. Arboretum Trail Brewing Company is a nano – brewery from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have 69 unique beers, and over 6,400 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.84 (as of 8.9.23). Their Untappd description reads: “A production brewery based in Pittsburgh, Pa with a hop-forward focus.”

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

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MAPS OF BREWERIES

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Best Cities for Beer Lovers: Top Spots for Drinkers and Breweries in the U.S.

B. Kline — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 03:59:28 +0000

People having fun drinking at their local brewery (stock photo)

Best Cities for Beer Lovers: Top Spots for Drinkers and Breweries in the U.S.

If you’re a die-hard beer lover in the U.S., you’re not alone. In 2019, the U.S. beer industry sold around $120 billion worth of beer through retail businesses. Although sales dropped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry is making a robust comeback. The U.S. is truly a beer haven, producing 81% of its beer domestically in 2021 while importing only 19%. But where are the best cities for beer drinkers to live?

To find the best cities for beer lovers, we analyzed 393 cities based on the following metrics: total number of breweries, breweries per 100,000 residents, the average number of beers per brewery, bars per 100,000 residents, and the average price of a pint. For more information on our data sources and methodology, check out the Data and Methodology section below.

Key Findings

Map of Top Beer Drinking Cities

Chicago Leads with the Most Breweries: Chicago boasts 103 breweries, surpassing the runner-up by 21. Although it didn’t make the top 10 overall, it secured the 35th spot in our rankings.
Top Three Beer Cities Hold Steady: Pittsburgh, PA; Bend, OR; and Milwaukee, WI retained their top spots from the previous year, showcasing the consistency of their beer culture.
Affordable Beer in Top Cities: The average price per pint in our study is $4.68. Eight out of the top 10 cities offer pints for less, with Clifton, NJ, offering the cheapest at $1.85.

Top 10 Best Cities for Beer Drinkers

List of Top Beer Drinking Cities

Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh ranks No. 1 for the second consecutive year, with 33 breweries and an affordable average pint price of $4.00. Highlights include the German-style Penn Brewery and the outdoor-centric Grist House Craft Brewery.
Bend, OR: Bend holds its No. 2 spot with 22 breweries and an average pint cost of $4.00. Popular stops include Deschutes Brewery, home of the Black Butte Porter.
Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee, with 33 breweries and a notable number of bars, ties with Pittsburgh for the total number of breweries. Famous spots include Schlitz and other renowned breweries.
St. Louis, MO: Jumping into the No. 4 spot, St. Louis is home to 23 breweries, including the iconic Anheuser-Busch. The average pint costs $4.50.
Asheville, NC: Known for its strong beer culture, Asheville ranks first in breweries per 100,000 residents and offers a variety of beer events. The average pint here is $5.00.
Cincinnati, OH: Despite dropping to No. 6, Cincinnati offers 30 breweries and tasty IPAs like Rhinegeist’s Truth IPA. The average pint costs $5.00.
New Orleans, LA: New Orleans tops the list for bars per 100,000 residents and offers inexpensive pints at $3.25. It has 17 breweries, making it a lively spot for beer lovers.
Fort Collins, CO: Fort Collins, with 22 breweries and a pint cost of $4.50, is home to Odell Brewing Company and New Belgium Brewing.
Austin, TX: Austin’s 45 breweries contribute to its high ranking, with the city known for its vibrant craft beer scene and open-air venues.
Missoula, MT: Missoula offers 11 breweries and 31 bars per 100,000 residents, making it a top spot for beer enthusiasts.

Data and Methodology

To determine the best cities for beer drinkers, we analyzed cities from the 2021 Census with a population of at least 60,000 and available Numbeo data. We compared 393 cities across five metrics:

Total number of breweries: Sourced from ratebeer.com (November 2022).
Breweries per 100,000 residents: Data from ratebeer.com and the 2021 Census.
Average number of beers per brewery: Sourced from ratebeer.com (November 2022).
Bars per 100,000 residents: Data from the 2020 County Business Patterns Survey and the 2021 Census.
Average price for a pint of domestic draught beer: Sourced from Numbeo.com (January 2022).

We ranked each city in each metric, applied weights, and created a final score. The city with the best average ranking received an index score of 100, and the city with the worst received a score of 0.

Explore these top cities and enjoy the diverse and vibrant beer culture they offer. Whether you’re looking for the best city to drink in, the best city for drinkers, or the city with the most breweries, these destinations have something special for every beer enthusiast.

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

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Pittsburg - The Beer Thrillers

Arboretum Trail Brewing is Closing Their Taproom

Arboretum Trail Brewing is Closing Their Taproom

Going Another Direction

Whats to Come

To Find Out More About Arboretum Trail Brewing

For More Information

Brewery News

Thank You For Reading

Best Cities for Beer Lovers: Top Spots for Drinkers and Breweries in the U.S.

Best Cities for Beer Lovers: Top Spots for Drinkers and Breweries in the U.S.

Key Findings

Top 10 Best Cities for Beer Drinkers

Data and Methodology

More Links and Information

Thank You For Reading