The craft beer scene in Sharpsburg is in for a major expansion this weekend with the opening of Hitchhiker Brewing’s second location.
The much loved Mt. Lebanon brewery announced in February that they had purchased, and were in the process of renovating the former Fort Pitt Brewing building in Sharpsburg, a Pittsburgh suburb located on the northern banks of Allegheny River.
The new Hitchhiker location will open to the public this Saturday, September 9, and run on the same hours as their original Mt. Lebanon location. They’ll be open on Saturdays from noon to 11:00 p.m., Sundays from noon to 8:00 p.m., and Tuesdays through Fridays from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The building, which is over 100 years old, has a long history with beer.
Construction began on the five-story brewery in 1906, and was open for business by 1908. For the next 50 years, Fort Pitt Brewing dominated the region’s beer scene. But, by August 1957, Fort Pitt Brewing stopped brewing beer at their Sharpsburg plant.
The original Hitchhiker Brewing Company opened in May 2014 in Mt. Lebanon. Though the beer was a quick hit in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that beer production at the Mt. Lebanon brewery was limited to a three-barrel brewing system. Almost immediately after opening, the Hitchhiker team started looking for a larger space.
And find that space they did! As the Post-Gazette reported, the brewery’s new space will have a 15-barrel system. Owner Gary Olden told the PG that he’s excited to experiment with wood casks and large vats called foudres – something they didn’t have room for in Mt. Lebanon.
While the Mt. Lebanon location is known for its IPAs, porters, and wheat beers, head brewer Andy Kwiatkowski told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that the Sharpsburg location is going to focus on producing sours, saisons, and IPAs.
The design of the new space will pay homage to the building’s history, keeping much of the structure, and highlight features like the building’s high ceiling, and large skylights.
The building will have a long bar, and a tables for about 100 visitors to enjoy some of Hitchhiker’s most popular brews, including Woke, a breakfast stout, and a Dreamcicle IPA.
And just a half mile down the road from Hitchhiker’s new location you’ll find Dancing Gnome Brewery, which opened in 2016. With the addition of Hitchhiker to the neighborhood, Sharpsburg’s reputation as a craft beer destination is settled.
Hitchhiker Brewing (1500 S. Canal Street)
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