THERE’S NO FRESHER BEER THAN LOCAL BEER
Our brewing approach is a little bit different.
WHAT’S ON TAP AT THE BIG SEWICKLEY CREEK BREWERY?
Our true passion is lager beer. We’ve dedicated our lives to brewing it. Not a beer lover? (Are there such people?) That’s okay. We also offer soft drinks along with wines and spirits from local small-volume wineries and distilleries. But our hope is that our expertly crafted lager will make some converts.
What you won’t find are gimmicky names and seasonal flavors. Instead, we’re dedicating our efforts to perfecting our core recipes. After all, great local beer is about what’s in the glass, not what’s on the label.
CURRENTLY SERVING
(Beer list subject to change.)
SMOKEY JOE
Our signature brew, 20 years in the making. It’s an amber lager close to Vienna style, malt-forward, and lightly smoked. A personal favorite.
BARKIN’ BOCK
This is a classic Pilsner style and it won’t disappoint those looking for a nicely malted, notably hoppy and spritzer pour. It showcases locally grown and processed ingredients including Pilsner malt and Crystal hops. Slightly less attenuation than my other Pilsner due to the use of chit malt. 7.3% abv.
BRAD’S ALT
Brewfiend’s Alt beer is back. Brad is very happy about it and so are we. Richly malted with balanced hop bitterness to make for a smooth drinking brew.
BO DARK
A rich, dark, complex malty brew with tan-colored foam, balancing bitterness using Saaz hops adding a touch of spice. The name comes from the use of Bohemian-style yeast for the fermentation, or maybe you’ve heard of the Osage Orange tree? 5.5% abv.
BIG BROWN BREW
Brewfiend’s Baltic Porter is back. It’s big (6.5% abv) it’s brown (richly malted and toasty) and this time strict German Purity laws were followed. That means the carbonation was achieved through use of a sounding valve.
BSCB PALE
This brew is our American-style lager. However, you’ll find a refreshing hop note about midway through the taste sensation. Brewfiend also upped the percentage of corn to give it a rounded subtle sweetness. 5% abv
DUNKELWEIZEN
Our hefeweizen in a darker format. Expect similar clove spiciness with bread crust and a hint of caramel compared to Hefe-El. This brew was also naturally carbonated using a technique known as “spunding.” 5.7% abv
GOOD CHIT
Now and then we can go a little off the beam. It’s just the way we roll. The brew is a result of off-beam thinking. There is nothing like it – anywhere. Malting with few dark notes, slightly sour fruitiness from
pear-smoked wheat malt, all amped up with Buzzelli’s fall honey. 5.5% abv.
KÖLSCH
Light golden color, light to medium body, spritzy, just enough hop presence to balance out the malt. It may be cooling off outside, but you can still have summer in a glass right here. 5.2% abv.
AUGSBURG GOLD
Going for gold, my Bavarian-style Helles is liquid gold in a glass. This batch is made with Berke Malt, an old-fashion, long-adored barley variety. This brew is golden-hued, nicely malted, lightly hopped, eminently quaffable. 5% abv.
Unclosed tabs will be charged a 20% gratuity. No outside alcoholic beverages are permitted.
BREWHOUSE BACKSTORY
Fabled Brew Day Bock Again
I home brewed this beer once many years ago. It was sort of ad lib from leftover grains and a yeast strain I couldn’t recall. It wasn’t a complicated bill, but not carefully considered either.
BREWSERS PODCAST #131 March 14, 2024
Marc with Big Sewickley Creek Brewery
On this podcast, Brewsers speaks with the Big Sewickley Creek Brewery’s very own Marc Gignac about how we got started, the Pennsylvania beer scene, and so much more.
Check it out!
WHAT MAKES A GREAT LOCAL BEER?
Brewing is a time-intensive process – particularly traditional lager brewing.
Despite all we have scientifically learned about brewing over the centuries, there is still magic in brewing. Every batch offers potential greatness. Who doesn’t mind going to work for a chance at achieving greatness each and every day?
The history of beer styles reveals two main branches: namely, ales and lagers. Ale brewing is much older and generally less-complicated than brewing lager. However, newer lager brewing techniques require a little extra effort.
Lager brewing is really a story about color, malt color to be specific. In 1842, Josef Groll, a Bavarian Brewer, brewed the first-ever batch of pale-colored, bottom-fermented beer in the Czechoslovakian town of Pilsen. This beer was unique, being brewed with pale-colored malt dried in an indirectly fired malt kiln. The gentle heating leaves the malt lightly colored. As does the malt, so goes the beer. Other factors conspired on this brew, including very soft water natural to the area and spicy floral hops known as Saaz. Mr. Groll started a revolution that not only created a unique beer style, but also a type of beer that, even today, reigns as the most popular beer in the world. It is the quintessential lager beer known as pilsner. Some would argue that pilsner became the role model for all subsequent lager beers. Brew Master Groll is our hero! These days lager beer has broadened into many different colors and flavors. Thanks Joe.
Lager beer is the most popular beer in the world, by far. Of course, most of this is due to the mega breweries which are remarkable for the consistency. They have come very close to eliminating any risk in the brewing process. But, therein lies the beauty of small-scale brewing: with nano and micro brewing, risk rules the day. That means we can use the techniques we feel have significance. In fact, we specifically designed our brewing system to make traditional lager beers. Our kettles are optimized for special mashing techniques and our aging cellar is chock full of lagering tanks.
Trivia Nights!!
Every Thursday, 7:00-9:00 PM
(Subject to last-minute cancellations.)
Tell us what you REALLY know! Test your wit and depth of useless information to win prizes with our own host, Mark Steffey!
Check our Facebook and Instagram pages for scheduling updates.
EVERY WEEKEND, WE HAVE FOOD TRUCKS & MUSIC
Alcoholic beverages from other establishments are prohibited.
CHECK OUR FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES FOR FOOD TRUCK INFO, AND FOLLOW US FOR UPDATES.
MUSIC & TRIVIA SCHEDULE
Trivia Night is now every Thursday until further notice. Schedule below is subject to change. Check our Facebook and Instagram pages for scheduling updates.
Alcoholic beverages from other establishments are prohibited.
DECEMBER SCHEDULE
Thursday 12/5
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 12/6
MUSIC: Gary Prisby
Saturday 12/7
MUSIC: Pappy Weingrad
Thursday 12/12
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 12/13
MUSIC: Sellers & Root Trio
Saturday 12/14
MUSIC: Samantha Sears
Thursday 12/19
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 12/20
MUSIC: Art Michaud
Saturday 12/21
EVENT: Ravens/Steelers 4:30 away game
Sunday 12/22
WINTER SOLSTICE / 2ND BIRTHDAY PARTY
MUSIC: Dan Bubien 2-5
Thursday 12/26
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 12/27
MUSIC: Straight Up
Saturday 12/28
MUSIC: Bobby Thompson
JANUARY SCHEDULE
Thursday 1/2
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 1/3
MUSIC: Dan Bubian
Saturday 1/4
MUSIC: Jay Wiley
Thursday 1/9
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 1/10
MUSIC: Bobby Thompson
Saturday 1/11
MUSIC: Johnny Litt
Thursday 1/16
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 1/17
MUSIC: Pappy Weingrad
Saturday 1/18
EVENT: Sellers & Root
Thursday 1/23
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 1/24
MUSIC: Samantha Sears
Saturday 1/25
MUSIC: Jim & DebbieTobin
Thursday 1/30
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 1/31
MUSIC: Shelley Duff
FEBRUARY SCHEDULE
Saturday 2/1
MUSIC: Elias Khouri
Thursday 2/6
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 2/7
MUSIC: Gary Prisby
Saturday 2/6
MUSIC: John Gall
Thursday 2/13
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 2/14
MUSIC: Art Michaud
Saturday 2/15
EVENT: Davis Gray
Thursday 2/20
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 2/21
MUSIC: Eclectic Acoustics
Saturday 2/22
MUSIC: John Charney
Thursday 2/27
TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday 2/28
MUSIC: Brian Belonzi
Extra parking is now available at the brewery!
Parking is available at 2040 for overflow only. Please do not to park at the convenience store.
GREAT LOCAL BEER IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!
The Big Sewickley Creek Brewery is 30 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh located between Wexford and Ambridge. We have plenty of parking and hope to see you soon!
FIND US AT:
2030 BIG SEWICKLEY CREEK ROAD
SEWICKLEY, PA 15143
HOURS
Thursday: 4:00-9:00 PM
Friday: 4:00-10:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00-10:30 PM
Sunday: 1:00-7:00 PM