New River Gorge: Endless Wall Trail & FreeFolk Brewery

June 27, 2023August 31, 2023hikesandhopsblog 4 Comments

Fayetteville, WV

So excited to finally share the first of many Hikes & Hops guides to New River Gorge! First up is the stunning Endless Wall which is an easy loop not far from the park’s main visitor center. This trail is so full of stunning overlooks that you won’t want to put down your camera. The trail is one of the best places to get a photo of the Gorge. Keep in mind that this is a very popular hike and you’ll want to get there early to get a parking spot. After a day exploring the park, head over to Freefolk Brewery which has a delicious lineup of beer, a full menu, large indoor and outdoor space, and frequently has live music. What more could you want?

THE HIKE: New River Gorge NP: Endless Wall Trail

Length: 2.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 400ft
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Time: 1-1.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Small lot that fills up quickly, pit toilets
H&H: 5/5

New River Gorge is the nation’s newest national park and it’s only about 3.5 hours away from downtown Pittsburgh. It’s a great weekend trip from Ohio, Western PA, and Virginia. Or make it a stop on a road trip to other Eastern national parks, like the Great Smoky Mountains (TN/NC), Shenandoah (VA), or even Congaree (SC)! New River Gorge is a sprawling park that encompasses over 70,000 acres of land along a 53-mile stretch of the New River in West Virginia. The main visitors center (along with the iconic bridge spanning the gorge) can be found in Fayetteville, WV which is a haven for outdoor lovers. Although only designated as a national park in 2021, this area has been protected by federal law since 1978. For many years, it has been a destination spot for outdoor lovers, especially those seeking the thrill of white water rafting or rock climbing. There’s even one day a year where the bridge is closed to traffic and daredevils are allowed to BASE jump into the gorge!

The most popular area of New River Gorge is the area surrounding the main visitor center, Canyon Rim. This is a great place to start your visit. You can see views of the bridge, get acquainted with the map, chat with the rangers, and, of course, stamp your national park passport! From there, the Endless Wall trailhead parking lot (called Fern Creek parking) is just a quick 5 minute drive (1.9). However, this is a very popular spot for hiking, so be prepared to share the trail and the parking lot! If you can, try to arrive early to avoid the crowds. There is parking for about 20-25 cars in the main lot and be aware that you cannot park along the road, even if you see people doing it! If the first lot is full, just head down the road about 0.5 mile and there’s another, larger parking lot. It appears on Google Maps as Nuttall Parking lot. You can start the trail at either lot, just know that you’ll need to do some road walking to complete the loop. Thankfully, the shoulder is very wide and the road isn’t busy. You could also just turn around and do the trail in the opposite direction if road walking doesn’t appeal to you!

This is an easy to moderate hike that is good for people of all ages. There’s moderate elevation change (~500ft) but it comes gradually. Expect to encounter some minor obstacles on the trail like roots and rocks but there’s no scrambling. Best to leave the stroller in the car though! All the trails in New River Gorge allow leashed pets.

The beginning of the trail leads through dense forests of hemlocks and rhododendrons and mountain laurels which are stunning in the spring. We just missed mountain laurel season, but managed to see a few late bloomers. After a bit, you’ll cross a small bridge to pass over Fern Creek. From here you’ll meet up with the rim of the gorge. The trail is peppered with rocky outcroppings that offer beautiful views of the surrounding area. Even though this trail is popular, it’s likely that you’ll still find a small place to yourself to enjoy the views. If starting at the Fern Creek parking lot, the main overlook is the last one you’ll encounter. There’s a large rocky outcropping where you can see both up and down the river (not quite to the bridge though). Make sure to really take your time here, it’s a spectacular spot! This is a good place to turn around if wanting to head back to the Fern Creek parking lot via the trail or you can continue on for a bit longer to the Nuttall lot and then walk along the road back to your car. The one advantage of completing this as a loop is not going against the crowd back to the parking lot.

Endless Wall is just the first of many awesome hikes that we did in this area so stay tuned!

THE BEER: Freefolk Brewery

Address: 1690 Court St, Fayetteville, WV 25840
Distance from Trail Head: 5 miles, 9 mins
Website: http://www.freefolkbrew.com/
Food?: Full Menu
Details: Outdoor seating, dog friendly outside

Freefolk is an awesome brewery in Fayetteville, WV less than 10 minutes from the Canyon Rim Visitors Center. They’ve got a large space with indoor and outdoor seating, with stages for live music in both. In addition to a large taplist, they have a small kitchen menu with filling pub treats like gyros and pepperoni rolls. We particularly liked their outdoor space, which seemed like a great place to bring your family and/or pets. The vibe is very laid back and after a long day of hiking, it was honestly hard to get ourselves to leave! Also make sure to check out the wall art around the building, it’s pretty rad. If checking out this brewery, just be aware that the parking lot is across the street!

In addition to the Fayetteville location, Freefolk also opened a larger brewhouse about 12 miles north in Hico, which also has a taproom, although no kitchen here. Some fun stuff about Freefolk: they have a mug club where you get your own handcrafted ceramic Folk stein with a whimsy face on it! I was very tempted….

Our Beer:

Orange Oswald – IPA – 5.2%
Berry the Hatchet – Wheat Beer – 4.5%
Brewing Judo – NEIPA – 6.7%
Gorgeous 876 – Pale Ale – 5.4%

Looking for more Hikes & Hops in New River Gorge? Check out Grandview Rim & Weathered Ground Brewing and Long Point & Bridge Brew Works.

Moraine State Park & Union Brothers Brewing

June 12, 2023August 31, 2023hikesandhopsblog 3 Comments

Portersville, PA

Most people associate Moraine State Park with boating and fishing, but did you know that there’s also nearly 30 miles of hiking and biking trails? Glacier Ridge Trail is popular for backpacking but can also be done as an out and back section, choosing how far you want to go. This particular section starts at the parking lot on Mount Union Road and turns around at the 528 Bridge for just over 7.2 miles. After working up a sweat on this trail, back into Harmony for a refreshing brew at Union Brothers either in their full-kitchen taproom or in their cozy outdoor patio.

THE HIKE: Glacier Ridge Trail (Moraine State Park)

Length: 7.25 miles
Elevation Gain: 1350 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 3.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Gravel pull off for a few cars on Mt. Union Rd
Parking coordinates: 40.96781939719753, -80.07996200282916
H&H: 5/5

Moraine State Park is located in Portersville, PA only a few miles away from McConnells Mill State, another of my recent treks. Although these two have been affected by a similar geological history, they are rather unique from each other! Moraine is mainly characterized by the 3,000 acre Lake Arthur, which is why it is (justifiably) known for its draw to outdoor water sports and fishing. However, there’s lots of unique history behind that lake and its nearby trails.

History

Moraine State Park gets its name because of the four separate glaciers that reached their northernmost extent just shy of Moraine State Park. Glaciers are huge ice sheets that covered much of the Earth during the Ice Age. Because of the way glaciers move, they trap and move rock and other debris. When they melt and recede, this debris is left behind, often creating ridges known by geologists as moraines. While hiking through this park, you can see evidence of these glacial deposits in the huge boulders and stone that seem to emerge out of nowhere. As I’ve mentioned before, this glacial freeze and thaw cycle is also what created the incredible Slippery Rock Gorge at McConnells Mill! At one point in time, ice dams caused the creation of glacial lakes throughout the region. Although the current Lake Arthur is manmade, it is a replica of the glacial Lake Watt that once dominated the area.

Because of the unique glacial deposits, settlers to the region found it rich with mineral deposits. The mining industry grew throughout the 1800s until much of the area was depleted of resources and left polluted. For many decades, the area was left completely abandoned. But thanks to the efforts of researcher and naturalist Frank W. Preston (founder of the Western PA Conservancy), who recognized the uniqueness of the land, efforts were made to seal abandoned mains and restore the natural landscape.

One of my favorite things about this blog is being able to learn the history behind the trails I hike. I’ve lived in Pittsburgh most of my life, and never knew that Moraine wasn’t a person’s name but rather a geological term. Learning more about the geological history of the area, really gives greater depth to enjoying the areas we hike. It’s one thing to hike a trail called Glacier Ridge and another to understand why it’s called that!

The Trail

Okay, enough waxing poetic about geology (can you tell that I used to study archaeology?). Let’s get into this trail. Glacier Ridge is a 14.8 mile point to point trail that runs through the woods along the northside of Lake Arthur. It’s part of a small section of the 4,800 mile North Country Scenic Trail that runs from North Dakota to Vermont. Glacier Ridge is popular with backpackers and there are shelters that can be booked through the PA DNR website. Please note that you must have a permit to backpack! For more info about backpacking in Moraine, check out My Trails Are Many for a great overview of her experience. For those just looking to day hike, there are several access points to the Glacier Ridge trail in Moraine: PA 528, Mount Union Road, the bike rental, and McDanels Launch Area. For our trek, we parked at the small gravel pull-off on Mount Union Road which is small, but on a sunny Sunday, we were the only ones there! Be aware that there is also a larger parking lot for the bike trails on Mount Union before you hit this lot but that’s not where I recommend parking!

Immediately after starting the trail, it dips down to a peaceful pond that would be the perfect secluded fishing spot. Honestly, I could have spend the rest of the day lazing around this pond! From there the trail meanders through the woods, sometimes crossing over small bridges and heading up rocky inclines. For most of the trail, you’ll be staying on the blue blazes for the NCT/Glacier Ridge Trail. Do not follow any of the signs for the bike trails or the marina! After about 3.5 miles, the North Country trail splits off and continues north but you’ll want to stay on the Glacier Ridge Trail, which is now white blazed. Now, the trail hugs directly next to the lake, so there’s plenty of gorgeous photo opportunities. Finally, the trail hits the PA 528 bridge which is where we decided to turn around. Feel free to continue on if you’ve got the time and stamina! As always, make sure to leave enough daylight to make the return trek.

Other Things to Do

A trip to Moraine is a great day trip from the city! Aside from hiking, you can also get out on the water. There are 9 public boat docks and engines up to 20 horsepower are allowed. You can also rent pontoons, motorboats, kayaks, canoes, and rowboats. Swimming and fishing are also popular activities at Moraine. If staying on land is more your speed, check out the paved bike trails and also the more intense mountain bike routes. Looking for more to do in Moraine? Check out the PA Department of Natural Resources and the Butler County Tourism site.

THE BEER: Union Brothers Brewing

Address: 365 Mercer Rd, Harmony, PA 16037
Distance from Trail Head: 18 miles, 22 mins
Website: http://unionbrothersbrewing.com/
Food?: Full Menu
Details: Outdoor seating; Dog Friendly Outside

Union Brothers Brewing is a fairly recent addition to the thriving Zelienople beer scene. Friends Zachary Waltz and Jeremiah Cain began homebrewing together and perfected their craft for many years before opening a taproom. But once they did, it quickly outgrew the demand for their lineup of sours and hazy IPAs. The team has already expanded once to a larger taproom and greatly expanded their brewing capacity. From the stunning wall art by local graffiti artist Max Gonzales to its physical location across the street from the Steamfitters Union, Union Brothers is a celebration of the region’s industrial past and present. Both brewers are proud members of their local union and felt the name fit! You’ll find yourself right at home at Union Brothers whether it’s in the hip taproom or sitting around picnic tables and fire pits outside. A full food menu caps Union Brothers off as the perfect place to unwind.

We’ve been to Union Brothers twice now and have had an awesome experience both times. It feels like the perfect neighborhood joint, whether you’re from the area or just passing through. Having an excellent taplist doesn’t hurt either! I’ve heard rumors that Union Brothers is set to expand again soon, having purchased the old nearby Moose Lodge. I’m looking forward to seeing these guys just keep getting bigger and better!

Our Beer:

Short Break – Hazy Pale Ale – 4.7%
Black Forest Hills – Dark Lager – 6%

Looking for more Hikes & Hops north of Pittsburgh? Check out Wolf Creek Narrows & Big Rail Brewing, McConnells Mill & Shubrew, and North Park & Cinderlands

RCT: Springdale to Emmerling Park & Leaning Cask Brewing

April 7, 2023May 3, 2023hikesandhopsblog 2 Comments

Springdale, PA

Big News and Big Hills! I’ll be tackling the Homestead Challenge aka the Half Rachel Carson Trail Challenge. That means in June, I’ll be hiking 19 miles in one day. Am I crazy? Maybe! Thankfully, the weather is getting nicer and I’m able to get out for some training hikes! The first section I tackled was the starting point of the half challenge at Springdale High School, close to the Rachel Carson Homestead. A big shout out to Tory from MyTrailsAreMany for getting me out on the trail to start training! This hike is a point to point (one way) hike which is best done with two cars. You’ll trek just under 9 miles and gain 1,365ft in elevation! This hike isn’t for the faint of heart but is a great way to get a taste of the RCT

THE HIKE: RCT – Springdale to Emmerling

Length: 8.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,365 ft
Difficulty: Challenging
Time: 3.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Large lots at either endpoint. Bring two cars to do Point-to-Point
H&H: 4/5

Training for the RCT Challenge is best done by tackling large sections of the trail. It’s best to do it with a partner or group so that you can carpool to the trailhead and leave another car at the endpoint. If going solo, just be aware that you’ll have to double back on yourself a lot!

My friend Tory from MyTrailsAreMany, reached out about wanting to start training together. She did the Homestead Challenge last year and is going for the Full Challenge this year. Talk about hiking goals! Tory suggested this section of the RCT from Springdale to Emmerling Park because it had some big hills and was the first section of the Homestead Challenge. This was the perfect intro to the Challenge for me because it was the longest hike I’d done so far this year and the hills were NO JOKE. It definitely helped me set a baseline of where I need to improve! J and I were so grateful to have Tory as our guide and time keeper too.

So, as I mentioned, this trail section starts at Springdale High School parking lot, right next to the baseball field. From there, head down Marion Ave where you’ll pass the original home of Rachel Carson. It’s undergoing some renovations right now, but hopefully will be back open soon. Continue to the end of Marion Ave where you’ll see a tree line and finally head into the woods. Always keep your eyes peeled for the yellow RCT blaze. You should almost always be able to see the next blaze from where you are. Be aware that at many spots along the trail there are intersecting paths and it can be easy to get off course. Let the yellow blazes guide you!

This section will lead you through woods, along some streets, through a couple streams, and up and down several big hills. Expect to have some wet feet along the way and remember that undignified butt scooting is always an option on those hills! Lots of water and plenty of snacks are a must for these hikes.

If you’re interested in doing the Homestead Challenge (19 miles) or the Full Challenge (36 miles), there’s still time to enter! You can find the registration page here. If you’re already signed up for the challenge and are looking to start training, the RCT Conservancy has a number of orientation hikes and training hikes coming up or find a friend (like me!) to hike with!

How do you prepare for long hikes? Got any leg strengthening exercises to share with me?

THE BEER: The Leaning Cask Brewing Co.

Address: 850 Pittsburgh St, Springdale, PA 15144
Distance from Trail Head: 0.5 miles, 2 mins
Website: https://www.leaningcaskbrewing.com/
Food?: BYOF, Food Trucks
Details: Outdoor seating, dog friendly

The best thing about leaving our car at Springdale for this hike? Leaning Cask Brewery is only 0.2 miles away! I’ve had my eye on Leaning Cask for ages but it always seemed so far out of the way. Thankfully this hike was the perfect reason to stop. Although I still feel bad for the amount of mud (and probable stank) that we left at the bar. Anyone else ever feel bad for going somewhere after a particularly muddy hike? I really need to start bringing a change of shoes!

Anyway, Leaning Cask is a great post-hike spot because they’ve got a large outdoor seating area as well as frequent food trucks on the weekend. They’ve also got an awesome taplist with so many different beer types, as well as some local wine. Also, true to their name, they’ve got some beer on cask!

Cask ale – Also known as Real Ale, Cask Beer goes through a final fermentation in a cask or barrel. It features a slight carbonation and is served unfiltered at “cask temperature” (around 55F).

The Leaning Cask has been bringing an English pub flair to Springdale since 2016. The owners found themselves heavily influenced by English pub culture and wanted to bring that warmth to their brewpub in PA. You’ll also notice that the two are big dog lovers, as evidenced by many of their beer names. Hence, the pub is friendly to well-behaved and leashed doggos.

Our Beer:

Goldendoodle – Golden Ale – 4.2%
Um…That’s On Fire – American IPA – 5.6%
Celestial Canine – NEIPA – 6%
Pedigree: Blood Orange & Cranberry – Fruited Sour – 6.8%

Also be sure to check out https://mytrailsaremany.com/ for hiking planning guides, tips and gear, and more!

Great Smoky Mountains: Clingman’s Dome, Andrew’s Bald & Mountain Layers Brewing

March 27, 2023hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Bryce City, NC

Okay finally getting around to sharing one of our Hike n Hops from Sep ‘22 trip to the Great Smoky Mountains! Although we didn’t get to spend as much time as I wanted here, we did do this awesome hike that included the iconic 360 view from Clingmans Dome. Then we did a trek along Andrew’s Bald, which took us through incredibly lush forests. After exploring more of the park, we ended our day at Mountain Layers Brewing in Bryson City!

THE HIKE: Clingmans Dome & Andrews Bald Trail

Length: 4.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1100 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking Only
Parking: Large lot at trailhead with pit toilets
H&H: 5/5

Clocking in at just over 6,600 ft tall, Clingmans Dome is the tallest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! It’s a popular spot for visitors, who, after a heart-pumping climb to the top, can see up to 100 miles on a clear day. You can access Clingmans Dome by taking the Clingmans Dome Access road at about MM 15 on Newfound Gap road (the main scenic byway linking Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC). This is a very popular area of the park so be prepared for traffic and crowds! We aimed to start our day at this point so we could beat the crowds! After parking at the trailhead, there’s a paved path up to the viewing tower. But don’t let the pavement trick you, it’s an incredibly steep hike and we had to stop and catch our breath a few times. The view from the Dome absolutely makes it all worth it though! It was fairly cloudy when we first arrived but thankfully a cool breeze moved some of the clouds away and we got some stunning views of the woods.

PRO-TIP:
Always bring extra layers when going to Great Smoky National Park! The weather can be much cooler than expected!

After the Dome, a friendly ranger convinced us to check out a side trail to Andrews Bald. We’re so glad that we took this advice since it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. We had the trail nearly to ourselves and couldn’t believe the amount of plant life in the overgrowth! The unique climate of GSMNP makes it flush with mushrooms and moisture-loving critters. In fact, the Mountains are known as the salamander capital of the world since more than 30 distinct species of salamanders can be found there! The Great Smokies are also known and beloved for their black bear population but sadly we didn’t see any on this trip!

So you might be wondering, what the heck is a bald? Grassy balds are treeless, grassy meadows that occur below timberline and mostly on ridgetops in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The really cool thing about them is no one is really sure where they came from. These areas are incredible to experience though because one minute you’ll be hiking through dense tree coverage and then suddenly it opens to a grassy field with vistas of the surrounding mountains. We sat with the majesty of Andrew’s Bald for a while, especially since we had the place to ourselves. It was the perfect spot to relax and even a little bird friend wanted to say hi! But for the most part, I think I’ll just let the pictures of this awesome trail speak for itself!

THE BEER: Mountain Layers Brewing Company

Address: 90 Everett St, Bryson City, NC 28713
Distance from Trail Head: 30 miles, 50 mins
Website: http://www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com
Food?: Food Trucks
Details: Outdoor seating, dog friendly outside

After a day full of hiking, beautiful vistas, stunning waterfalls, and many granola bars, we were ready for a brew! Honestly sometimes doing a Hike n Hop can be pretty difficult in a National Park because you have to go to the nearest city which can be quite a drive! For our trip, we were staying in Asheville and knew that we wanted to head back along the Blue Ridge Parkway, so a stop in Bryson City seemed like a plan!

Mountain Layers Brewing Company has been a local establishment in Bryson City since 2014. They pride themselves on making fresh delicious beer and being a welcoming spot for the community and visitors alike! Their location has a small front taproom inside or a sprawling roof patio. They also frequently have rotating food trucks for all of your post hike needs! Having visited in mid September, we were happy to see some fall beers on the tap list and really enjoyed the Oktoberfest! The folks at Mountain Layers were incredibly friendly and I’m so glad that we chose this spot to fuel up before our long drive back to Asheville!

Our Beer:

Oktoberfest – Amber Layer – 5.9%
Fontana Hoppiness – IPA – 6.5%
Elk Watch Stout – Irish Dry Stout – 5.6%
Dragon Tamer – NEIPA – 5.8%
Wee Be Heavy – Scotch Ale – 6.5%
Prickly Pear – Gose – 4.3%

Stay tuned for more of our Great Smoky Mountain NP and Asheville trip!

Emerald View Trail & Inner Groove Brewing (Allentown)

March 12, 2023March 16, 2025hikesandhopsblog 2 Comments

Mt. Washington, PA

This loop is the best of urban hiking! It starts out on the wooded Emerald View trail, meandering around Mt. Washington then pops you out right at the overlook! From there, enjoy walking along Grandview Ave and then back through the historic neighbors of Mt. Washington. If you’re feeling extra frisky, you can even continue along the Grandview park section of the Emerald View trail. Or stop for a rest and treat at the Shiloh Street shops! The world is your oyster with this one. One big recommendation though is to end your excursion with a visit to Inner Groove’s Allentown taproom! They’ve got awesome beer, bar games, and an outdoor patio. What more could you want?

THE HIKE: Emerald View Loop

Length: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 660 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2 hours
Trail use: Hiking, Biking, Leashed pets
Parking: Various parking lots and street parking
H&H: 3/5

As much as I love visiting state parks with acres and acres of untouched greenery, there’s also something to be said for our local CitiParks which are doing a lot with the little bits of greenspace they can find! One of my new favorites has been the Emerald View trail on Mt. Washington. I used to see the signs for trail crossings on my commute home from work and always wondered about where it could lead. Well, it was time to finally find out!

Emerald View Park is one of the many green spaces maintained by the City of Pittsburgh Citiparks and their dedicated group of rangers. This park encompasses over 250 acres on Mt. Washington and is a successful story of restoration. In Pittsburgh’s early days, Mt. Washington was heavily mined for soft coal, so much that it became known as Coal Hill. In the 1930s, access to the housing communities on Mt. Washington was created, including some of Pittsburgh’s well-known streets like McArdle, Shiloh, and Grandview. Into the 1970s, the City took greater strides to regulate mining and to take advantage of the beautiful view. The scenic overlooks were built and groups started to advocate for the restoration of the area. Finally in 2007, the park was named as a regional park!

This is such a great park system because there are beautiful wooded areas right in the midst of an urban neighborhood, then suddenly you come out to that iconic view of Pittsburgh! We started our trek by parking at Olympia Park and heading right into the woods at the end of Hallock Street. We stayed on the Emerald View Trail, although there are several other offshoot trails and neighborhood access points. I really loved this section of the trail because we were able to be in such a little slice of nature while also looking out over the hills to see the highways and iconic Pittsburgh neighborhoods. As you start into the big turn to head towards Mt. Washington and the overlooks, you’ll encounter the steepest parts of this hike. It can’t be Pittsburgh without some inclines! Finally, the Emerald View Trail pops out right on Grandview Ave by the Point of View Sculpture (Jim West, 2006). From there, the trail became more of an urban walk as we stopped at the Duquesne Incline and the various overlook spots. My favorite viewpoint is by the St. Mary of the Mount Church! We continued on Grandview Ave until we reached the Monogahela Incline, then started to make our way back towards Olympia Park. This was about a 5 mile loop. If you were looking for more, you could also add in the 2 mile loop in Grandview Park! Or if you want to avoid sidewalks, you could turn around at the Point of View sculpture and retrace your steps back along the Emerald View Trail.

This was a great hike to explore our city a bit more and also to appreciate the wonderful greenspaces that exist in the city limits. This park has definitely inspired me to check out more of the City’s regional and neighborhood parks! Do you have a favorite?

THE BEER: Inner Groove Brewing

Address: 827 E Warrington Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15210
Distance from Trail Head: 2 miles, 8 mins
Website: https://www.innergroovebrewing.com/
Food?: BYOF or takeout
Details: Outdoor seating, dog friendly outside

Inner Groove is a microbrewery based out of Verona, which is quite a trek for me! So I was excited when they opened a taproom in the City of Pittsburgh up in the Allentown neighborhood of Mt. Washington. This taproom opened in May 2022 and boasts a large taproom and nice outdoor side patio. Although they don’t have a kitchen, there are plenty of great places to grab a bite in Allentown. Plus, that also means their outside patio is dog friendly, as I brought a furry friend with me the first time we visited and sat outside! In addition to a large selection of their own beers, they also have local wine and a selection of cocktails.

Inner Groove has been a staple in the small borough of Verona since 2019 when two couples finally realized their dream of opening a brewery together. Inner Groove is known for unique styles and flavors and always has a broad range of beers on tap. As a nod to their name, most of their beers are also inspired by music and feature a music lyric in their names. I love how witty some of them are!

Inner Groove is a great addition to the Allentown neighborhood and I’m so glad that we have another brewery in our area! Be aware that parking is limited and the small lot off E. Warrington Ave can be a little challenging to pull into.

Our Beer: