Braddock's Brew Gentlemen opens refurbished tap room after lengthy closure
The pandemic caused the initial closure of Brew Gentlemen’s taproom in March 2020.
Owners Matt Katase and Asa Foster then decided to take the time to refurbish the indoor space in Braddock.
Those enhancements will finally be visible Friday as the popular craft brewery reopens.
“It’s been quite a journey,” Katase said. “We are definitely excited for our next chapter. We’ve been serving beer to customers we have never met through our wholesaling business during the pandemic and hope some of the customers we met for the first time at the pop-up in Allegheny Overlook in Downtown Pittsburgh will come to Braddock.”
Katase, of Hawaii, and Foster of Boston first met at Carnegie Mellon University. Katase was a math major and Foster studied art.
They also learned how to make beer.
The SAE fraternity brothers opened Brew Gentlemen in 2014 in Braddock after graduation. The place started collecting national accolades for its brews and the Braddock taproom became a local destination. Food trucks often set up out front.
Now, the taproom is back.
“We’re renovating the taproom in order to start fresh and envision a new Brew Gentlemen home base, armed with everything we’ve learned over seven years of operation and life,” the owners wrote on social media. “From a design and functionality perspective, we have a much clearer understanding of what the BG experience will look and feel like; from an execution perspective, we’re coming at it with a pretty stacked arsenal of tools, capabilities and personnel.”
The tap room will open for the first time at 3 p.m. until to 7 p.m. Friday, noon to 7 Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Foster’s art background was used to design and built some of the furniture and the look of the tap room as well as he handles the beer’s packaging details. The tap room can accommodate 40 people. It needed an upgrade from flooring to the walls to new furniture. There are new HVAC and electrical systems.
Katase’s math expertise is utilized for the business side.
The brewery hosted a pop-up beer garden at the Allegheny Overlook this summer. The venue was used to host music and art events in an outdoor setting.
Katase, who is on the board of the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild, said Pittsburgh has some amazing craft beer places in various neighborhoods. The new Brew Gentelmen will feature 12 beers on tap, including the flagship General Braddock and Hundo, a double IPA with a honeydew melon flavor and a “dank, floral finish full of black pepper, mango, and tangerine peel.”
A menu of snacks will be available as well as cocktails from Goodlander Cocktail Brewery in Larimer. Guests will be able to taste beers, buy beer and take a tour of the brewery.
“They are great community spaces,” Katase said. “Each neighborhood has its brewery and the local support is wonderful. We are excited to be able to see everyone again in person. Asa and fell in love with making beer and learned to brew it on campus.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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