Steel City Big Pour

I recently attended the Steel City Big Pour, a craft beer and food festival held at Construction Junction. This year marked the ninth year that the event has been held, and from the reviews of attendees, it sounded like this year’s event was the best yet.

With more than 40 brewers offering samples of up to four different beers each, and more than 20 food vendors, there was certainly something for everyone to enjoy. One of my favorite aspects of the event was having the chance to try new brews from some of my favorite breweries, while still being able to sip some old favorites. The event created a smartphone app, which allowed participants to rate each beer that they sampled, so you could see how each beer was ranked. Checking on the rankings every now and then to see what was in first place alerted me to some new beers to try, even though I did not always agree about what should have been a top-ranked beer. A lot of the brewers put out their fall beers, so I got to taste a good variety of pumpkin-flavored beers as well. The food was also incredible. There were tacos, pulled pork sliders, gourmet grilled cheeses, pretzels and tons of different kinds of macaroni and cheese, and these were just the food items that I personally sampled.

A major perk of the Big Pour is definitely the venue. So many food and drink festivals are held outside, and subject to less than ideal weather, particularly this time of year. When these events are held inside, however, it can get really hot, crowded and overwhelming. Construction Junction’s warehouse provides the perfect solution to both of these problems. Attendees can venture outside for some fresh air, but there is plenty of space, with the high ceilings and wide aisles, for those who wish to remain inside without feeling trapped.

Not only is the Big Pour a great opportunity to sample some of Pittsburgh’s very best food and drinks, it is also a major revenue-generating event for Construction Junction, a non-profit building material reuse retailer, whose main goal is to promote conservation through the reuse of all kinds of building materials. In addition to reducing waste and recycling, Construction Junction also pairs with Goodwill and the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh to provide job training and placement programs to help Pittsburgh residents, particularly those with disabilities, find employment. The funds that Construction Junction receives from hosting the Big Pour are used to help facilitate these programs, pay rent and utility bills, provide pick up and drop off services for reusable goods, and explore new partnerships to expand material reuse.

I look forward to attending the Big Pour in future years, and if you are ever looking for a great event in the Pittsburgh area, this would be one to check out. Whether or not you are a big craft beer enthusiast, the Big Pour is a great chance to sample some new beers, enjoy some delicious food, socialize with hundreds of other participants and support a great organization.