A Rising Tide

Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week starts today, & lovers of good beer in southwestern PA have a lot to be happy about.  Looking over the line-up of events, & the roster of establishments & organizations participating, makes me think about how great it is to be in craft beer these days.  Sure, from a business perspective, good beer is getting more popular, creating more revenue & sustaining more economic growth every year.  And as crazy as it gets sometimes seeing the pool fill up & having to deal with perpetually increasing demand, this is a damn fun business to be in.  More & more people are recognizing this, & starting up breweries, bars, & restaurants.  The House exists, yes, as a business entity to make money, but we’re successful because we love beer.  There’s always the possibility that some newcomers to the game are trying to ride this wave of commerce, but the hopeful side of me thinks that most venture into this business for the same reasons I did: they love beer just as much!

Yes, part of running a business in a free market is competition.  But I think what makes this business so great, & what spawned a concept like PCBW, is the “rising tide” principle: the spotlight is on the craft itself, & so many businesses get to share in that spotlight at once.  More people learn about quality beer & seek it out.  Good word about one beer bar makes you want to try others in the area, & many are buoyed at once.  It’s a win-win!  We embrace competition, but part of what makes this business so much fun is the friendliness & camaraderie that goes along with it.  Employees at The House patronize other establishments – I remember my eyes opening to Belgian beer at the Sharp Edge, & poring over the Beer Cave shelves at D’s, & loving the great combo of beer & tapas at Headkeeper.  We love having folks from Sidelines, BeerHive, Sharp Edge, & Penn sidle at our bar & scope out our selection.  Yes, we’re competitors, but the people the staff other good beer bars are not faceless – we know each other by name & when we talk, it’s all about what’s in the glass. 

The House strives to provide something unique to our guests: great beer & a lot of it, good prices, often those hard-to-find gems, in an environment that redefines “relaxed & casual”.  Every establishment brings their own strengths to the table, with the commonality of a passion for great beer.  Each one makes a concerted effort to celebrate quality beer, the “social lubricator”, across a region.  To me, that’s at the heart of Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week.