It was exactly one year ago today, that we opened the make-shift garage doors at our little brewery along Freeport Road in Blawnox for takeout beer sales.
On Wednesday of next week (12/29/21) from 12pm until 10pm, we will be celebrating our first anniversary here at 340 Freeport Road, with a very memorable beer release.
Here are the details of the event and a recap of Old Thunder - Year 1:
Anniversary Details:
We will be open from 12pm until 10pm on Wednesday 12/29/21 for sales and service.
Sales of bottles, cans, and merchandise will take place at the brewery garage doors.
Permanent Hangover will be joining us to release their OT Anniversary glassware and T-shirts. *All sales are first come - first served.
The taproom will be open all day for draft sales, and Pittsburgh Tortas & Stunt Pig will be out front with special anniversary menu items.
The Beers:
2FK - 8.2% abv - Double IPA
We brewed this double version of False Kingdom to celebrate our one year anniversary. Expect amplified notes of citrus, mango, and pineapple. $20 per 4-Pack of cans
Everlasting Vistor - 8% abv - Double IPA
Our anniversary Dipa hopped exclusively with the freshest crop of Australian Galaxy. Expect soft notes of citrus, passionfruit, and peaches. $20 per 4-Pack of cans
A Glimmer in the Oak - 10% abv
An imperial stout aged for 1 year in a blend of whiskey barrels (Buffalo Trace, Sazarac Rye, Old Forester, and 1792) and conditioned on Alabaster Coffee’s La Oscuridad (a single origin bean from Guatemala). Expect rich notes of chocolate fudge, fresh coffee, coconut, and fine old whiskey. $25 per 750mL bottle
A Recap of Old Thunder Year 1:
We opened the brewery for takeout can sales at the end of December 2020, and the taproom was opened for service towards the end of April 2021.
In our first year of operations, we brewed 55 different beers (some are still aging in barrels), filled over 124k cans, and packaged over 700 kegs.
We've brewed 13 batches of False Kingdom (house IPA) and 6 batches of 340 Lager (house Helles).
Team
We started out with just one employee (Ethan), and have grown to a team of five wonderful individuals (Nicole, Cameron, Natasha, and Kayla). We’ve also had help in the taproom from our amazing friends and family members (special shoutout to Jons, Joe Smo, and Jackworth).
Food
Since day one, we have had tremendous support from our friends and colleagues in the food truck business, including: Pittsburgh Tortas, Gyros N’at, Blowfish BBQ, Blue Sparrow, Steer & Wheel, Albertas Pizza, Stunt Pig, Taqueria El Pastorcito, Tocayo, Haskel’s Deli, Bridge City Brinery, Mr. Bulgogi, Pub Chip Truck, Disfrutar Vegan, and Just Roll’d Up.
We would also like to recognize our neighboring businesses, who have been extremely supportive since we opened in Blawnox, including but not limited to: Maenam Thai. Nox’s Tavern, Curbside Coffee, Dietch’s Bar, Mercurio's, Jimmy Wan’s, La Pizza Bella, and I2T Technologies.
Collaborations
This year, we had the pleasure of creating special beers with our brewery colleagues from: Stick City Brewing, New Trail Brewery, and Missing Mountain Brewery. We also collaborated on beers with some highly-talented artists, including Chef Jamilka Borges, Livefromthecity, and Karl from Alabaster Coffee. Thank you, friends.
Events
We created, collaborated, and attended some events this year, including: Bloxtoberfest, Autumn Beer Showcase, Beers of the Burgh and the Traveling Beer Market, Mars Fest, Barrel & Flow, Erie Beers Not on the Bay, Verona Garden Fest, Tarentum Beer Festival, and the Night Before Krampus. Thank you to everyone involved.
Year 2
Now that we’ve had a chance to catch our breath; here are some things you can expect from Old Thunder in 2022:
-Much more lager in various styles
-Mixed-fermentation saison in bottles and on draft
-Strong beers aged in spirits barrels
-The continuation of the Stillage lineage
-Hop-forward beers brewed with the best hops on the planet
Thank you
We want to send a huge thank you to our friends, families, fellow breweries, neighbors, taproom regulars, the Blawnox Borough, and anybody else who has helped us over the past year. Thank you all and we will see you very soon.
- Josh, Rob, and Zach