By Timothy Long

Pittsburgh is a fun sports town. It always has been. It’s the only city in the United States where all the professional sports teams wear the same colors. The Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins all don the black and gold. So, sports conversations are usually easy. Everyone is on the same page, and probably wearing the same colors. All the patrons of the bar you’re in are friends, buddies, compadres. It’s all fun and games, until a certain question is posed.  A question that can divide the bar and create chaos. It’s a simple question, an innocent question. A question that gets asked in most places without any unseemly results.

“What college team do you root for?”

The bar will immediately split three ways. Sides will be taken, and the smack talking will get loud. University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), Penn State University, and West Virginia University (WVU) fans will stand their ground and proudly display loyalty to their alma maters. Where there was friendship, there is now animosity. Buddies are suddenly rivals. Many Pittsburghers attend one of these three universities, so the city has large alumni bases from each.

The three schools used to play each other every year. Now that each is in a different college conference, the games aren’t as common. But when they do occur, they are ferocious. The Pitt and WVU game is the Backyard Brawl. People tend to know this; the matchup is famous. But they often don’t know where the appellation comes from. It’s really simple: the schools are only one hour and twenty minutes from each other. As far as major universities go, that close distance is rare. The two are literally in each other’s back yards.

My wife and I just attended the most recent Backyard Brawl. It was in Pittsburgh this year. (Or the Burgh, as Pittsburghers often call it.) I grew up in the area, just west of the city. So, Pittsburgh is home to me. The city has changed a lot since I was a kid, mostly for the better. The steel mills that dominated much of the area are gone. True, there are those older denizens who would not see that as a positive thing.  Nevertheless, the city spent three decades redefining itself. The once dirty and polluted steel city is now a beautiful, clean tech hub with great food and theatre scenes. And, of course, great craft beer.

We arrived late Friday afternoon and checked into the William Penn Hotel. The William Penn is a luxurious hotel constructed in 1916 at a cost of six million dollars, a lot of money for the time. It’s right downtown and quite beyond fabulous.

We checked in, then headed next door to the Commoner, a lovely bar inside the Hotel Monaco. It’s one of our favorite spots. After the four-hour drive from DC, we both wanted a drink. I spied their house old-fashioned on the drink menu, the Commoner O.F. I noticed that it was made with a house blended bourbon. The bartender explained that they mix Four Roses and Russel Reserve bourbons. I considered this a bold move and had to try it. It was delicious. These guys know what they’re doing.

Next stop, Blend Cigar Lounge. It has a great wine list, bourbon list, and local craft beers. Their walk-in humidor is fantastic. I picked out an Arturo Fuerte Hemingway, which is a wonderful cigar. As I lit my smoke, Martay, the bartender, was answering my questions about their draft beers. They had two local beers from Links Brewing Company. Being a golfer, I loved the name and had to try both. Links 1010 is Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout. It hits you up front with chocolate and espresso notes. The bourbon flavor from the aging blends perfectly. This is a well-done stout. Next is the Links Ale. It’s an American Ale. They advertise it as lightly hopped, and it is. There are just enough hops to add to the taste. This beer is light, citrusy, and refreshing. Quite a delightful beer.

While I was enjoying my beer and cigar, my fraternity brother Bob called. We were meeting Bob, his wife Jenn, and my fraternity brother Mike for a tailgate the next morning.

“Hey, I got a case of Miller Lite for the beer snob” He chuckled.

“That’s not funny” I reply.

“Well, what do you want?”

He started listing beers. I stopped at Great Lakes Oktoberfest.

“That’s perfect! Get that.”

It’s probably bad form to be drinking a Cleveland beer in Pittsburgh, but this one is great. The Great Lakes Oktoberfest is a Marzen-style Oktoberfest beer, so it’s darker and has more malt than most other lagers.  But the malt does not overpower the beer. It’s a medium bodied beer with great autumn flavors. A perfect tailgating beer.

Our tailgate the next morning was on the side of a hill, not uncommon for a Pitt or WVU tailgate. The WVU section was in the endzone at Acrisure Stadium. By the way, everyone still calls the stadium Heinz Field. Our seats were on the upper tier, so high up that birds were flying below us. But no matter, we enjoyed ourselves. Well, until WVU blew a 10-point lead in the last three minutes of the game and lost. But life goes on.

After the game, it was back to the William Penn hotel to have a glass of wine in their Palm Lounge and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of this classic spot. Yes, I do enjoy drinking a good glass of wine. Man cannot live on beer and bourbon alone. The hotel has a pub and a speakeasy as well. Both are quite fun.

The next morning, we’re off to the Grand Concourse restaurant for brunch with my nephew Dan and his wife Linda. This restaurant is on the southside of Pittsburgh in Station Square. The building is the old train station. The interior is beautiful. The brunch is enormous and fabulous. It’s a buffet broken into stations that are spread throughout the restaurant and bar. What a great experience. But one must come hungry. The amount of food is unbelievable.

Their bar is called The Gandy Dancer Saloon. My father used to take us there when we were in the city. The place is a great childhood memory for me. And it’s hardly changed over time. I couldn’t help but take a moment and reflect. I must admit I got a tear in my eye. I could still see my dad sitting at the bar eating oysters.

Do yourself a favor and plan a weekend in Pittsburgh. The people are friendly, and the food and drink scenes are well worth it. You find it to be a wonderful experience. For me, it’s always that, and just a little bit more.

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

Knob Creek 9 Year Bourbon Whiskey

This month’s recommendation is the Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 9 year. It’s an easy drinking, high proof bourbon. Perfect for tailgating. The nose has a good amount of spice, with apple, brown sugar, and caramel. It’s sweet on the palate, but not overly so, with maple syrup, vanilla, and brown sugar. The finish is long with oak, cinnamon, and leather. It’s 120 proof, so be careful. But at $55 a bottle, it’s a real bargain.

Arturo Fuerte Hemmingway Signature Cigar

This cigar has a sweet Cameroon wrapper and is arguably the perfect size for a tailgate cigar. The smoke delivers cream, chocolate, cashews, and a bit of pepper. It has a sweetness that lingers on the tongue, but not too much. The cigar has a crisp and clean finish. At around $7 a stick, this little gem is a steal.

This cigar, and many other fine cigars, are available at John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. Mention this article and get 10% off the purchase of this month’s recommended cigar.

About the Author: Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator. Email: tlong@belmarinnovations.com. Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog: What is that fly doing in my soup? http://whatflyinmysoup.com