Forgive me Father, for I have sinned...I think. \n\nWell, I'm not sure where sampling beers on a Sunday afternoon at a micro-brew located in a former Catholic church necessarily fits in the whole scheme of things, but I felt I was violating some type of rule, code or commandment. Regardless, Church Brew Works had been at the top of my Pittsburgh to-do list since I heard about it last summer and I was checking it out, regardless.\n\nSince I've never tried their beer before, I decided to order the sampler, consisting of eight different 5oz brews for $12.75. But after doing some quick math, I realized I needed to address my growling stomach first to avoid any unintentional purge-atory (rim shot). After looking through the variety of menu options, I decided on the lunch version of the Garden Plum Tomato brick-oven pizza. Aside from being crispy and tasty, it turned out to be the perfect size for one person.\n\nAnyway, back to the beer. Sorry. There were four year-round samples consisting of Celestial Gold, Pious Monk Dunkle (+), Blast Furnace Stout (+) and Pipe Organ Pale Ale. There were also four seasonal brews consisting of Red Nebyllek, Coffee Dunkel (+), Thunder Hop and Oktoberfest (+). It was a great mix of all different types: light, dark and everything in between.\n\nRegarding the interior, I love how they've kept the original structure, including the pews, fixtures and woodwork, mostly the same. Plus, you can walk up center aisle, which divides two separate dining areas, to the front of the church where large, copper brew tanks sit on the front altar. It's sort of weird, yet cool, to see.\n\nSpending lunch here was a fun and pleasant experience and I was glad to see so many other people \"congregating\" here as well. Okay, okay, I'm done.\n\n(+) = liked
places reviews