Local Focus: Trace Brewing Welcomes All to the Table

Welcome to the 2023 Spill Awards: Toasting the Pinnacle of Potables!

Hey there, beverage buffs and libation lovers! Before we dive into the frothy seas of this glorious toast-fest – aka the Spill Awards 2023 – hit pause and consider joining forces with our merry band of sippers. Subscribe to our merry little missive, The Spill, and let’s raise a glass to the liquid luminaries of the year!

The Evolving Criteria for ‘Brewery of the Year’

Let’s time hop a bit. Circa 1990, a ‘Brewery of the Year’ badge was often pinned on creatives coining new beer styles or those champions churning obscure brew-traditions into mainstream magic. The early 2000s? Oh, hop lovers reigned supreme, skyrocketing the lupulin thresholds. The ‘teens’ brought about a different thirst for expansion – who’s ballooning with variety and whose bottles boldly straddle the most shelves afar.

Fast forward to the peculiar pandemic peak, and we get that “p” word – pivot – now an almost-taboo buzz. Yet, here we are in 2023, a pivotal juncture indeed. Sippers’ whims have waltzed into new territories, the American brewery boom is eyeballing a crossroads, market saturation is (gasp!) literally breath-stealing, and – enter stage left – canned cocktails grandstanding with their debut.

Whew, that’s not all, folks! Boiling over are the craft ale cauldrons with pressing issues like diversity scarcity, and the pressing need for tangible equity and a safer workplace. It’s a hotpot of urgency that the industry cannot merely backburner anymore.

The Portrait of a ‘Brewery of the Year’ in Todayscape

What’s a ‘Brewery of the Year’ in the whirlwind of 2023, you muse? Imagine a steadfast alehouse that knows its hops from its malts and doesn’t chase the growth dragon at the cost of, say, human happiness. Envision a place where the beer is cracking and their taproom is a beacon of bonhomie. Picture a local haven with a big heart for community upliftment and a palpable zeal for sewing seeds of diversity, inclusivity, and betterment into the hop-strewn fields of the industry.

Ladies, gents, and everyone in between, I present to you Trace Brewing – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s gem and this year’s crown-jewel brewery.

Spearheading the Industry: Trace Brewing’s Standout Strategy

According to the effervescent incoming exec of the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild, Melissa Larrick, Trace Brewing is writing the playbook on community engagement. With a taproom echoing the heartbeat of warmth and staff diversity that would make a rainbow beam, they are, dare we say, craft beer virtuosos.

The Ale Artistry at Trace Brewing

Let’s cut to the quenching chase – Trace’s beermanship is un-beer-lievable! They’ve got a tap list to make every palate pirouette, from hop-heavy IPAs to an oak-aged German kellerbier. Not to mention the barrel-soured cherry and mulberry grisette that’s winning the hearts and tongues of beer greenhorns and geeks alike. Craftsmanship? Check. Beer nerdery? Double check.

Yet, they’re not on a mission to storm supermarket shelves. Why? Because in this current tide of too-many-tinnies, the smarter brew path is nurturing local sips and forging strong barstool bonds.

Trace Brewing: A Local Love Story

Founded during the finicky finals of 2020 by Dave Kushner, Trace Brewing birthed in the Bloomfield neighborhood with intimate to-go taproom treks till vaccines varied the game. Aadam Soorma, their marketing and guest experience guru, shares that pre-inaugural year was sprinkled with community chitchats – what brews do they crave? What taproom trait would tickle their fancy?

The neighborhood carved its desires straight into Trace’s very DNA. But the splendor in the suds didn’t stop there. Recognizing their position in an industry painted too monochrome, Trace sewed diversity and inclusivity into their fabric right from the get-go. Spoiler: They even crafted gender-neutral havens, sneaking around county codes with a sly wink.

Stay Local, Think Big: Trace Brewing’s Beer Philosophy

Seeing the trees and the forest, Trace Brewing understands that a tight-knit community hug outdoes a distribution sprawl. This 2023, they’re toasting to neighborly love, a minuscule yet mighty partner circuit, and a brewing system delivering nectar so fine it’s worthy of poetry. Enter head brewer Zach Colton, whose magical hop-hand ensures that every brew is nothing short of sublime.

More Than Just Beer: A Brewery with a Pulse

But pause, there’s more! This brewery is not just about tickling taste buds. When the clock strikes 8 a.m., Trace opens its doors to the caffeine crowd, featuring the heralded beanslinging of Joe Burns of Ghost Coffee Collab. Their calendar? Packed – with Disco Sundays, hip hop bashes, drag brunches, and the SoftLife Sunday serenity sessions.

Trace Brewing’s Industry Innovation: A Vocational Victory

Oh, and they didn’t just set up shop – they broke molds. Their vocational program is no less than trailblazing, aiming to trounce the traditional entry barriers festering the brewing industry. They’ve given wings to five fledgling brewers, each soaring into craft beer success stories from Pittsburgh to Chicago.

Tyler Perez, one of the program’s prodigies, now flourishing at Mad Chef Craft Brewing, tips his hat to Trace’s visionaries. And Natalie Thurman, the current vocational brewer, is relishing the full-tilt brewery panorama afforded by Trace’s mentorship.

Trace Brewing’s Echo Across Pittsburgh and Beyond

Alex Soller, the communications maestro at VisitPITTSBURGH, sings paeans to Pittsburgh’s craft beer scene, and Trace Brewing waltzes as the poster child for the city’s down-to-earth dynamism. And not stopping at just ale adoration, Trace spills its success into a forthcoming sequel – Echo, promising another neighborhood gem where coffee brews meet crafty beers and delicious alliances form with local food masters.

Their blueprint? All about hugging those brand ethos and ensuring a fair shake for all. Trace’s strategy might just be the raising-the-bar of the industry.

The Spill Awards’ Toast to Trace Brewing for 2023

And there you have it, the saga of Trace Brewing as 2023’s “Brewery of the Year”, an accolade that’s as well-earned as it is foamy and effervescent. As you absorb this tale of hops and hope, let the spirit move you to blend into The Spill – America’s tip-top newsletter for spirits. There’s 15% off La Tierra de Acre Mezcal in it for you, plus a treasure chest of reviews, concoctions, and mirth. Cheers to that!