| Draai Laag Brewing Company 501 East Ohio Street | Millvale, PA 15209 (412) 821-1762 www.draailaag.com |
Draai Laag Brewing Company (pronounced “dry log”) is a creative addition to the Pittsburgh region beer scene. The brewery, which focuses on small batches of high-quality, hand-crafted beers, was the first to open in Millvale since 1845.
Founded in 2009, they began distributing beers to local bars and restaurants during the winter of 2011-2012, however the Draai Laag crew had been experimenting with recipes for over 14 years.
The first beer that was available at Draai Laag was Aureus, an 8.0% ABV Belgian-style beer. The complex, light-medium bodied golden beer offers aromas of fruit esters, citrus, and banana tones, a smooth warming character, and mellow rounded bitterness.
The second offering from Draai Laag was Simon Girty, an 8.0% ABV Dark Strong Ale that is off-red in color with aromas of fruit, bubblegum, and spice. Flavors of caramel and citrus balance a distinctive bitterness and alcohol warmth. The finish is dry with hints of cocoa.
My favorite beer was La Pienture, an 8.0% ABV hybrid of a Flemish brown, Flemish red, and Kriek Lambic. The old world wild beer offers earthiness, funk, “barnyard” and sour with a subtle sweetness.
Other beers on tap included Haviken, a 7.4% ABV brew with flavors of dark chocolate, mild coffee, toffee, and dark fruits; Yodeler, a 13.2% ABV Quad with barleywine characteristics bottled with Brettanomyces; Cru, a 7.4% ABV Old Ale fermented using the “Wild Angels” strain; and Geestelijke, a 9.0% ABV Belgian Tripel/Farmhouse ale brewed with Wild Strains and Brettanomyces.
Many of the beers on tap were also available to go in bottles. Additional brews available in bottles included Goedenacht, a 9.5% ABV Farmhouse Ale brewed with apples and orange blossom honey; Ragnarök, an 8.8% ABV Belgian Dark Strong Ale; and St. Angus, a 9.7% ABV Belgian Christmas Ale.
Saints and Turncoats is the tasting room located at 501 East Ohio Street in Millvale, PA, just across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. The tasting room has the feel of an old world European public house, featuring a unique offering of beers, some of which are found nowhere else.
Draai Laag extended the hours at Saints and Turncoats this past August. The tasting room is now open 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM on Thursdays and Fridays and 3:00 PM to 10:30PM on Saturdays, making it easier to stop by and enjoy some of the most creative and delicious Belgian-style beers outside of Belgium.
