Our Story

Favorite DG beer
Lustra

Favorite non-DG beer
Sierra Nevada Celebration, Bissel Brothers Substance, Birrificio Italiano Tipopils, Timothy Taylor Landlord.

Favorite album
Brave Faces Everyone – Spanish Love Songs

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Roundabout, Lorelei, Pear and the Pickle, Smoke, Spak Brother’s

Favorite thing to do outside of work
Ride motorcycles

I drank my first beer in November of 2010. It was legally purchased with a valid ID at North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock, PA. What I ordered was a cask pour of their house red ale, but it kicked before the order went in, so the waitress kindly brought me the beer that replaced it on cask, a smoked bacon stout appropriately named ‘Oink Oink Ale’.

I didn’t love that beer. In fact, I probably thought it was pretty awful, but it opened my eyes to a new world of beverages, one that blended culinary indulgences and blue collar beliefs. I certainly didn’t realize it at the time. It’s not like lightning struck and a spot light landed on that pint as the world around me cloaked in black. Looking back though, it’s definitely the tangent in my timeline that brought me here.

Over the next few years I spent a great deal of time at North Country, more locally at East End, and searching all over for beers I had not yet had the pleasure of trying. I didn’t shy away from any style, though I did gravitate most notably towards hops and began researching individual variants, regional differences, and how it all affected style.

Hops are incredible flowers that can elicit a myriad of flavor and aroma compounds based on nearly any controllable variation in production of beer. At this point, certain breweries were taking these variables to new heights and creating an entirely new culinary like experience with this approachable beverage. I had developed a romance with beer and it’s culinary cross pollination.

In 2014 I enrolled in the American Brewers Guild and completed the Intensive Science and Engineering of Brewing course while simultaneously helping breweries out around town. In October of that year I wrote the business plan for what would become Dancing Gnome, and two years later, on October 1st 2016, we opened the taproom doors to our neighbors in Pittsburgh.

In 2021, we’re opening our second location, and I have the pleasure of working with a wonderfully intelligent, dedicated team everyday. Dancing Gnome wouldn’t be what it is without them, and it certainly wouldn’t be what it is without you. Thanks for being a part of our community, and I’ll see you in the taproom.

Favorite DG beer
Altbier

Favorite non-DG beer
Stand To Reason Smoke Lager by Suarez Family Brewery
Molson Canadian

Favorite album
Colors II – Between the Buried and Me

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Piper’s Pub, Lorelei, Teutonia Mannerchor, Hidden Harbor, Everyday Noodle

Favorite thing to do outside of work
Listen to music and chill with the birds.

Favorite DG beer
altbier

Favorite non-DG beer
Sierra Nevada pale ale

Favorite album
Drake; if you’re reading this you’re too late

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Bulldog Pub

Favorite thing to do outside of work
rescue dogs

Favorite DG beer
Aevum

Favorite non-DG beer
Stiegl Radler

Favorite album
Tom Misch “What kinda music”

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Lorelei, Allegheny WIne Mixer, Roundabout pop-up

Favorite thing to do outside of work
ride bikes and play with other people’s dogs.

Favorite DG beer
Lustra

Favorite non-DG beer
Sierra Nevada Celebration

Favorite album
“Singles”- Future Islands

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Pipers/Pub chip Shop

Favorite thing to do outside of work
Snowboarding, fishing, and taking advantage of the outdoors with friends and family.

Favorite DG beer
Lustra

Favorite non-DG beer
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

Favorite album
The Last Waltz (The Band)

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Hootie’s Blowfish BBQ at Roundabout Pop Up

Favorite thing to do outside of work
Travel

Favorite DG beer
Wishbone

Favorite non-DG beer
Anything by Suarez

Favorite album
Trampled by Turtles – Trouble

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Salems, D’s Six Pack and Dogs

Favorite thing to do outside of work
bike, hike, camp, snowboard, and cook

Favorite DG beer
Painter Pigment

Favorite non-DG beer
Highlife/Side Project sours

Favorite Album
Murder by Death, The Other Shore

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Eat – Sichuan Gourmet, Drink – Hidden Harbor

Favorite thing to do outside of work
Trying new restaurants

Favorite DG beer
Lustra

Favorite non-DG beer
High Life

Favorite album
The Monitor by Titus Andronicus

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot
Piccolo Forno

Favorite thing to do outside of work
Hearthstone

Fav DG Beer
Painter Pigment

Favorite non-DG Beer
Stillwater Extra Dry

Favorite Album
Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul

Favorite Pittsburgh eat/drink spot…
Allegheny Wine Mixer

Favorite thing to do outside of work
Art, basketball, and backpacking!