Scott Smith says he encountered a big surprise when he opened the East End Brewing Co.
“I thought I would make beer to sell to area bars,” he says. “I never thought people would line up at my door to buy it.”
That popularity has grown enough since the brewery was founded in 2004 that the operation had to move to a larger site in 2012, where it doubled its output to 5,500 barrels a year.
Smith, 46, a Regent Square native, says he went into the beer business after seeing a “mature beer scene” around the country as he worked for 13 years in information technology. When he returned to Pittsburgh after stints in Chicago, California and elsewhere, he says he had “no real plan” for his career but saw there were few local beers.
East End Brewing has grown in many ways since, producing steady products such as Big Hop and seasonals such as Snow Melt. While it bottles some and sells most in kegs, its half-gallon growlers are something of a trademark. They are sold at the brewery and at a site at the Pittsburgh Public Market in the Strip District.
The company is visible in other ways, too, including the Pedal Peddle, a bike ride done with BikePGH that takes the first kegs of the spring's Pedal Pale Ale to a mystery location.
Smith, his wife, Julie, and their children, Otis and Ella, live in Mt. Lebanon.
The star who would play me in the movie version of my life:
Patrick Stewart. Acting ability plays into it, but mostly it's the hairline.
Pick one:
A. Go-Gos
B. Goo Goo Dolls
C. Lady Gaga
D. Yo Gabba Gabba
D. Yo Gabba Gabba. (Of the list you provided, their sound is the closest to Black Sabbath's.)
The piece of memorabilia from my childhood I wish I still had:
My short-term memory
My favorite reality show:
I generally wallow in a pool of regret and self-loathing for an hour or two after watching any reality TV show. So, I'll pass on “reality.”
Favorite guilty pleasure:
Brown liquor ... specifically bourbon and scotch.
Best mistake I've ever made:
Putting “PITTSBURGH” on our tap handles in WAY larger typeface than I intended. In hindsight, why wouldn't I have done this?
Favorite Pittsburgh athlete:
Clearly, it's my son, Otis.
If I was auditioning for “American Idol,” my song would be:
It probably would be best for all involved if it were an instrumental.
Favorite brunch food:
Beer. (Obviously!)
In five years, I'd like to:
Get caught up on my email
Top thing on my “Bucket List” to do before I'm gone:
Make a bucket list
Favorite lunchtime spot:
Red Oak Cafe in Oakland. I don't get there as often as I'd like, but Dave and his crew nail it every time.
My favorite thing about Pittsburgh:
The people of our city. I mean come on ... waiting in line in the Strip District to taste beer at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning? Where else would that even be possible?
Three people I'd love to have dinner with:
Past/future/present: My dad, my kids in about 50 years, and, oh, how about ... Iggy Pop?
My favorite sandwich, plus fixings:
“The Melvin” — a vegetarian Reuben at Red Oak Cafe
The oldest thing in my refrigerator:
Probably a beer ... and not one that should be aged
When I was 10, I wanted to be:
with Barbara Eden
The first band I saw in concert:
Blue Oyster Cult with Foghat at the Civic Arena in September 1981. (Yes, I'm a geezer. )
The best concert I've ever seen:
An after-hours show with the Sabertooth Jazz Band at the Green Mill Lounge in Chicago, where I met my wife
My favorite “bad” movie:
“Evil Dead 2”
The last book I read:
“Big Day Coming” about Yo La Tengo and the rise of indie rock
My most treasured fashion accessory:
A hat: Knit when the weather is chilly, ball cap when it's not. But in either case, I'd hardly call it “fashion.”
Saturday mornings, you'll find me:
Drinking cappuccino at Espresso A Mano in Lawrenceville with friends.
The worst advice I ever received:
“Take it easy on the hops!” — from a more senior family member of a large, regional brewery
Favorite Pittsburgh-area landmark:
Frick Park. Is that considered a landmark?
In high school, I was:
Pretty irritating
If I wasn't a brewer, I'd be:
If I wasn't making beer, I'd probably try making bourbon.
My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:
Tie between Spak Brothers and Aiello's
My first job:
Selling soft ice cream at Ferragonio's Pizza in Regent Square
My worst job:
The old Shop ‘N' Save in Swissvale, night crew
If I could live my life as someone else, it would be:
Really confusing for everyone involved.
Life would be better without:
All that business of getting old, and eventually expiring.
If I could tour with any two bands, they would be:
The Grateful Dead circa mid-1970s, and maybe, the Velvet Underground?
I never travel without my:
Pants
People would be surprised to know that:
I am an ordained minister and have performed a few weddings.
