PITTSBURGH, PA — Barbara Hartman experienced multiple feelings when Hazel Grove Brewery in Hazelwood had its soft opening last week after more than a year of planning, construction and permitting.
“I was anxious. Excited. Relieved,” she told Patch with a chuckle Wednesday.
She expects to run that gamut of emotions on Thursday when the Irvine Street establishment has its formal grand opening on one of the year’s biggest holidays. What does she believe will happen on Independence Day when the brewery officially opens for business?
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“I think we’ll either be super busy,” she said, “or completely dead.”
Barbara Hartman, along with her husband Steve Hartman and partner Larry Adams, want Hazel Grove to be a long-term addition to what is becoming a growing cluster of breweries and restaurants in the neighborhood.
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Hazelwood Brewery, an umbrella for three different breweries, debuted last month on Lytle Street. The Woods House, a Scottish pub, opened on Monongahela Street in 2020.
The Hartmans are veteran homebrewers and have won numerous awards for their different beers at competitions across the country.
They will open Hazel Grove with six beverages on tap, a number that will increase to nine next week, Barbara Hartman said. Six will be Hazel Grove beers, two will be nonalcoholic beers and one will be a cider from the Greenhouse Co-Op in nearby Greenfield.
Food will come from Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, a Hazelwood organization that provides free culinary training and assists people in finding food service industry jobs.
The brewery’s interior features a distinct mural created by several talented local artists. Outside, there are tables for people to sit and sip their drinks while enjoying the warm summer weather.
The brewery, which will be open Thursdays through Sundays each week, has come a long way from conception to reality. So no matter what the crowd might be like on opening day, Barbara Hartman likely will feel a sense of accomplishment.
“I am so glad we’re finally crossing the finish line,” she said.
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