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Home Borrowers Wine, Beer & Spirits Abstract Realm Brewing Company

Abstract Realm Brewing Company

Location:

5007 Lytle Street
Pittsburgh, PA

County:

Allegheny

Description:

Start-up brewery and taproom

Total Project Cost:

$515,529

There’s been a lot of complexity, with not only the project itself, but how does it get financed, what are the timelines, what are the commitments. …When there are questions, we can get answers.  It’s always been pretty straightforward, and communication comes at you directly.

Jason Short, owner, Abstract Realm Brewing

People

In taprooms, friendships ferment.  “In a time when there seem to be a lot of things that divide people,” says Jason Short, “a brewery immediately gives you a connection to the other people there, because if you don’t like beer, you’re probably not hanging out at a brewery.”  Jason is a financial advisor, homebrewer and patron of brewpubs local and national.  When he found out that The Progress Fund was bringing three breweries together in its new Hazelwood Brewing development, he jumped in and then recruited esteemed local brewer, Chris Carr.

Progress

In addition to developing Hazelwood Brewing, The Progress Fund is financing the three brewers, including a $515,529 loan-and-grant package to Abstract Realm Brewing.

Impact

With a range of offerings from hazy IPAs to crisp Kölsch beers, Abstract Realm Brewing will serve something for everyone.  Take that menu to the third power, add varied indoor and outdoor spaces, and the potential human interactions multiply.  “We do believe that this is going to be a driver of a lot of new people experiencing Hazelwood,” says Jason, adding that job opportunities and community engagement will also deepen connections to the neighborhood.  “I’ve seen firsthand how a new brewery, in an area that may not be as vibrant as it once was, can revitalize it.”

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