Hitchhiker Brewing to move production from Mt. Lebanon to South Side
Hitchhiker Brewing Co. cans beer straight from the tap for takeout.
Hitchhiker Brewing Co. in Mt. Lebanon
Thanks to continued growth in the craft beer industry, Mt. Lebanon’s Hitchhiker Brewing Co. is expected to move its production facility to a bigger building Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood.
Gary Olden, founder and owner of Hitchhiker, confirmed the plans for a second location, a 10,000-square-foot site at 1200 Muriel Street. That site will handle Hitchhiker’s wholesale distribution as well.
The expansion of Hitchhiker, which opened in 2014, is expected to generate a dozen jobs, Olden said.
“Business has been going well,” said Olden, a home brewer. “Overall, the trend in craft beer is more consumers. It has opened us to a wider audience.”
Olden said he has been looking for a site for a second location for a year. The South Side site will give the brewery more room at Mt. Lebanon, which is slightly more than 1,200-square feet and includes covered outdoor seating. Olden said the Mt. Lebanon facility will be used as a taproom, and all beer production will be moved to the South Side. He declined to disclose a time frame for the move.
Olden has been working with the Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, its redevelopment arm, on the project. Olden will release additional details of his expansion plans at a press conference at 2 p.m. today at the brewery, 190 Castle Shannon Blvd.