Drinking and dining scene is hard to beat

You may be aware that most large cities like to say that they are experiencing a food and beverage renaissance, which is true. But the Pittsburgh restaurant and bar culture is hard to surpass for one reason: the farms are just a short drive outside of town. This means that many restaurants have access to local meats and dairy, local grains for brewing, and local fruits when they are in season, to mention a few.

Whereas other cities may have a limited number of so-called farm-to-table restaurants, Pittsburgh has dozens upon dozens, and farm names are frequently included on local menus. In terms of its brewing scene, Pittsburgh has over 80 breweries within an hour of downtown, which puts other cities of similar size to shame just on volume. Add in the fact that many people utilize local grain, and it has a superior product there as well.

If you're searching for even more reasons to drink, the local spirits scene is thriving, with numerous local distilleries, such as Wigle Whiskey, reintroducing historical spirits such as Monongahela Rye, one of the earliest American whiskeys to acquire popularity. Indeed, in the early days of Washington's administration, farmers in western Pennsylvania challenged a new whiskey tax in an incident that became known as the Whiskey Rebellion.