The loss of Iron City has left a bad taste (Pittsburgh: for sale, live)

[Honest Bob]

NOVEMBER 5, 2009
Bitter Beer

The Loss of Iron City Has Left A Bad Aftertaste


BY CHARLIE DEITCH




Rich Malter Jr. lost his job when Iron City's brewing operation moved to Latrobe.
Heather Mull After nearly 150 years, it has come to this: Iron City brewery is going up for sale, one piece at a time. On this warm October day, about 35 bidders have plenty of room to spread out in the Ober Brau Haus, the brewery's brick-walled social hall. As they watch, a stainless-steel conveyor for cans is auctioned off in sections, fetching a combined price of $5,200.
Moderator cut: shortened, copyright protection. Next time please provide a link to the original source

[Hopes]

I'm glad Iron City closed down!

The company never paid its water bill. That water was used to make beer.

Taxpayers had to foot the bill for an ingredient used to make the beer.

A city shoudn't contribute to the running of a private business.

Think it's small potatoes? The water bill was 2.6 million dollars!

[Honest Bob]

Actually you are wrong HOPE, they paid the water bill, but not the sewage bill.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Internet Superman

Actually you are wrong HOPE, they paid the water bill, but not the sewage bill.

I'm fully aware of their ridiculous argument.

[greg42]

BTW, it's a much longer article, telling the story of the successive crooks who owned that place, etc. Here's the proper link:

Bitter Beer - The Loss of Iron City Has Left A Bad Aftertaste - Main Feature - Main Feature - Pittsburgh City Paper

But they really screwed up that "Latrobe Brewing" part. Yes, that is the same plant where they used to make Rolling Rock, but they haven't made it there in a few years, and it hasn't been called Latrobe Brewing in a few years either.

I can't imagine who is really going to still drink Iron City after all the old timers die off anyway. But it's sad to see something with such a long history and with such innovation too, go away. (These guys were first with the pull tab cans, first with a real light beer, etc.)

[Fiddlehead]

Whoa-bad news! I was just sipping and Iron City last night and thinking it was quite good. Now I may have to go back to my overhopped Oregon woo woo beers in protest.

[Johnny C]

The beer is garbage, but I was sad to see them leave the city.

[pman]

isn't penn brewing looking for brewing space?

[Flamingo13]

Well, that stinks - I actually visited the area (my hometown) a few weeks ago, picked up I.C. Light and see it's NOT brewed in Pgh. anymore

[nuwaver88]

Iron City was an excellent lager many years ago. If anyone has ever had Harp Lager, Iron City tasted similar. The product went downhill after it acquired new ownership. The quality was not where it once was.
I do remember trying to order an Iron City while I lived in Shadyside in the 1980s. People would look at me like "What did he say?" You see, Iron City always marketed itself as workingmans's beer, therefore, Shadyside, which is all about image, would not dare have any bar that carried that beer, even though it was as good as any at the time and was from Pittsburgh. I knew what the answer was going to be but I was trying to prove a point. When the bartender would say "We don't carry it", I would order Heineken or a Beck's(Belgians and and crafts were not very widespread tweny-five years ago) just to amuse myself. Just because a commercial says that steelworkers drink this beer, as opposed to Coors Light, whose commercials have models in night clubs getting jiggy with it, does not mean that you are either if you drink that particular beer. It is all water, malt, hops and barley in a can. My dad always had a case of Iron City 16 oz. bottles (Pounders) in the house. He worked on the road with Equitable Gas and would get it straight from the brewery. It was a very good beer at one time. People from all over the USA would try to get it, not just ex Pittsburghers either. Rolling Rock actually was a bit of a trendy beer several years ago. I remember visiting my brother in Texas in the early 1990s and people drinking it a lot, kinda like Yuengling is now.