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EDITORIAL: Breweries hop to it for their own benefit, that of others

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Four Points recently became the fourth point on the brewery map in Washington County. Less than two years ago, there were no such facilities operating within these borders.

This is a circumstance that opponents of “demon rum” would decry, but many others can celebrate. Microbreweries are hot commodities in Western Pennsylvania and other parts of the country, popular with the populace, especially millennials. A number of these operations do well, especially if they serve food, and stimulate the economy by encouraging spending there and at nearby businesses.

The craft brew industry arrived in the county comparatively late, but has established a firm foothold. Four Points Brewing was the latest establishment to enter the local fray, opening in Charleroi on July 12. Unforeseen circumstances forced the owner, Dave Barbe Jr., to open a year later than he had targeted, but he is pleased to be overseeing the microbrewery he hoped would complement – and enhance – the Fourth Street Barbeque restaurant he has next door.

For an article that appeared in Sunday’s print and online editions, he told the Observer-Reporter’s Rick Shrum the brewery has been well-received in the four weeks it has been open. Barbe was disappointed in the delay, centered mostly on the untimely bankruptcy of the company from which Four Points was buying equipment. But he is pleased to have entered the local microbrew fray that began only in November 2016.

Coal Tipple Brewery was the first craft beer maker to begin operations in Washington County, opening in Hanover Township as part of Raccoon Creek Winery at Kramer’s Greenhouse. Rusty Gold launched eight months later in Canonsburg, followed by Washington Brewing Co. last September. Now, Four Points Brewing is up and hopping.

Craft brew aficionados can further satisfy their taste buds at Whitehorse Brewing, off Racetrack Road in North Strabane Township. Whitehorse has a taproom there, not a brewery, serving selections from its operation in Berlin, Somerset County.

This rise of local microbreweries coincides with the revival of the long dormant distillery industry in Washington County. Red Pump Spirits became the first distillery in the county since Prohibition, which ended in 1933, when it opened in April 2016. Liberty Pole Spirits by Mingo Creek Craft Distillers followed a few months later and a few blocks down the hill in Washington.

Development of facilities of this type, of course, raises legitimate concerns about alcohol usage and related issues: binge drinking, underage drinking, drunken driving, violence – even jail time. Consumers should keep in mind the mantra to “drink responsibly,” to ride instead of drive. They owe that to themselves and others.

Those who do imbibe in moderation can enjoy themselves without creating havoc inside and outside these facilities, to the benefit of breweries and distilleries and the local economies.

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