click to enlarge 
Photo: Courtesy of Pittsburgh Brewing Company
Limited-edition David Bednar commemorative I.C. Light cans
East End Brewing Company
147 Julius St., Larimer. eastendbrewing.com
East End Brewing celebrates bicycling this spring with its annual charity event, the
Pedal Pale Ale Keg Ride. On Sat., April 20, East End invites cyclists to tow fresh kegs of its Pedal Pale Ale on a 90-minute “slow, easy ride” from its Larimer brewery to a “secret location.” Riders enjoy pints of the “crisp, cold” ale when they arrive, with proceeds benefitting charity. East End is giving to
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Western Pennsylvania, with Butler-based
MAC.BID also running a charity fundraising auction. Digital tickets for the ride cost $30 and are available
online.
Sweet Alchemy Bake Shop brings back
its bakery crawl, featuring five bakeries with locally made treats at one location.
An Instagram post from Sweet Alchemy promises that, on Sun., April 21 from 11a.m.-2 p.m., visitors can find “savory goods, sweet goods, [gluten-free/vegan] goods, really all the baked goods you can imagine!!” alongside coffee and lattes. In addition to Sweet Alchemy, this year’s vendors include Bitchy Vegan Homo, Cupcake PGH, Mami’s Bakes, and Nurture Pittsburgh. The event is free to attend.
click to enlarge 
Photo: Courtesy of Kraft heinz
Heinz Classic Mayo Barbiecue Sauce
Barbie continues to capture hearts and minds with a new release from Heinz. The Pittsburgh-based corporation and the toy company Mattel collaborated on a pink “Barbiecue” Sauce. Launched as a salute to the famed doll's 65th anniversary, the
Heinz Classic Barbiecue Sauce is a
limited-edition pink vegan mayo with barbecue sauce — and judging by photos, it really is Barbie pink (dyed with beetroot extract for the signature color). Unfortunately for Pittsburghers, the “dream condiment-concoction” will first hit shelves in the U.K. and Spain, and a limited run of 5,000 bottles are available for purchase on the “Heinz to Home” U.K. website (in case you have a British connection). But fear not, Barbies —
Heinz also teased that the “sauce sensation” will journey stateside soon.
Le Mardi Gras
731 Copeland St., Shadyside. lemardigras.com
Le Mardi Gras, the Shadyside haunt
soon celebrating its 70th birthday, will roll out a new spring menu featuring cocktails made with fresh-squeezed juices, seasonal selections, and all-night brunch-themed drinks. Known for its New Orleans theme, Le Mardi Gras is introducing a revamped Bloody Mary and Mardi Gras Mimosa, with fresh orange juice and prosecco made with house-made prosecco syrup. The MSG Martini offers Tito’s vodka or Beefeater’s gin with an olive, a “dash MSG Down & dirty,” served up (chilled) and “briny.” A bar favorite is the new Gin Jam that combines Beefeater with mixed berry jam and prosecco for a “bright, fruity, [but] not too sweet” flavor. The cocktail lounge is also changing up its daily specials, including the Richie Special ($8) — any bottle of beer and a double shot of well liquor — named for Le Mardi Gras’ longtime owner, Richie Costanzo.
click to enlarge 
Photo: Courtesy of Le Mardi Gras
Fresh-squeezed juice cocktails at Le Mardi Gras
Two Frays Brewery
5113 Penn Ave., Garfield. twofraysbrewery.com
Lauren Hughes, former head brewer at the
now-defunct Necromancer Brewing Co., has landed at Two Frays Brewery. According to
NEXTpittsburgh, the Garfield brewery announced Hughes is leading their brewing team. Though Necromancer specialized in recreating old-style beers, Hughes told
NEXT she’d focus on various new brews at Two Frays. Beer fans could see grodziskie, a historic Polish beer, and roggenbier, alongside some of Hughes’ favorites, lagers, West Coast IPAs, and British beers.
Baseball fans will soon spot Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar on cans of I.C. Light as part of a new partnership with Pittsburgh Brewing Company. According to a Pittsburgh Brewing Co. release, Bednar, a two-time MLB All-Star and native from Mars, Pa., will be “the first active professional athlete featured on a Pittsburgh Brewing and I.C. Light can.” The same release says the idea to feature Bednar began to form when Pirates manager Derek Shelton gifted him a case of I.C Light — rather than the traditional bottle of champagne — after he was named an MLB All-Star in 2022. According to Pittsburgh Brewing Co's website, the limited-edition Bednar 12-ounce commemorative cans will be available in stores as of mid-April.
click to enlarge 
Photo: Courtesy of Bitty & Beau’s Coffee
Bitty & Beau’s Coffee
Bitty & Beau’s Coffee
1920 Smallman St., Strip District. bittyandbeauscoffee.com
The North Carolina-based coffee chain Bitty & Beau’s opened a new location in the Strip District. The new roastery aims to “brew up more than delicious drinks” by also “paving a path for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to work, become more valued, accepted and included,” according to a press release. The Pittsburgh coffee shop is Bitty & Beau’s 19th location and is open seven days a week. The Wright family launched Bitty & Beau's Coffee in 2016 with a flagship store in Wilmington, N.C., and now employs more than 450 individuals with IDD across 19 locations.
