By Roman Hladio

Pittsburgh City Paper

 Aug 9, 2023 – Ambridge Borough Manager Mario Leone says that, just four years ago, very few — himself among them — would have thought there was a market for $6 or $7 pints in his sleepy river town.

Although Leone has only held his post for about three years, he has lived in Beaver County his entire life, and has been hoping to see the day when Ambridge returns to its former vitality.

“As I sit in this seat today, I’m amazed at the amount of people that the breweries have attracted to Ambridge,” Leone tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “And I think with those people coming in, it’s just created a new vibe.”

Ambridge — a 1.7 square mile land tract about 30 minutes north of Downtown Pittsburgh — was purchased in 1905 by the American Bridge Company, from which the town took its name. The American Bridge Company factories ceased supporting the majority of Ambridge residents when the steel industry collapsed in the 1980s.

As the steel industry powered on through the 1960s, Ambridge had a population of 13,865, according to Pa. census data. But by 2020, the town’s population had essentially halved.

Altered Genius was the first brewery to open its doors along Ambridge’s main corridor, Merchant Street, in 2020. Co-owner Donny Cardone says that in Ambridge, and Pittsburgh generally, beer culture harkens back to the days of industry.

“The steel mills and places used to have local bars where everybody would hang out,” Cardone tells City Paper. “It’s kind of like that, but, hopefully, with a lot better beer.”

CP Photo: Mars Johnson

Ben Benson takes a sip of beer while performing at Altered Genius Brewing Co. in Ambridge, PA, on August 5, 2023.

Cardone and his business partner Mike Haas met at their day job as alternate education teachers — “alt ed” becoming “altered” as their business name. They began brewing with kits in their garages for themselves and some small events. There, experimenting with different malts, hops, and grains, Cardone and Haas crafted recipes for many of their flagship beers on tap today.

Altered Genius’ Lenore — a chocolate fudge coffee stout — began, for instance, as a custom brew for a friend’s wedding.

“He had a coffee club at school,” Cardone said. “He would always go to [Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea] in the Strip District, they have a bunch of different flavored coffees and stuff like that. He came in one day with this chocolate fudge coffee, and I went ‘wow, this is really good.’ He was asking us about the beers for his wedding, and he was like, ‘Can you do a beer with that coffee in it?’”

Continue reading Solidarity Economy: Craft Beer Pours New Life Into A Struggling River Town In Beaver County →