Fat Head's Brewery


Brewmaster Matt Cole partnered with Glenn Benigni, owner of Fat Head's Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to open Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in Cleveland, Ohio in 2009, with Cole supplying beer to the Pittsburgh location. A production brewery opened in Middleburg Heights, Ohio in March 2012 and another brewpub location opened in Portland, Oregon in November 2014, which has since closed. Fat Head's is known for their signature beers Head Hunter IPA and Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale.

Background

Fat Head's Saloon opened in the historic South Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1992 and grew to be known for its selection of craft beer and large sandwiches, called "headwiches."
Brewer Matt Cole apprenticed at Baltimore Brewing Co., then worked at Penn Brewery and Great Lakes Brewing Company before joining Rocky River Brewing Company. Cole spent more than a decade there, winning several awards at both Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup.

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon opened in North Olmsted, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, on April 7, 2009. The brewpub has a 35-seat bar and a 200-seat dining room. There are 30 rotating tap handles that serve beers from Fat Head's as well as guest breweries. There is also a game room with a video games, a vintage bowling machine, pool tables, and dart boards. Derek Wilson, formerly of Great Lakes Brewing Company, heads the kitchen. In addition to the signature headwiches, a staple at the Pittsburgh Saloon, Wilson added stone oven pizzas, smoke house wings, and pulled pork to the menu.
Fat Head's Brewery opened in March, 2012 in a warehouse in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The production brewery supplies beer for the Fat Head's restaurants in Pittsburgh and North Olmsted, as well as bottles and kegs for distributes. As of 2013, the brewery has a BrauKon brewhouse that was purchased from Tröegs Brewing Company. A tasting room and retail shop opened on October 18, 2013.

Fat Head's Portland

Fat Head's opened in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon on November 3, 2014. The brewpub had 278 seats throughout the bar and dining room and 42 rotating tap hands that served beers from Fat Head's as well as guest breweries. The brewery featured a 10-barrel JVNW brewhouse with 13 fermentors and 12 bright tanks. Matt Cole was the brewmaster, with Eric Van Tassel who served as the head brewer. They served Fat Head's signature beers, including Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale and Head Hunter IPA, as well as some of their own creations, including Zoobomb Dortmunder and Ultra Pils North German-Stlyle Pilsner.

Awards

DateBeer NameAwardCategoryCompetition
200900 Head Hunter IPAGoldAmerican-Style India Pale AleWest Coast IPA Fest
200900 Up In SmokeSilverSmoked BeerGreat American Beer Festival
201000 Head Hunter IPASilverAmerican-Style India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival
201000 Head Hunter IPAGrand ChampionAmerican-Style India Pale AleNational IPA Challenge
201100 Battle Axe Baltic PorterGoldBaltic-Style PorterGreat American Beer Festival
201100 Head Hunter IPAGoldAmerican-Style India Pale AleDenver International Beer Fest
201100 Head Hunter IPABronzeAmerican-Style India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival
201200 AlpenglowSilverGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival
201200 Battle Axe Baltic PorterSilverBaltic-Style PorterWorld Beer Cup
201200 Head Hunter IPAGoldAmerican-Style India Pale AleWest Coast IPA Fest
201200 Head Hunter IPAGrand ChampionAmerican-Style India Pale AleNational IPA Challenge
201200 Head Hunter IPASilverAmerican-Style India Pale AleWorld Beer Cup
201300 Black KnightSilverGerman-Style SchwarzbierGreat American Beer Festival
201300 Hop JuJuGoldImperial India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival
201300 Trail HeadSilverFresh Hop AleGreat American Beer Festival
201400 AlpenGlowGoldGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival
201400 Battle Axe Baltic PorterSilverBaltic-Style PorterDenver International Beer Fest
201400 Black KnightGoldGerman-Style SchwarzbierDenver International Beer Fest
201400 Bone Head Imperial Red AleSilverImperial Red AleWorld Beer Cup
201400 Head Hunter IPASilverAmerican-Style India Pale AleWorld Beer Cup
2015Black KnightSilverGerman-Style SchwarzbierGreat American Beer Festival
2015Hop JujuGoldImperial India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival
2015Bone Head RedGoldDouble Red AleGreat American Beer Festival
2015Midnight MoonlightGoldAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival
2015Blitzkrieg Bock GoldRye BeerGreat American Beer Festival
2016Hop JujuGoldImperial India Pale AleWorld Beer Cup
2016Midnight MoonlightBronzeAmerican-Style Black AleWorld Beer Cup
2016Hop JujuBronzeImperial India Pale AleGreat American Beer Festival
2016IBUsive IPABronzeFresh or Wet Hop AleGreat American Beer Festival
2016Black Muddy River Imperial Black IPASilverOther Strong BeerGreat American Beer Festival
2016Midnight Moonlight Black IPASilverAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival
2016AlpenglowGoldGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival
2017Sunshine Daydream Session IPAGrand ChampionSession IPANational Session IPA Challenge
2017AlpenglowGoldGerman-Style Wheat AleGreat American Beer Festival
2017Midnight MoonlightBronzeAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival
2018AlpenglowGoldSouth German-Style WeizenbockWorld Beer Cup
2018Midnight MoonlightSilverAmerican-Style Black AleWorld Beer Cup
2018Midnight MoonlightBronzeAmerican-Style Black AleGreat American Beer Festival