Travel a half-hour north from our storefront in Allison Park up Route 8 and you’ll bump into Butler Brew Works.

Park your car and step inside at 101 South Main Street and you’ll quickly be treated to a warm smile and a cold beer.

At least, that was my recent experience at Butler Brew Works, when co-owner Nathan Troyan kindly opened up shop on a Sunday to give me a personal tour of the space. (NOTE: The brewery is closed on Sunday and Monday. Do not show up on Sunday. You will be sad. You do not want to be sad.)

And yeah, maybe we sampled some Trail Conditions, their ultra-fresh hazy IPA, throughout the day.

Maybe we tried some other beers too. I can’t say for sure.

What I can say is Troyan and company built something special right there in the heart of Butler. From the beer to the food to the people running the show, Butler Brew Works couples the feel of a small-community brewpub with the vision, skills, and determination necessary to make a bigger splash in the Greater Pittsburgh area and beyond.

That’s special.

After tossing back a glass of Trail Conditions and chatting for a bit, I pressed record to capture a 25-minute conversation with Troyan.

Throughout the talk, he discusses COVID-19’s impact on the brewery, their future, their ethos, and so much more. It even gets a little teary-eyed at one point — then immediately switches to a story of someone (not gonna name names) losing their lunch over a sidewalk at Voodoo Brewery. Turns out, this was actually a vital moment in Butler Brew Works’ creation. For real.

So you could say it’s a pretty diverse talk.

Enjoy the show, embedded in full below.

And of course, if you want to try the beer: Stop into Hampton Beer Outlet to grab a four-pack or visit Butler Brew Works to experience their work firsthand.