Hemingway’s Cafe, a bar and grille located on Forbes Avenue, is known for their shot pitchers. According to John Elavsky, owner and president, “shot pitchers” are mixed drinks created entirely by his staff.
“They're kind of just a mix of alcohol and juices and soda and whatever else. I don't know exactly what goes in them,” Elavsky said. “My staff kind of makes them up. And they're really, really good at it.”
The bar has been called Hemingway’s since 1983, when it was bought from Pittsburgh Pirates player Frankie Gustine. They are open Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. On Friday and Saturday, they’re open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. All of their pitchers typically cost $9, but some are $5.50 on select days. Their most popular pitcher is the Long Island, which is the Thursday special, and is one of the “strongest” pitchers according to the owners. Other popular pitchers served include the Pink Whitney, Spiced Rum and Coke, the Olivia Rodrigo, Cathy on Acid and
the Kenny-Spritz-ett.
Mackenzie Keenan, the general manager, said her sister Katie Keenan and another former bartender first created the pitchers around 17 years ago. She said at the time, they were only $5 each at regular price, but due to inflation the prices have gone up.
“When we first started it was five for $5,” Mackenzie Keenan said. “Then they went up to like $6, then $8 and now they’re $9 and then we have the daily special for $5.50 every day. With the prices of everything just going up, they had
People sit around a table with pitchers of drinks at Hemingway’s.
Nate Yonamine | Senior Staff Photographerwith that and then if it sells well we keep it on. And if it doesn't sell well then we'll take it off.”
Katie Keenan also said the pitchers initially began as 20-ounce drinks with candy necklaces in them that were meant to be poured into shot glasses and shared among friends. Over time, they developed into 32-ounce single pitchers.
to as well. Still, the price stayed pretty consistent over time.”
According to Katie Keenan, a bartender at Hem’s, there are many ways they create new pitchers. She said sometimes they just want to test different flavors of liquor, while other times they want to try a newly released liquor. The pitchers are also sometimes inspired by previous drinks or pop culture.
“I really like to try different flavors and different liquors,” Katie Keenan said. “So sometimes when a new liquor comes out, you try a pitcher
"That's why they're called shot pitchers — because they started as a pitcher of a mixed shot, a drink to share with your friends,” Katie Keenan said. “And then over the years they evolved into like [an individual] drink, so they’re still called shot pitchers, but nobody does shots of them anymore.”
One of Katie Keenan’s personal favorites is The Walking Dead pitcher. It consists of Bacardi Raspberry, raspberry schnapps and pineapple juice. She also highly recommends the Cathy on Acid, which includes Bacardi Mango, pineapple juice and cranberry juice.
Rachel Maniet, a junior chemical engineering major, was at Hemingway’s over the weekend enjoying the Pink Whitney Saturday Special. Maniet said she liked how cheap their daily specials are.
See Hem’s Pitchers on page 3
Organizers say they’re optimistic as efforts to trigger a staff union election gain momentum, even without a definite timetable for when that election might be.
Staff members have cited pay, access to benefits and parking as potential bargaining issues, but for Dylan Nagy, a senior data analyst for the School of Public Health, a lack of advancement opportunities is most pressing.
“You can’t really push your career forward here,” Nagy said.
The United Steelworkers, which represents Pitt faculty and supports graduate students in their own union drive, went public with the staff campaign in September 2021. Organizers must collect signed union cards from 30% of the proposed bargaining unit to get an election date, though according to Nagy, they’re hoping to overshoot that threshold to give staff time to weigh the merits of unionization.
Nagy isn’t formally part of the union’s organizing committee, but said he’s a “staff member who talks with other staff members” through tabling, phone banking and everyday conversation. Staff members can also connect with organizers by filling out an interest form on the staff union website.
Roughly 8,000 full-time staff members work at Pitt, including advisers, researchers and administrative assistants, but not all would fall under the bargaining unit. Service Employees International Union 32BJ represents several hundred maintenance and cleaning staff members, while Pitt police have their own labor association.
As with any union, the bargaining unit would also exclude supervisors, still leaving thousands
of staff members across Pitt’s five campuses eligible for representation by the USW.
Carla Johnson, a lab manager and member of the organizing committee, also cited a lack of mobility through the job ladder as an issue. After 23 years working in multiple labs at Pitt, she feels that there’s “nowhere to advance.”
Pitt streamlined its staff promotions process last year, according to a University spokesperson, and is “continuously working on new opportunities to promote employees.”
Pitt declined to name the employee speaking
is coming “soon.” Vice Chancellor of Human Resources James Gallaher told the University Times in November that this overhaul of the pay structure still has three to five years until completion. The University is currently working to classify positions into occupational groups, including “200 or 300 jobs that still need to be mapped that are pretty unique and special,” Gallaher said.
For some staff members such as Johnson, the desire to unionize comes not only from a place of discontent with pay or working conditions, but to preserve existing perks, such as tuition benefits
Other benefits offered to University employees include medical plans, a matched retirement savings program and opportunities for hybrid or remote work.
The University is aware of organizing efforts, and released a statement from Gallaher earlier this semester expressing intent to adhere to labor law while also mentioning the purported benefits of the existing shared governance system.
“We strongly believe that the University of Pittsburgh provides an excellent workplace and is guided by a foundational model of shared governance, which is predicated on input from all constituents, including our staff,” Gallaher said. “We have a long history of working effectively with unions and respect the right of our employees to decide whether or not to choose a union.”
A frequently asked questions page accompanied the statement, explaining the fundamentals of a union and the impact one might have on staff members.
Despite Pitt providing information about the drive, Nagy doesn’t expect complete cooperation from the University during the unionization process.
“From the way that things seem to be going with faculty union with negotiations, it does seem like Pitt will push back with things and they will take their time moving forward with things.”
Negotiations between administration and the faculty union have lasted nearly a year without resolution on critical topics such as workload and compensation, though in a Feb. 9 bargaining update the union said recent talks have been “productive.”
“I like that they’re $5 on different days of the week,” Maniet said.
Maniet said she couldn’t decide what her favorite pitcher is, but said she had a soft spot for the Long Island pitcher.
“The Long Islands on Thursday are kind of crazy,” Maniet said.
Katie Keenan said the drinks range from mild to strong, with the Long Island being the strongest. According to Elavsky, the pitchers are “all pretty equal,” and while some are slightly stronger, their main focus is on taste.
on behalf of the University.
The spokesperson also said an update on the Compensation Modernization project, which began in 2017 but has yet to be implemented,
for workers and their families.
“All in all, Pitt’s a pretty good place to work,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t be here for some 20 plus years if it wasn’t a good place to work.”
“I think, as staff, we wouldn’t be trying to unionize if we thought Pitt would just do what we ask for,” Nagy said.
“Sometimes, you know, stronger doesn't always taste better,” Elavsky said. “We've had some complaints in the past that ‘that's too strong’ or ‘too much alcohol,’ and we'll adjust it a little better, or do whatever we have to do.”
Each pitcher is garnished with gummy bears, although some drinks use different types of candy. For example, the Orange Crush Shot pitcher is topped with Pop Rocks candy. Elavsky said they know many students enjoy having candy in the drinks, so they try to mix it up.
“We put gummy worms in most of them and the students always liked that,” Elavsky said.
“We try to switch them up a little bit, like for the
month of February we have a one called the Love Potion to honor Valentine's Day.”
Originally, the pitchers used Dum-Dum lollipops instead of gummy candies. According to Katie Keenan, they ran out of Dum-Dums one weekend, so they temporarily replaced them with gummy worms,” Katie Keenan said. “However, the customers ended up preferring them over the lollipops.”
While Hem’s is well known for their shot pitchers, according to Katie Keenan, they also have food and a long list of cocktails that many people don’t know about.
“So I think our drinks menu … is very ex-
tensive,” Katie Keenan said. “We have an actual, pretty big and good drink menu for anywhere in the city. And then our food is actually really good.”
According to Mackenzie Keenan, Hemingways’ Cafe is an important staple in the Pittsburgh community.
“A lot of the places that Pitt students used to go to have shut down over the years, especially because of COVID and everything,” Mackenzie Keenan said. “A lot of [alumni] come here and they love coming back here, because it’s one of the few places that’s left as a Pitt staple.”
changing up their options, with each visit bringing a fun new cocktail I’ve never tried.
With the constant buzz of going out late at night, it’s easy to forget that there’s always another option — day drinking. But more specifically, early evening drinking at your favorite happy hour spot, sitting at a table with good friends, appetizers and the cheapest drinks you can find.
The search for tasty, affordable happy hour spots in any city is sometimes tricky. It’s good to find a good atmosphere and food without breaking the bank. Here are five local happy hour spots with good vibes and great drinks.
1. Fuel and Fuddle
This quaint bar and restaurant offers an extensive menu of shareable appetizers, burgers, wraps, brick oven pizzas and more. Located on Oakland Avenue, Fuel and Fuddle is a short walk from most off-campus housing and offers weekday happy hour, where customers can enjoy personal twists on traditional cocktails and a constant rotation of draft and canned beers.
The warm rustic environment is complete with quirky menu captions and a playlist full of oldies that always get me singing along. But the star of the show, towering up the walls on either side of the bar, is the 100 Beers Cult. This list of brave souls completed one or several “Beer Bibles,” each consisting of one hundred beers. Now, that is far more gluten than I personally could ever handle, but if beer is your go-to happy hour drink, Fuel and Fuddle certainly has plenty to choose from.
2. Urban Tap
Students and locals alike flock to Urban Tap for the sophisticated ambiance, beautifully decorated cocktails and a sometimes overwhelming draft list of local brews, craft beers and ciders. I have to try something new every time. Some of my favorites are the Spicy Archibald from the local Arsenal Cider House and the classic espresso martini from their latest specialty cocktail list. They are constantly
There are two locations of Urban Tap in Pittsburgh. One location is on East Carson Street in Southside, and the other is in Shadyside. The Shadyside location offers outdoor
basics, including margaritas, mules, mojitos, wine, cider and countless draft options. I’ll take a spicy margarita wherever I can get one, but this one remains one of my personal favorites in Pittsburgh.
4. Yuzu
If you’re looking to expand your palate past traditional American and try some sake or a delightful floral cocktail, try Yuzu. Located in Downtown, Yuzu offers a delicious variety of meals and snacks, including small bites such as spring rolls, bao, karaage and gyoza to pair with their extensive drink menu. Entree options also include rice bowls, ramen, stir fry and lunch specials.
seating on warmer days with views of bustling Walnut Street. I’ve never waited for a table during the weekday happy hour, but if there is a short wait, both locations offer plenty of shops to browse and kill some time before your table is ready.
City Works is less known as a popular happy hour spot and more recognizable for its convenient location downtown in Market Square. Take any 61 or 71 bus to Liberty Avenue to end up in the picturesque central plaza of downtown Pittsburgh, where City Works sits among several other restaurants and bars. This fine dining-spot-meets-sports-bar offers guests an upscale feel without the price tag. Splitting appetizers with the table is one of my favorite happy hour activities, and the cheese curds and fried pickles are always crowd favorites with my friends.
Besides the discounted “Bar Bites,” City works offers an array of options for entrees, including steaks, salads, burgers and tacos — if you want to turn happy hour into dinner. Still, if you just want to grab a drink and a quick bite, their drink menu covers all the
Happy hour is on weekdays, with select beer, wine, sake, cocktails and appetizers at a discount. Along with their sizable alcoholic drink menu, Yuzu also offers specialty mocktails and drinks, including jasmine tea, da hong pao and even a “dealer’s choice” created by the bartender if you’re feeling spontaneous. After you’ve dined, Yuzu also offers specialty after-dinner drinks to cleanse the palate.
Grand Concourse is among our most “Instagrammable” happy hours. Located in Station Square, this restaurant overlooks the Monongahela River. It has some of the best views of the Pittsburgh skyline, most beautifully illuminated at sunset or after dark — perfect for a late summer happy hour.
Not only is Grand Concourse a scenic dining destination, but it is also a historical landmark, previously the P&LE Railroad Station. Grand Concourse's high, intricately detailed ceilings and softly lit dining area are breathtaking. With mostly meat and seafood items, the menu can seem a bit pricey, but the restaurant happy hour offers discounted food and drink that make this charming restaurant an ideal restaurant for a classy night out.
Football and beer are an inseparable duo. From Super Bowl parties to college tailgates, no good football watching experience is complete without the bitter tinge of barley and hops. Likewise, some quarterbacks can sometimes remind fans of their favorite beer brand. Here’s five former and current Pitt quarterbacks and their beer brand counterparts.
should find a black and yellow six-pack in advance.
Dan Marino and Corona Extra
This one might not have a “ring” to it, but there is a slight connection. Corona is a beach beer, and while Marino grew up in the gloomy streets of South Oakland, he did ultimately end up on the sunny beaches of Miami when he played for the Dolphins. Both are also reliable. Marino’s toughness is well known, as he fought through brutal injuries in his final
When Pickett said he was “gonna go have a cold one” following Pitt’s 27-17 victory over Clemson in 2021, there was a good chance he was referring to “Natty” Light. It’s a classic college beer, hydrating students since its debut in 1977.
In terms of style, both are balanced, never relying too much on one flavor of play. Pickett can crush defenses with his arms and legs, while Natural Light can crush livers with its light flavor and mass appeal.
Both are also affordable. “Natty” Light is well known for its low cost, adding to its appeal with the college crowd. Meanwhile, Pickett is still on his rookie contract, costing the Steelers just over $14 million for four years.
But there are some criticisms of both. The pair each have problems with consistency. Pickett had an up and down year with the Steelers, totaling nine interceptions with just seven passing touchdowns. “Natty” Light also struggles with consistency, as it’s hit or miss at best.
In the end, both are affordable college classics with a lot to prove moving forward.
Is there any debate here? Both are hometown heroes, brewing greatness in Pittsburgh since the beginning. Jurkovec may have left the city to sip Guinness at Notre Dame and Samuel Adams at Boston College, but he is back and ready to rep IC Light in 2023.
Both are also quite refreshing. Following a down year at the quarterback position for Pitt, Jurkovec is ready to refresh Panther fans with quality play. But Jurkovec is anything but light, as the Panther signal caller stands at 6 feet 5 inches tall and 214 pounds.
Fans in Pittsburgh only need to wait a few more months to kick back with an IC Light and watch Jurkovec lead the Panthers. Pitt will take on Wofford on Sept. 2 at Acrisure Stadium in the season opener, so fans
seasons in the NFL. Corona is also tough, withstanding the waves on beaches across the world.
Kedon Slovis and Barefoot Chardonnay
Barefoot chardonnay isn’t a beer, but the California connection is just too good. Slovis started his career at USC before he transferred to Pitt last season. Barefoot is also from California, hailing from the San Francisco region.
Here’s another connection — Barefoot chardonnay is known for its buttery flavor. Meanwhile, Slovis is known for his butterfingers, as he threw nine interceptions for the Panthers in 2022.
Interestingly, some consumers report bad headaches and hangovers after drinking Barefoot. This is interesting because Pitt fans reported bad headaches after watching Slovis play and are still dealing with the terrible hangover following his tenure.
Unfortunately, Slovis isn’t going to sip chardonnay anytime soon, as he transferred to BYU, which is a completely dry campus.
Nick Patti and Yuengling
Old and legendary — these are two great adjectives to describe Patti and Yuengling. Both have stood the test of time and emerged as clutch picks in any situation.
Yuengling is America’s oldest brewery, as it began producing beer in 1829 across the state in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Patti, on the other hand, just finished up his redshirt senior year at the age of 22.
Patti also cemented himself as a Panther legend after orchestrating Pitt’s 37-35 win over UCLA in the Sun Bowl. Yuengling is also legendary, slowly spreading across the country to become one of the most popular choices.
When push comes to shove, both are excellent choices when the situation calls for a tried and true classic.
I’ll admit, I’m not a huge drinker. Alcohol gives me headaches and makes me sleepy, so I usually won’t have more than one or two drinks in a night. That being said, I’m quite picky about what few drinks I’ll choose, and I usually will opt for a white wine or a cocktail, but only ever one with vodka, rum or tequila.
I am well aware that I have a traditionally feminine taste in alcohol. I have tried so, so hard to like beer and whisky. In the past, I’ve tried to down a beer when it was the last drink available at the function. I’ve even ordered a whisky- or bourbon-based cocktail to try to warm myself up to brown alcohol. I’ve probably wasted hundreds of dollars trying to acquire a taste I simply don’t enjoy. I think my desperate attempts to like beer and whisky speak to how misogyny and gender stereotypes have seeped into the way we enjoy alcohol, from marketing campaigns to representation in the media.
Let’s talk about Bethenny Frankel, former real housewife of New York City and current businesswoman. When she’s not bashing Meghan Markle or reviewing makeup on Tiktok, she is the founder of the brand Skinnygirl, which makes margaritas and wines, among other “healthy” foods and beverages.
I find it fascinating how the primary selling point for Skinnygirl’s margarita and wine is that it’s low-calorie. Sure, a low-calorie option is great for someone on a diet or someone with a condition like PCOS or hypo-
thyroidism, but the fact that it’s very specifically sold to women, and its slogan is “drink like a lady,” just reads as misogynistic. This marketing makes it seem as if thinness is a prerequisite for the adequacy of one’s womanhood. Even the logo is an impossibly skinny female caricature with a perfectly garnished margarita in hand. This alcohol brand markets to women in the way every other product markets to women, which is by attempting to target and alleviate their insecurities.
The best example of this is the landing page before you can enter their website that reads, “sometimes it’s okay to ask a lady her age.” Yet another appeal to women’s insecurities — only this time, it’s not about thinness, but about aging! You can’t shop for a Skinnygirl product without confronting your insecurities because, after all, according to this marketing strategy and countless others, to be a woman is to be cripplingly aware of how ugly and old and fat and saggy you are, even when you’re not. And now that Skinnygirl has reminded you that you’re hideous and decrepit, you can proceed onto their website to buy low-calorie alcohol into which you can drown your sorrows.
The marketing for these gendered beverages has gotten to our heads. We’ve internalized the idea that certain drinks are for certain people, and in doing so, we’ve deemed feminine drinks silly and masculine drinks respectable and hearty. These ideas seep into both our media and our interpersonal culture.
Take the TV show “Scrubs” for example. There is an
ongoing joke where JD, the protagonist, loves appletinis. At the 2:29 mark in the video, where JD is on a date with a girl, and she orders a beer, and he orders an appletini. The bartender assumes she ordered the ‘tini and he ordered the beer, and so JD accepts the beer with a deep-voiced “Thanks, bro,” and swaps drinks with the girl while the bartender isn’t looking.
This scene is such a marker of a widespread cultural phenomena I’ve seen time and time again. From an early age, I remember seeing men tease other men for drinking a glass of wine instead of scotch. I’d overhear it at family functions, bar mitzvahs and weddings. I’d even go on to hear it at a frat party where one bro said to another bro, “A White Claw? Awfully fruity of you!”
Fellas, is it gay to drink alcohol?
I think this is a microcosm of a greater issue within sexism. Why are sweetness, deliciousness and palatability — qualities that are associated with the boxes women have learned to squeeze themselves into — inherently shameful? I hate the way our culture mocks femininity, no matter who exhibits it and how they do so. And with that, the drink another person chooses at the bar has absolutely no bearing on anyone else’s quality of life.
Women feed into the yummy drink-shaming, too, displaying their internalized misogyny in the process.
Carrie Underwood’s song, “Before He Cheats,” features the lyric, “Right now, he’s probably buying her some fruity little drink ‘cuz she can’t shoot whisky.”
First of all, Miss Underpants, we don’t disparage the
Annika Esseku Senior Staff Illustratorother woman –– she didn’t know he had a woman at home. That’s so early 2000s. It’s the man’s fault, although Carrie Underwood does address the man’s wrongdoing later in the song when she smashes his headlights, so never mind.
Why is it a problem that the other woman delights in a fruity little drink? I’ve tried to shoot a whisky before, and I did, in fact, throw up because it’s gross. A woman’s pleasure and comfort should not be shameful, and flexing the fact that you’re so tough because you can shoot whisky only plays into the hands of men who see you as an object anyway. Real “pick me” behavior. Anyway, this is my message to men — get that fruity little drink. Have a rosé. Encourage your buddies to order the rosé, too –– they’ll probably enjoy it! And to women — if you want a fruity little drink, go get it, and if you want a beer or a whisky, hell yeah, enjoy! I think if we threw away our weird cultural attitudes about who is supposed to drink what, we’d probably find our new favorite drinks. Also, beer tastes like piss.
Paige Wasserman (she/her) writes about the arts, pop culture, campus culture and things that make her want to scream. You can reach her at PLW15@pitt.edu.
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Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis
4 Amy and Molly in “Booksmart,” e.g.
5 Dullard
6 Cut short
7 Handouts from a chair
8 Each
9 Sugar suffix
10 Adoption org.
11 Word game option for Swifties
12 Teeth lost by some hockey players
13 Novelist who fought in the Crimean War
16 “They’re gonna do what they’re gonna do”
20 __ trombone
24 Shuttle stop: Abbr.
27 Stirred (up)
28 Toy also
John Lieb
