PHOTO BY GARY VON PHOTOGRAPHY

UPDATE: Grist House Command grand opening celebration will be Saturday, Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Hours on Sunday, Sept. 7 will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  

The mission of Millvale-based Grist House Craft Brewery is to grind out great beers. Soon they’ll be making suds inside a former Nike Missile Command Center in Collier.

Constructed in 1957 on one of the highest points in Allegheny County, the 55,000-square-foot site known as PI-62 operated from 1960 to 1972. It, along with 13 missile silos set up throughout Pittsburgh, was built to protect the Steel City from potential attacks.

By the end of the summer, the Cold War relic will be a hotspot for beer lovers.

PHOTO BY GARY VON PHOTOGRAPHY

Grist House Command will have a 30-barrel brewing system, a full kitchen, four bars each with 24 taps, indoor seating for 140, three dog-friendly decks for an additional 300 patrons and private event spaces. Photos, signage and other memorabilia from the site’s past will be on permanent display in the taproom. Once Grist House Command is go for launch, military members who served at the site are encouraged to drop by for a pint and to share their memories of the place.

Co-owner Brian Eaton, who acquired the property in 2018 with his business partner and brother-in-law Kyle Mientkiewicz, believes that in a saturated beer market, having a unique space is key to success.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRIST HOUSE CRAFT BREWERY

The original Millvale location, a former slaughterhouse, opened in 2014 and was expanded several years ago. Grist House also has two satellite locations: The Beer Crib at Freedom Farms Farmers Market in Butler and The Beer Market at Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market in Saxonburg.

Currently, the brewery churns out 2,500 barrels a year. With the new equipment at Command, Grist House has the potential to produce 30,000 barrels a year, including more lagers and lighter styles that are in high demand.

“We like providing beer and a great experience for the people of Western PA,” Eaton says.