“Czech” out The Bohemian on the North Side

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Pete Kurzweg didn’t plan on opening a ‘70s-themed Czech lager bar inside a former adult film theater in his neighborhood — it just kind of worked out that way.

“We found the space first and fell in love with it and the concept of bringing renewal to the North Side,” says Kurzweg, a Deutschtown resident and co-owner of Homestead’s Golden Age Beer Co.

The Bohemian, the brewery’s new taproom on W. North Avenue, occupies the former Garden Theater, a century-old Beaux-Arts cinema that began screening pornographic flicks during the Disco Era and closed in 2007. There were numerous attempts to revive the property over the last two decades. A partnership between Trek Development and Q Development finally brought it back to life.

Golden Age’s acquisition of the storefront just so happened to coincide with head brewer Aaron Dahl’s week-long trip to the Czech Republic.

Last year, the Czech Ministry of Agriculture took Dahl and other brewers from across the world on a beer-centric tour of the Central European country. The group learned everything about the local beverage, from ingredients and brewing techniques to bar service.

“It was an incredibly life-changing and eye-opening experience,” he says. “The attention to detail and care and pride in pouring beer correctly every single time was truly inspiring.”

Dahl hopes to recreate the experience at The Bohemian.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The four lagers — Pale, Gold, Pils and Dark — are poured from side-pull Lukr faucets into hand-cleaned, slightly chilled glassware until they have a wet, dense head. Dahl brews them in Homestead, where he’s been churning out German lagers since 2021.

There are three keystones to Czech lagers: Saaz hops from Czechia (which are spicier and earthier than many American-grown varieties), floor-malted Pilsner malt and soft water.

The foamy, quaffable Czech beers are only available on tap at The Bohemian.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Kurzweg, who also runs Lorelei in East Liberty and Squirrel Hill’s Independent Brewing Company and Hidden Harbor, wants North Side patrons to enjoy a unique draft beer experience in an intentionally analog setting with vinyl records, lounge seating, earthen tones and a laidback ‘70s vibe, man.

Grab-and-go food is available at the neighboring Mayfly Market & Deli, a shop that relocated to the Garden Theater in February after debuting on nearby Arch Street in 2018. Beer drinkers are also invited to bring in eats from nearby restaurants, including Badamo’s Pizza and El Burro across the street.

Foodie-friendly businesses are booming in the neighborhood.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

If you’re not into perfectly poured lagers, The Bohemian serves natural wines, cocktails and boozeless beverages, including the Linda Lovelace made with non-alcoholic blood orange aperitif and sparkling wine, vanilla, lemon and passion fruit.

The name is a nod to the actress in “Deep Throat,” a hardcore film that went mainstream and played at the Garden Theater in 1973.