Pittsburgh is Mission Control for Cocktail Tourism

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPACE BAR

Space Bar owners Dale Vaughn and Elizabeth Menzel think Pittsburgh offers some of the best spirits and cocktails in the galaxy.

With support from the city and VisitPITTSBURGH, the couple helms the MixBurgh Foundation, a coordinated effort between local bars, restaurants, distilleries and marketing organizations to promote the city’s out-of-this-world food and beverages and attract tourists like a tractor beam.

Using Pittsburgh’s nationally recognized craft beerscape as a template, MixBurgh aims to put our boozy bars on global Top 100 lists and ensure a lasting positive impact on the city’s economic and cultural landscape. National Geographic already named Pittsburgh among its Best of the World destinations for 2026, the only U.S. city on the list.

The inaugural MixBurgh Cocktail Weekend & Conference, scheduled for Nov. 8-10, will feature special events and happy hours. Visiting bartenders from many of the world’s most awarded bars will take over Balvanera, Hidden Harbor, Bar Botanico, Sea Monkey and Space Bar.

It’s open to industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts alike. Conference passes are on sale now.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, Iron City Distilling will get the party started by launching Bessemer Rye on the Sienna Mercato rooftop Downtown. It’s free to attend, but you must RSVP.

At the Taste of MixBurgh Gala, bars and distilleries from across the region will pour for the public and the trade inside Heinz Hall. Tickets are on sale separately, so cocktail fans can attend without registering for the conference. Guests must be 21 or older.

Education and mentorship opportunities are key components of the conference, Vaughn says.

There will be seminars on subjects ranging from distilling, bar design and surviving a downturn led by industry experts such as David Kaplan, co-founder of Death & Co and CEO of Gin & Luck and New York Times cocktail writer Robert Simonson.

Since launching Space Bar in Market Square two years ago, Vaughn, Menzel and their crew have released more than 140 original beverages that are more like scientific discoveries. New employees spend six months learning about molecular mixology to gain a deeper understanding of ingredients, flavor profiles and mouthfeel. In the back prep area, the centrifuge is in constant rotation, clarifying liquids.

The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, a $42 shareable mix of gin, amaro, preserved lemon cordial, Granny Smith apple and Thai basil, is transported to your table inside a bar globe. Once the sphere is opened, three glasses and a housemade brick of Yuzu white chocolate mochi emerge from a dry-ice fog.

A.I. ain’t got nothin’ on practical effects.

DALE VAUGHN AND ELIZABETH MENZEL / PHOTO BY EVA KOBYLAR

Vaughn and Menzel, who decided to move from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh after being dazzled during Light Up Night 2017, want every libation-lovin’ being in the universe to keep the Steel City on their radar.

“I’ve been to enough of the world’s best bars to tell you we have some of the best bars right here,” Vaughn says.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HIDDEN HARBOR

At Space Bar, they hand out cards listing local stellar bars and restaurants such as Balvanera, Pusadee’s Garden, Bar Botanico, Hidden Harbor, Fig & Ash, The Warren Bar and Burrow and Wallflower. Think of it as “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Dining Scene.”

Vaughn sees big things on the horizon for Pittsburgh bars because he knows people are craving close encounters.

“We want everybody to participate and celebrate our beautiful and unique scene,” he says.