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.

In partnership with 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 inaugural MixBurgh Cocktail Weekend & Conference, scheduled for Nov. 6-10,, will feature special events hosted by some of the Steel City’s coolest bars and staffed by local and visiting bartenders.

The event is sponsored by VisitPITTSBURGH, the City of Pittsburgh, the Office of Nighttime Economy and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. It’s open to industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts alike.

Education and opportunities for mentorship 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.