Let The Games Begin – With Beer!

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAPS, AXES & GAMES

There’s never a dull moment on Pittsburgh’s craft beer scene.

To prove this point, Tim Stivers and Brandon Horvath opened Taps, Axes & Games, or TAG, a South Hills recreational facility that will soon double as an Abjuration Brewing Co. taproom.

The McKees Rocks-based beer brand, known for its flavor-forward sours and hoppy ales, will start as a Thursday through Saturday pop-up offering canned beers at TAG’s location in Mt. Lebanon; future plans include adding six to eight taps and a cocktail program.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAPS, AXES & GAMES

“First and foremost, it’s an axe-throwing, dart-slinging gaming space,” says Dave Hallam, who opened Abjuration with Tom Glover inside the Parkway Theater & Film Lounge in 2018. “We are just a beautiful sidecar to a vibe that Tim and Brandon are bringing. That said, it’s going to be a great space for a pour and for groups.”

Abjuration has more big things on tap for 2026 that will increase their output and put them on the, ahem, cutting edge of the local beer scene.

In addition to being a longtime axe-throwing aficionado who’s competed in tournaments all over the world, Stivers is a Level 1 Cicerone, or Certified Beer Server, who managed Creekside Beer in Sewickley. Before the pandemic, he served as a coach at several LumberjAxes venues throughout Pittsburgh.

TAG’s building on McFarland Road was a LumberJaxes site until December 2024, when the owners closed it to focus on their new business venture, the Butler Street Derby, a Lawrenceville bar and event space.

It was then that Stivers and Horvath decided to start their own company.

At TAG, you can toss axes, steel-tip darts and knives. There are six lanes and a mezzanine overlooking the action, so you don’t necessarily have to participate to have a good time. Sip a sour while watching folks age 10 and over chuck cutlery or play Dungeons & Dragons with your buds in the soon-to-open gaming lounge. You’re welcome to bring your own games from home and settle in. There are snacks available, plus you can order in grub from one of TAG’s local restaurant partners.

Despite the preponderance of deadly weapons, the family- and dog-friendly place is all about community and inclusivity. Stivers’ 11-year-old daughter, Joey Lynn, and dog, Betty White, are regulars.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAPS, AXES & GAMES

League play started Dec. 11. Many Lumberjaxes members volunteered their time and elbow grease to help Stivers and Horvath breathe new life into the old space. TAG will soon organize a summer youth league, a Wednesday night ladies’ league and the city’s first knife-throwing collective.

Groups ranging from six to 72 people can reserve lanes for up to two hours. If you stop by solo, you can grab a beer and toss a hatchet for 30 minutes. Visibly intoxicated patrons won’t have access to sharp objects.

TAG coaches will teach you the proper techniques to maximize your fun and safety. Stivers says the sport was male-dominated for years, but is now a popular pastime for just about every demographic. He’s coached everyone, from local scouts to retirees.

Shaler’s Adeline Kubicsek, a metalsmith who helped design TAG’s logos and a beertender at Acrospire Brewing Co. in Glenshaw, is arguably the top female axe thrower in the world. She took first place in the Slayer Series of the 2025 International Axe Throwing Championship in Toronto, Canada, which was open to female, transgender and nonbinary participants.

Axe-throwers also give back to the community. Each year, Chill Axe in North Huntingdon hosts a two-day fundraising event for the Special Olympics in honor of Stiver’s sister, who died two years ago.

“I’ve found that the craft beer world is just like the axe-throwing world,” Stivers says. “Community matters.”

Taps, Axes & Games is at 1689 McFarland Road in Mt. Lebanon. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The Abjuration Brewing Co. pop-up operates from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, with expanded hours coming in the new year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZEITNOT BREWING CO.

Apis Mead debuts Zeitnot Brewing Co.

Dave Cerminara, owner of Apis Mead & Winery in Carnegie, is putting the beer industry in check.

Zeitnot Brewing Co., a 3.5-barrel operation located in the same facility as his 11-year-old fermented honey business, specializes in classic German, English and American ales. The name is a chess term meaning “time is of the essence.”

Before opening Apis, Cerminara was a homebrewer who worked for South Hills Brewing Supply. He spent five years honing his craft professionally at Penn Brewery. After dedicating more than a decade to mead, the avid gamer decided to dive back into the world of barley, malt and hops.

Zeitnot’s production space is separate from the meadery’s, but the large taproom, located in the former Holy Souls Church on Mary Street, is open to fans of both beverages. Customers can enjoy a hybrid of the two (a style known as a braggot) while they enjoy pub fare, play pinball or select a board game from Cerminara’s extensive collection. Chess pieces are available.

Zeitnot won’t can its beers (at least, not right now), but folks can sign up for the Mug Club to get first dibs on small-batch bottle releases and discounts on drafts and growler-fills. Offerings include everything from an English dark mild and a German festbier to an American stout. The low-ABV beers that are in stark contrast to the boozier Apis meads.

Whatever customers choose to imbibe, Cerminara just wants them to enjoy some good, old-fashioned human connection.

“Basically, we’re looking for the old-school brewpub vibe,” he says. “If you walk in any day, you’ll see people playing games.”

Apis Mead & Winery and Zeitnot Brewing Co. are located at 206 Mary St. in Carnegie. Hours for the 21-and-over venue are 4 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.