Move over milk, it’s beer and cookies again.
Allegheny City Brewing from Pittsburgh’s North Side and Nancy B’s Bakery from West Homestead are combining two favorites for a third year with the return of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Stout.
For a limited time, the special brew will be available at the brewery in cans and on tap — and at the bakery for just one day.
Nancy B’s will supply 500 of its signature chocolate chip cookies, which Allegheny City incorporates into a beer.
“Working with Allegheny City Brewing is wonderful,” said Michael Runco, owner of Nancy B’s. “They are a hard-working family business, and it’s cool to come up with ideas like this one because it’s a win-win situation.”
Customers have already been asking for it, both outlets said. They plan to make a double batch, one beginning at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 29 and the other on Feb. 5.
The beverage will be available at 4 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the brewery, just in time for Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, said Al Grasso, who co-owns Allegheny City Brewing with his wife Amy Yurkovich and her brother Matthew Yurkovich. The brewery will have cookies for sale on Feb. 13 as well.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Stout will be available on draft and in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for $20.
“It was such a success last year that we decided to brew a double batch this year,” said Grasso. “We look forward to this every year, because Nancy B’s cookies are world famous”
Grasso said the first year was more of an educated guess when making the beer to get just the right amount of sweetness. They’ve since made adjustments to the recipe. He said the hardest part is the filtering — the cookie part breaks down easier than the chocolate chips, so it’s a slower process.
A February release is perfect because of Valentine’s Day and also for those people who participated in dry January and abstain from alcohol for a month, Amy Yurkovich said.
There will be an event where people can purchase four-packs at Nancy B’s from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 15. Last year, the beer sold out in a few hours, Runco said.
“Chocolate chips sell the most because they are the Lamborghini of our cookie line,” said Runco, who sells 300 dozen a day. “This is a great partnership. Sweets and alcohol — people love both so it’s a phenomenal idea.”
There was no question on who to partner with for this, Amy Yurkovich said. A longtime customer of Nancy B’s, she recalled Runco’s late mother Nancy Bertram Runco as a kind woman. Runco said his mother, who died in 2022, treated everyone like family and offering a warm chocolate chip cookie can brighten a person’s day.
“They are a good family,” Amy Yurkovich said. “And the cookies are amazing but this is about more than the cookies. We lost our mom in August and Michael was there for us.”
Amy and Matthew Yurkovich’s mom, Kathy Yurkovich, also loved to baked cookies. Both mothers wanted the cookie to be perfect.
“We and Michael have a connection,” Amy Yurkovich said. “Our moms shared a love of cookies. That’s why this collaboration means even more to me this year.”
Nancy B’s Bakery is located at 415 W. 7th Ave., West Homestead. Allegheny City Brewing is located at 507 Foreland St., Pittsburgh’s North Side.
