PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

For a while, Scott and Angela Wyman felt like they were in limbo. 

“Tortured Souls is what we named our brand, but we didn’t expect it to be so literal,” says Angela, co-owner of the soon-to-open brewery.

After years of searching — and several misfires — the couple found a place in New Kensington that suits their spooky aesthetic. 

The building at 715 Craigdell Road is across the parking lot from Pittsburgh Ice Arena where their son spent years playing hockey. They can’t wait to turn up the heat this December with beers and Cajun eats. 

They had to raise a little hell first.

I visited the place on Oct. 27 as the Wymans were decorating for a Halloween party to officially make the former Breakaway Bar and Grill their own. Once October is over, they’ll ditch the plastic skeletons and fake cobwebs for decor that’s still dark, but industrial; more like a Nine Inch Nails video than a campy horror movie. 

Oh, and they’re painting the exterior black and red.

Endless Void, a Cascadian Dark Ale, will be on tap along with 11 other offerings made on the 3.5-barrel brewing system. After a decade spent homebrewing in his O’Hara basement, Scott joined the inaugural class of Point Park Univeristy’s Brewing Science Academy, a 10-week program.  

Tortured Souls will also serve cocktails made with Pennsylvania-distilled spirits.

Chef Mike Barnes and his Homewood-based catering company Roux Orleans will supply the food. When asked what’s on the menu, the Louisiana native points to the words on his sweatshirt: gumbo, jambalaya, dirty rice, po’boy, beigne, crawfish and andouille. (That’s right, alligator.)

Barnes, who goes by the name Big EZ, learned Cajun and Creole recipes from his grandmother, who owned a New Orleans barroom and gave out home-cooked meals to people in the neighborhood.

The Wymans believe the alchemy between their beer and Big EZ’s authentic French Quarter cuisine will draw folks to their Westmoreland County taproom. The space, the latest stop on the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour, boasts a large bar, ample seating, a stage and an outdoor area that overlooks Little Pucketa Creek.  

They came close to opening the business on Washington Boulevard in Larimer after Couch Brewing called it quits. When that deal fell through – and Arboretum Trail Brewing Co. briefly moved into the facility — the Wymans set their sites on a former church in Sharpsburg.

They feel lucky to have found a spot in New Kensington (near Rabbits Foot Drive no less!) where they can finally let the good times roll.