RedRock's 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale

In 1994 one of Utah's most prolific breweries began making beer for the thirsty people of Salt Lake City. In those twenty years a lot has happened. We've seen them expand into other markets, create a giant production brewery, broaden their reach throughout Utah with other satellite RedRock pubs and of course being named Large Brewpub of the Year in 2007. 

Anyone who has considered themselves a friend of the brewery know the dedication of the staff (in and out of the brewery) is what has made RedRock a long lived staple along the Wasatch Front and Back. From the Chicken Schnitzel to Dandelion infused beers, at least my life has been made much better over the last two decades.

To honor their 20th anniversary the brew staff at RedRock has come up with a special edition ale to celebrate their dodeca year. The Anniversary Imperial Red Ale is deep crimson in color with a robust and fruity malt character that is balance with a substantial amount of floral and citrusy hops. This will be a very limited edition ale, that will disappear fast.

It's due to be release this Thursday, March 13th and as of this writing will only be available at RedRock locations. Big congrats RedRock on this huge milestone.

Cheers! 

New Beer Friday 3/7/14

Hoppers Brewmaster and Secret Agent, Donovan Steele has stepped out of the box once again to deliver something new for us today.

Waikikamukau Draught (pron. Why-kick-a-moo-cow) is an interpretation on a mild ale that has it's roots in 19th century New Zealand. Immigrants from the U.K. back then craved the Mild Ales and Bitters they had back in England. Utilizing locally sourced grain and hops this beer evolved to become a lager. Made with lager malt, light caramel malt, and chocolate malted barley.

Hoppers' single hopped New Zealand-style Draught has an amber brown color, complex malts flavors balanced with juicy New Zealand Rakau hops. The Rakau hops have a pleasant tropical flavor and perfume aroma that sit nicely on top of the soft rich malts. It has a lager crispness, making for a very drinkable session lager. 4.0% ABV @Hoppers

Pelican Doryman's Ale - The nose smacks with sweet pumpernickel, coffee and spicy hops. The taste starts with roasted coffee and sweet toasted malts. The middle brings out some balance with citrus rind and pine. The finish is semi-toasty and dry. 6.2% ABV @Bayou

Pelican Tsunami Stout - Big nose, full of dark fruits, smokey/bitter chocolate and nice rich espresso. The tastes starts dry with slightly bitter coffee beans. Dark chocolate comes next adding some bitterness. Figs, dark wheat, raisins and graham crackers round out the middle with a dry dark chocolate powder finish. 7.0% ABV @Bayou

Roosters Deep Powder Dortmunder - The nose is grassy with a fair amount of citrus peel. The taste starts with strong grassy and herbal hops up front. An understated toasted malt presence comes next with a lingering earthiness. The end is slightly dry with a lasting bitterness. Nice, clean taste. Reminds me more of an Altbier than a Dortmunder - regardless, it's quite tasty. 4.0% ABV @Roosters, Beerhive

Firkin Friday at the Bayou this week is courtesy of Wasatch Brewing. Today we have Alta Ale hopped with Mosaic and Chinook hops. Looks to be a winner. 4.0% ABV
 
Cheers!

The Liberty Tap Room

The 9th & 9th area of Salt Lake City is one of the more charming areas of the capitol city, it's full of walkable restaurants and eclectic shops, nestled in an old middle class neighborhood full of charming hundred year old homes.

The one thing that has been missing from the area is a proper watering hole for locals to gather that matches the diverse burb's unique feel. Scott Evans, owner of Pago and Finca restaurants, is proposing a new culinary project called The Liberty Tap Room. Located at 850 E. 900 South; The proposed tavern would be a place where guests can enjoy a beer without ordering food, but also has a dining area where Chef Phelix Gardner will offer classic pub fare using local and seasonal ingredients. Since club licenses are are impossible to get right now, Evans has applied for a beer-only tavern license with the DABC.

If approved, the Liberty Tap Room would likely be open for business in late April or May 2014. If there's something the towns and suburbs of Utah are in desperate need of right now it's more walkable watering holes for neighborhoods. let's hope it sails through all of it's needed bureaucratic bull shit.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 2/28/14

The Mother Earth Beers are finally here! The Beerhive received four of the San Diego brewery's more popular labels.

Mother Earth Sin Tax Imperial Stout - The nose has a "whiff" of peanut butter with notes of coffee and chocolate. The taste is strong with coffee and chocolate. There's a hint of the PB in the end. Not too boozy for an Imperial Stout. 8.7 ABV. @Beerhive

Mother Earth Cali' Creamin' Vanilla Cream Ale - The nose is similar to Honey Grahams with vanilla notes. The tastes is fairly sweet with vanilla and malt.  There is a mild amount of grassy hop bitterness in the end. Overall, if your a fan of vanilla (which I am) you'll like this beer. The vanilla presence is pleasant. 5.2% ABV @Beerhive

Mother Earth Kismet - The nose has orange, grapefruit, peach, little white grape (Mother Earth must really love Nelson Sauvin hops). Taste is big with grapefruit, melon, and white grapes. Floral herbs come next with rye notes and more of that graham cracker sweetness. The finish is fairly bitter and dry. Damn tasty! 7.0% ABV @Beerhive

Mother Earth Hop Diggity -  The nose has nice citrus peel notes with an herbal pine resins. The taste starts with grapefruit,  melon and berries. Floral bitterness picks up from there as a graham cracker sweetness balances it out. It finishes relatively dry. A really nice and approachable DIPA. 8.0% ABV @Beerhive

Payette Rodeo Rye Pale Ale - Yes, they're here! This is quite a nice pale ale, Citra hops give it a tropical fruit nose that is full of passion fruit, peaches and mangoes with a malt profile that has that nice spicy, rye kick. 4.0% ABV. Found at Whole Foods, where else?

Squatters Means Business Lager - Named for one of my favorite people at Squatters, Jessica Means. The nose is of toasted malts and honey. The flavors starts with wheat crackers and tangerine. sweet malt comes next with a smack of herbal bitterness in the end. Finishes mildly bitter. 4.0% ABV @Squatters

Roosters Grizzly Brown Ale - Not had a chance to get to this one yet. Anyone? @Roosters

Bohemian Steam Beer - It's a brilliant copper colored beer boasting smooth caramel malt notes but with noticeable hop bitterness and finish.4.0% ABV @Bohemian

Desert Edge Citra in Red returns - If you've not experienced this citrusy, fruity delight you have my pity. 4.0% ABV @Desert Edge

Epic Copper Cone #56 - This version is made with Amarillo hops. Great pale ale. The malt and hop combo is right on. fruity and malty. Definitely one of the better versions of this beer. Absolutely love it! 7.0% ABV @Epic Brewing SLC, Denver

Cheers!

Bohemian Dampfbier

Bohemian Brewing thrives on sticking with old world beer styles. Now they have another new interpretation on a beer style born in the old world but perfected in the new.

Steam beer also known as California common beer, was originated by Anchor Brewing Company, which trademarked the name Anchor Steam Beer in 1981. Due to lack of refrigeration, these beers were originally thought of as a "cheap beer" because they were fermented with lager yeast at near ale temperatures. The name Steam Beer derives from "Dampfbier" (literally "steam beer"), a traditional German beer that was also fermented at unusually high temperatures and that may have been known to 19th-century American brewers, many of whom were of German descent.

Bohemian Brewery’s latest Brewer’s Stash offering picks up on this tradition. It's a brilliant copper colored beer boasting smooth caramel malt notes but with noticeable hop bitterness and finish.

It likely won't be around long, so get on it.

Prost!

New Beer Friday 2/21/14

Got a few morsels for you this morning. Like the Dude's rug, they'll really tie your room together.

Samuel Adams Cold Snap -  Kinda looks like golden lemonader with a slight white head. The nose is mild with citrus, coriander and crackers. The flavor follows suit. Somewhat similar to Blue Moon but with a greater emphasis on the orange and spices. It finishes a little on the dry side.

The Hive Winery Apricot Honey Wine - It pours a brilliant golden color with a nose of pleasant, apricot and sweet clover. It's a semi-sweet wine with subtle honey notes that complement the light tartness of the apricots. This is a limited release with only 203 full size bottles and 36 split size bottles hitting the shelves, so hurry in to get yours while they last! Available only at the Winery.

Firkin Friday at the Bayou is courtesy of Hoppers: Wheat Ale with African Red Rooibos, fresh   tarragon and mint.

And while I have you, I'd seriously consider getting your asses over to RedRock Brewing to check out some of their seasonal offering, they're killing it right now!

- Yeah, well. The Dude abides

Epic Cans Coming this Summer

When Epic Brewing first burst on to the scene a few years ago, their mantra was basically, go big or go home. And they stuck to that for quite a while. The beers were like nothing that had come before them in Utah; producing no beers under 4.5% ABV.  The packaging was also big, choosing to go with 22oz. bottles instead of the more common 12ozers.

The no 4% beers eventually fell by the wayside with the advent of the Unsacred Brewing line of beers as well as the the creation of the Annex Brewpub. Their new mantra soon became, "never say never". Now comes the official announcement that the Utah/Colorado brewery will be getting into the canned beer game.

Now, less than a year after opening their second production brewery in Denver, Co., Epic Brewing is getting ready to show it's new packaging with their first six packs in 12-ounce cans. The first beers to be released in cans will feature one Colorado Original and one Utah Original. Escape to Colorado IPA – a nicely fruity, dry-hopped Mosaic hoped IPA and Hop Syndrome – a hugely hopped Euro-style lager. The packaging that will feature the Hop Syndrome Lager will be a rotating seasonal, while Escape to Colorado will be the mainstay. Both beers will be brewed and canned exclusively in Colorado, with a tentative release sometime after June.

The Denver brewery is currently in the process of establishing a canning line because the Utah brewery is completely out of space. Epic co-founder Dave Cole said the Eco-friendly PakTech six pack cans will be distributed to the brewery’s markets across the country (including Utah), as well as to Japan.

Epic spokesman Matthew Allred says, While Epic is known for its 22oz bomber format we are also avid adventure junkies and when it comes to the outdoors, the can is king. We’re looking forward to joining you on your next excursion.

I've made no secret of my advocacy for cans and smaller packaging. I'm sure as more breweries recognize the profitability and portability of cans more and more labels will start to appear.

Cheers!