Sour Brainless on Peaches - For SLC

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of letting you know about the release of Epic Brewing's Sour Brainless on Peaches. It got a very limited release in the states where Epic distributes and Utah will will be no different.

There will be a few cosmetic changes to the bottle that you will receive in SLC. First: it will be in a 22oz bottle in stead of the special 375ml waxed cap bottle that came out of Denver. Second: It will not have the new label, it will have the label that came with the original release of "beautiful disaster". The approval of new label would take too long - the brewery wants the beer out to you asap.

The sad part of this is that there will only be 175 bottles - one per person. The price for that 22oz bottle is $19.99. They will go on sale at the brewery on Thursday July 2nd. Due to the limited amount available it will likely be gone in an hour. People will undoubtedly do what they can to maximize  their purchasing power, so if you're able to get your ass to the brewery early Thursday you probably should.

Don't stress if you don't get some, this just a first release from Epic's new sour program. The sours will continue to flow.

Cheers! 

New Beer Friday 6/26/15

Full Sail - Brewers Share Oatmeal Stout: Pours black with a frothy light beige head The nose is roasty with char and some espresso grinds. The taste starts roasty with a bit of ash. Espresso and bitter dark chocolate comes next with oats showing beyond the robust roasty malt. Light, tangy dark fruitiness rounds out he back end. Modestly hopped, gently bitter, with a little citrus as it warms. Not too bad but a little spendy for what it is. 5.5% ABV @Beer Bar - DABC

2 Row - Random IPA #1: Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a good two fingers of off-white foam the nose has notes of caramel, tangerine peel, piney hops with some orangey citrus - bit of booze as well. The taste starts with resiny hop flavors of pine, a bit earthy and bright citrus. Nice balance to this. Hoppy, but not a total hop bomb either. Fruity tropical bitterness rounds out the end. Nice full bodied DIPA - Slight alcohol heat. Hoppy but not over - this is pretty damn tasty! 8.5% ABV @2 Row Brewing, Beer Bar, Beerhive & Bayou

Shades of Pale - Beer X White IPA: Pours a murky orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. The nose is of malt, citrus fruit, tropical fruit, and pineapple aromas. Taste is much the same with citrus zest and tropical fruit flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a great tropical aroma and some tasty flavors. If you want to try this beer you'll have to attend the WeeBEER Festival in Ogden this Saturday. It should be available for purchase at the brewery sometime next week.

And a quick reminder that there are two Beerfests happening this weekend. The WeeBEER in Ogden and Wendover Beer Fest in Wendover, NV. The WeeBEER Fest will be debuting Laughing Dog's beers in the market along with many other options and Wendover will have a lot of hard to find - not available in Utah beers. You'll win no matter which one you choose.

Cheers!

2015 Utah Beer Festival

This year will see the 6th Annual Utah Beer festival return to downtown Salt Lake City. Every year this festival (put on by The City Weekly) gets bigger and bigger with more beer and entertainment and food options.

The beer list has not yet been put together, but there will easily be over a hundred different beers and ciders to sample from local, national and international breweries. As soon as the list comes together we of course will spread the love.

The festival will occupy 200 e. in downtown Salt Lake and the west side of Library Square. As with previous years there will be three tiers of of tickets. VIP (all access), Early Entry (2pm entry) and Standard (3pm entry). The festival officially starts at 3pm and goes to 8pm. There is set limit on tickets, so it may sell out. All samples are 1-2 tokens (poured into 5oz sample mug that you get at the gate) 12 oz available for DRAFTS ONLY at designated booths, ranging from 3-6 tokens based on the price of the beer. Advance tickets can be purchased here

If all of that info works for you, then all you have to do is show up on Saturday, August. 15, 2015. Hope to see you there. 

Cheers!

Photo: Yours Truly - taken by Chris Detrick

Uinta's Brewhouse Pub is Complete

If you haven't been by Uinta Brewing in the last few years you may not recognize the place. The massive expansion that has dwarfed their original location is a high tech thing of beer making beauty. Earlier this year, one of the final phases of Uinta 3.0 began with the closure and remodel of their brewhouse pub. That remodel is 99% completed and the pub nearly ready for it's debut.

Set your Wayback Machine to about six months ago and remember the old pub. It was an adequate sized space for a brew house taproom. The U shaped bar made it easy to converse with others and the and the large windows washed the nicely furnished room with tons of natural lighting.

The new set up is slightly different, but still takes advantage of Uinta's green energy mantra of Earth, Wind and Beer. The space nearly triples the floor space and the bar has a long classical "L" shape and is equipped with a shload of tap handles - The seating has quadrupled and the patio has been expanded as well.

The kitchen has been revamped as well. The menu is much more diverse - full of classic pub fair designed by Chef Rick Esparza, former owner of the Urban Bistro. I've known Rick for a while, he's got great culinary skills and his menu is full of food designed around Uinta's beers.

For now Uinta's Brewhouse Pub still retains it tavern license, but they are working to acquire a full club license. The Breweries bottleshop is open (always was) and is still selling all of Uitna's beers. The Uinta Brewery is located at 1722 s. Fremont Drive in Salt Lake City.

It's a great space. Congrats and thanks to Uinta on providing us a brilliant new watering hole!

Cheers!

Ogden City Brew Supply

If your a home brewer along the northern part of the Wasatch Front you've likely encountered the difficulties in obtaining your home brew supplies the further north you go. There have been a few home brew shops that have come and gone - including Grains, Grapes and Grounds and the recently shuttered Union Station Fermentation.

Now comes word that the guys behind Salt City Brew Supply in Midvale are going to invest in Ogden and points north of Salt Lake County with the opening of Ogden City Brew Supply. They will of course sell beer kits  along with a long list of specialty grain, adjuncts, yeast and hops. Wine, cider and mead supplies will be available as well. brewers.

OGBS will be located at 2269 Grant Avenue and is looking to open their door by sometime in mid July.

Cheers!

7th Annual Evanston Brewfest

The season of the beerfest continues! This entry comes to us from our neighbor to the north, Evanston, WY. The Annual Evanston Brewfest often runs counter to Pioneer Day and offers an alternative to adults who are seeking more little more beer and less green jello. 

The Brewfest takes place on July 25th at Depot Square and goes from 1pm to 5pm. tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of. This is a 21+ event - no children allowed, so don't forget your damn ID! This was once a street festival, it's now enclosed in a small park. The move takes away from the charm of Main Street but it doesn't affect the taste of the beer. It's proximity to the Wasatch Front and Back makes it a relatively quick drive and there are many hotels to crash at should you need them. Here's a preliminary list of the breweries that are pouring. Hope to see you there.

Alaskan Brewing Co.
Black Tooth Brewing Co.
Blue Moon Brewing Co.
Bohemian Brewing Co.
Deschutes Brewing Co.
Epic Brewing Co.
Grand Teton Brewing Co.
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Miller/Coors
New Belgium Brewing Co.
O'Dell Brewing Co.
Oskar Blues Brewing Co.
Prairie Fire Brewing Co.
Rogue Brewing Co.
Sam Adams Brewing Co.
Shades of Pale Brewing Co.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Snake River Brewing Co.
Suds Brothers Brewery
Uinta Brewing Co.
Upslope Brewing Co 
Vernal Brewing Brewing Co.
Wind River Brewing Co.
More will be announced in the coming weeks.

Cheers! 

New Beer Friday 6/19/15

New Beer Friday is always great, but it's especially great when a local brewery debuts their beer. 2 Row Brewing is offering two of their beers for sale today, starting at 11am - at the brewery.

RedRock Gypsy Scratch 100% Brett Pale: Pours a hazy orange with a creamy white head. The nose has some wonderful Brett funk, along with tropical hop notes - some sweet malt as well. The taste is not tart. This is a young brett ale, instead the Brett takes a strong stance and adds an amazingly complex earthy quality despite being so young. Still getting some of the tropical flavors the nose suggested, but it's subdued. Medium-bodied, with a fairly crisp mouth-feel. Such a wonderful beer! Kudos to Brewer Chris Harlin for this great "out of the box" beer. 4.0% ABV @RedRock Downtown.

Rogue Fresh Roast: Poured a deep, brown that produced a thick, creamy, light brown head. The taste starts with some hints of coffee and roasted malts. Nice bready notes come next. Mild cocoa bitterness rounds out the end. The beer is very smooth and very easy to drink. 5.7% ABV @Beer Bar

2 Row Accelerator IPA: Pours a light amber with a large collar of foam. The nose was very sweet with big plunges of tropical/citrus fruits. The taste is much of the same. Some mild spicy hops with more tropical fruitiness. Malts balance nicely. The finish is semi dry and super clean. The body is thin to medium, with great carbonation giving it a light creaminess.7.0% ABV @2 Row Brewing

2 Row 24K Golden Ale: Pours a goldenrod color with a foamy, pillowy white head. The smell is fresh, lively citrus hops and a hint of sweet malt. The taste duplicates the smell and is so sweet and hoppy at the same time. Perfect balance with a creamy, smooth mouthfeel that is also crisp and refreshing at the same time. The drinkability of this is amazing. 5.7% ABV @2 Row Brewing

Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale: Me no Try yet - 5.5% ABV @Beer Bar

Ballast Point Wahoo White: Me no Try yet - 4.5% ABV @Beer Bar

Ballast Point Piper Down Scotish Ale: Me no Try yet - 5.8% ABV @Beer Bar

Cheers!

Roosters' Chanticleer Belgian Rye

It doesn't seem like it but Roosters Brewing Company is twenty years old! Back in the mid to late 90s there were actually quite a few Ogden breweries making beer for the Wasatch Front - including Mount Olympus Brewing, Naisbitt's, Ebenezer's and Ruby River. All of these have fallen by the wayside except for Roosters. Their staying power is due in large part to a loyal/local fan base and consistently made beers. 

In honor of their 20 year anniversary Roosters has created a Belgian Style Rye Ale featuring the brewery's original rooster logo. Chanticleer Belgian Rye is described as an earthy Belgian-style ale, enlivened with rye and possessing essences reminiscent of clove and citrus.

It's for sale today at both Ogden and Layton Roosters locations. Congrats to Roosters on 20 years!

Cheers!

A New Begining to Epic's Sour Brainless on Peaches

What began as a happy accident last year at Epic's Salt Lake City brewery, has now morphed into a new direction for our states original maverick brewery. Though sour beer have always been a part of Epic's larger plan the immediate and overwhelming success of the (one off) soured batches off Brainless on Peaches and Brainless on Cherries proved the time and investment Epic is making is due to pay off in a big way.

Shortly after opening the Denver Brewery, in August of 2013, Epic's owners purchased three 60 hectoliter Oak Foeders from New Belgium Brewing. These wonderful wooden vessels are the basis for what will come in Epic's new sour program. The first beer to be blended from the previous "wonderful mistake" is recreation of the locally famous "Wild" Brainless on Peaches.

Co-Owner Dave Coles said, "We isolated and banked the wild yeast (wonderful disaster), then attempted several fermentations, but nothing worked. Even the tincture of time failed to revive this wild strain to anything remotely close to its one-time-strength and glory. Wild Brainless on Peaches remains a true one-off, lost forever". Well, lost but not forgotten. After time and several trials, the brew teams from Salt Lake and Denver managed to create a new and exciting wild blend that was equal to or better than the original experiment.

Brainless on Peaches emphasizes the fruit's aromatics, not its sweetness. The sourness is derived from the Lactobacillus and Pediococcus with a little bit of Brettanomyces funk and tartness layered in, adding depth and complexity. The finish is tart, sour, and very dry, with maybe a touch of perceived sweetness from the Brainless Belgian Yeast. This is a beer that should be appreciated on the warmer side of cold. "We took our time crafting this beer" Dave adds. "we hope you’ll take yours enjoying it".

The initial release is very small, with only a few cases going to each market. If sour beer is your passion then I encourage you to seek it out. Future releases are planned but no firm timelines can be established. Look for release announcements and availability on our social media accounts and website in the months of June and July. Because of Utah's unique laws, it looks like our allotment of  Sour Brainless on Peaches will come later in July. Better late than never, eh?

Stay close, we'll get the details out as soon as they're available.

Cheers!

Cans from Vernal Brewing Coming Soon

Vernal Brewing Company has been promising that their beer would be packaged since they announced the creation of brewery back in 2011. The brewery is about to make good on their promise. 20 barrels of Vernal's Little Hole Lager is expected to be in cans by the end of this week!

Their Directional Porter is fermenting now and will soon follow along with Allosaurus Amber and Pilgrimage Extra Pale Ale. Obviously Vernal and Eastern Utah will get these first. A soon as they hit the Wasatch Front we'll give you the good news. All of these initial brands will be 4% ABV with some high ABV brands to follow. 

Cheers!

Uinta's New CEO & Ales for ALS Red IPL

Uinta's popular Ales for ALS beer that has become a seasonal staple in the market for past few years is returning this year with a new ABV, style and packaging. The first thing you'll probably notice is that this year's version is not an ale - it's a lager, so it's technically "Lagers for ALS". It's also getting a boost in the ABV department - going from 4% to 6.2%. The final change is that it will be packaged in Uinta's corked and caged 750 ml bottles. The hops for this beer are a special blend designed especially for breweries that participate in this ALS program. As always a portion of the sales from this beer will go to the ALS Therapy Institute. This is not for sale yet. We'll let you know as soon as it is.

Also happening at Uinta: Uinta Brewing Company has announced that Steve Mills, former Vice President of Sales for Duvel USA and Boulevard Brewing Company, will be joining their team as Chief Executive Officer. After 23 years of leadership, Uinta’s owner and founder, Will Hamill, will be transitioning his role to Board Member and Founder with a restored focus on brand development and brewery innovation. Creation of a more ‘traditional’ CEO post within the company supports Uinta’s growth strategy and continued commitment and investment in people, brand and great beer.

“I’m anxious to be afforded more time to fully embrace my passions within the company and empowering Mills will allow me the bandwidth to do so”, says Hamill. “Finding someone with extensive craft beer experience to fill the CEO role at Uinta was a must. Mills brings 20 years of industry knowledge to Uinta—I’m proud that we were able to attract such quality talent to lead our team.”

“The beers and people at Uinta Brewing Company are world class, I’m excited to be submerged into the strong culture that exists there”, says Mills. It will be a privilege to lead the incredible team that makes up Uinta. Continuing the legacy of making flavorful beers that are relevant to today and tomorrow’s consumer will be front and center of everything we do as an organization.”

With an extensive background in brewery operations and sales, Mills will be a vital asset in leading Uinta to continued growth. Mills joins Uinta at a time of great momentum; with 31% growth in 2014 and strategic plans to continue the brewery’s success while building upon their ongoing commitment to quality beer and brand. “Everyday I’m proud of the beer we produce and the brand foundation we have built at Uinta”, says Hamill, “I’m confident that Mills will be a fantastic leader in Uinta’s journey ahead.”

Mills takes over as Uinta's CEO today.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 6/12/15

Sorry that New Beer Friday has been absent the last few weeks. Between a slow release schedule and a little "me" time, things got lost. Well, it's back now - in all of it's twisted glory... tall tales and all. Oh and by the way, The Upslope beers are here!

Uinta Contrail White: Pours a somewhat cloudy straw color. The nose is doughy with hints of coriander. The taste is similar with doughy bread and dry crackers. Coriander spiciness comes next with a moderate amount of florals and grass rounding out the end. 4.0% ABV @grocery

Ballast Point Even Keel: Pours a golden amber color with a nose that citrusy and floral. The taste starts with tangerine rind and grapefruit. Thin malts come next - the end is quite bitter and dry. It's nice, I was hoping for a little more from a Ballast Point offering. 3.8% ABV @Bayou, Beer Bar on draft. Should be available in can a some grocery.

Rogue VooDoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Crueller: Me no try yet. 6.9% ABV @better beer bars and some DABC

Rogue Brutal IPA: pours a light amber color with a citrusy nose - whiffs of malt as well. Nice balance  of caramel malts and citrus peel. A very easy drinking IPA. 5.8% ABV @most better beer bars and DABC

Full Sail Cascade Pilsner: pours a brilliantly clear golden yellow with a nose of toast, citrus and pine. The taste follows with nice toasty grains and bright cirus from the cascade hops. A bit of malt sweetness comes next with pine rounding out the end. A wonderfully drinkable American lager. 4.5% ABV @Bayou, DABC

Mother Earth Big Mother: Pours a hazy apricot color with a big fruity citrus nose - a little boozy too. The taste starts fruity with some mango and apricot. Big juicy hops come next, full of grapefruit and tangerine. Chewy caramel comes next with a little alcohol heat. For a 10.8% IPA it's pretty well balanced. Just don't underestimate it. @Beerhive

Upslope Craft Lager: Yup! They're here. Pours a crystal clear pale yellow color with a nose of toast, grain and grass. The taste is grainy sweet with a slight corny flavor. Hop are grassy and spicy. Nice, very drinkable lager. 4.8% ABV @Beer Bar

Upslope India Pale Ale: Pours A somewhat dark amber color with a nose of citrus peel and pine – hints of chewy malts as well. The taste is malty up front with a hint of toffee. Big bitter citrus rind comes next with a bit of pine resin in the end. This is more like a strong pale ale to me - rather than an IPA. Nice beer. 7.2% ABV @Beer Bar

Upslope Brown Ale: Me no try yet. 6.7% ABV @Beer Bar

Did I miss anything? Let me know. 

Cheers!

The First Annual Wendover Beer Festival

Beer Festival season is upon us. Some of the best beerfests in the U.S. will happen within the next three or four months. Utah is no exception. Between Snowbird, The WeeBEER, Utah Beer and Oktoberfest the beer will flow fast and deep. One of the main gripes about the Utah fests is the lack of outside (of Utah) participation. While that situation is getting better every day, there are some beers that will likely not see the legal light of day in Utah for quite some time.

If you're looking for a beer fest that is "local" and will offer you the diversity you seem to have found lacking in the past, I may have just the thing for you. The 1st Annual Wendover Beerfest will offer you 47 beers from 15 western breweries. Here's a list of the participating breweries

Uinta Brewing
New Belgium Brewing
Oskar Blues Brewing
Great Basin Brewing
Brasserie Saint James
Ruby Mountain Brewing
Bad Beat Brewing
Ballast Point Brewing
Green Flash Brewing
Ace Ciders
Firestone Walker Brewing
North Coast Brewing
Full Sail Brewing
Rogue Brewing
Pyramid Brewing

Even though Wendover isn't in Utah it might as well be. It's only 90 minutes from downtown SLC and it has non of those lovely Utah alcohol restrictions. This will be a pay to play festival. $20 gets you $25 in tokens and a taster mug (mug is mandatory). You can even use tokens for food items.

If you don't want to drive, there are Bus Packages available that include beerfest tokens and other perks for $25. The date is June 27th 2015, 1pm - 6pm at the Peppermill Concert Hall. Parking is free. What do you think?

Cheers!

Talisman Brewing Has a Home

Recently the Park City Brewery opened becoming the new kid (brewery) on the local beer scene in quite some time. Their reign as the new brewery was short lived as 2 Row Brewing soon took over as the "new newness". They're title will soon be crushed later this year by Proper Brewing Company. Now it looks like even the Proper Brewing tenure may be outdone by even another local brewery, The Talisman Brewing Company.

At the beginning of December last year we were the first to tell you about Ogden's newest brewery in planning. As of then, owners Dustin and Joann Williams were in the process of inking a deal with the City of Ogden to get a space in the downtown area. That deal is done and Talisman Brewing will now occupy a space off of 12st.


As the photo to the right shows, construction has already begun on renovating and plumbing the new brewery. Look for a 2200sqft bottle-shop and a tavern to accompany the new 7bbl brewing system that will produce beers ranging from 4.5 % - 8.0% ABV. "We aren’t messing around with the low ABV stuff". Dustin told me last year. And as far as food is concerned local food trucks will service customers empty bellies.

There is no hard date as of yet, but licenses are currently being acquired. Dustin (Dusty) tells me that, "we are just hoping to expand the craft beer culture and vibe into the northern parts of Utah and do so with with unique attributes that are not necessarily being done yet here in Utah". What do you think, Wasatch Front? Do you have the room in your fridge for another local craft brand? Goddamn right you do!


Also, this weekend Snowbird is having their Seventh Annual Brewfest. 20 local and national breweries will each be sampling 3-5 of their finest brews this weekend on the Plaza Deck. There will also be live music, food stations and over 15 crafters/vendors pedaling their wares. The event is being held on June 13 - June 14, 12 pm - 6 pm. Free admission.
$5 parking (cash only)**
$2 for 4 oz (1 token)
$4 for 8 oz (2 tokens)
$6 for 12 oz (3 tokens)

Participating Breweries Include
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Bohemian Brewery
Epic Brewing Co.
The Annex by Epic Brewing
Moab Brewery
Deschutes Brewery
Samuel Adams Beers
Angry Orchard Hard Cider
Uinta Brewing Co.
Red Rock Brewery
Wasatch Brewery
Squatters Craft Beers
Roosters Brewing Company
Payette Brewing
Park City Brewery
Leinenkugel's
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Boulevard Brewing Co.
Schofferhofer
Shades of Pale

Prost!

Proper Brewing Company

Great news if you're a fan of  Avenues Proper and craft beer in general. It was officially announced last week that the owners will be creating a "proper" new brewery called appropriatly enough The Proper Brewing Company.

Why does The Avenues Proper and Publick House need a new brewery in Salt Lake? I mean they've already got one, right? Well, while that is true - the constraints the city places upon their location in the Avenues neighborhood of SLC makes it difficult to get their highly sought-after small batch beers out to the public.

With this new brewery - Head Brewer, Rio Conally will have the ability to get out from under the limitations that his current nano brewery license places upon him and give him the ability "properly" make the beers he's always wanted to make.

The Proper Brewing Comapany will be located in the Central 9th District around 900 S. And Main St. and is scheduled to open later this year. Even though The Proper is meant to be a production brewery that will bottle/can/keg it will have a pub that will offer a limited food menu.

Looks like your good beer year just keeps getting better!

Photo: Utah Stories

WeeBEER Festival

Weber County's first WeeBEER Festival (get it ) is in the planning and is looking to be just what the doctor ordered. Look for a collection of 24-40 Craft Breweries and Boutique Beers will be available with several delicious food choices and live music for this outdoor festival event. The admission is free, but there is is a charge for the food and beverage.

$25 VIP Package gets you admission, t-shirt, 10/ea. @ 6oz. drinks, a pretzel necklace and a festival glass (limited quantity). 
$15 Wee package also available. $5 souvenir glass is also available. 

The event will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2015, 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM. CourtYard @ the Golden Spike Event Center (Weber County Fairgrounds).  

Not a bad way to spend a hot June Saturday. When we get an idea of what breweries will be pouring beer, we'll let you know or you can join the event on the festival's Facebook Page.

Cheers!

Upslope Brewing is Utah Bound

My sources are telling me that Boulder, Colorado's Upslope Brewing Company has inked a deal to start sending their beers to Utah. The environmentally friendly brewery currently has ten beers in their portfolio, including a Thai Style White IPA, a 90 ibu Imperial Pale Ale and a just released Manhattan Style Rye Ale

Salt Lake will likely be recieveing some of Upslope's primary labels which consist of a Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Lager and an IPA. Upslope focuses on cans for their packaging - keeping to their low environmental impact philosophy. We're hearing mid-June will be their arrival date. Keep checking back for their actual arrival and locations.

Cheers!