New Beer Friday 3/6/26

Happy New Beer Friday, Friends! Well, our overlords' annual boot-on-the-neck, book-burning jamboree is ending this evening. Here are some of the things that may affect your adult beverage life. 

Lawmakers have introduced House Bill 597, an alcohol-amendments package that would adjust multiple aspects of Utah’s liquor laws:

• It would ease some proximity restrictions so that hotel bars/restaurants could be allowed closer to parks under local authority approval — a notable change from existing limits.

• It would increase penalties for those caught buying alcohol for minors (making this a class A misdemeanor even without knowing the minor’s age).

• It would relax some carding rules — potentially rolling back the strict requirement that restaurants card patrons over 35.

• It would give the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) more discretion on license decisions and update how food sales are calculated for restaurant liquor licenses.

• It also would remove certain restrictions on ID-scanning devices and adopt a cash-rounding policy for liquor purchases (to address the end of pennies).
  This bill has been introduced and referred to committee but hasn’t become law yet (as of this writing).

A bill titled HB601 was also introduced early in the session, described as “Flavored Alcohol Amendments.” Details aren’t widely publicized yet, but the title suggests it could address regulations around flavored alcohol products (e.g., definitions, labeling, or sale rules).

On the lighter, entertainment side of adult beverage life, Heber Valley Brewing is back in the Radio Pub. Owner/Head Brewer Clint Jones is stopping by to fill the Beer Nerd in on what's happening at the Wasatch County brewpub. Listen in at 2pm every Friday on 99.9fm KUAA. 

Kiitos - The Bliss: This new limited batch NZ IPA uses a product called Hop Kief. It's a highly concentrated, liquid product that was created using cryogenic technology to extract lupulin. It's used post-fermentation to provide a "juicy" profile, improve beer yield, and enhance shelf life. This uses Nelson Sauvin Hop Kief. It has a blast of strawberry/melon/ guava and grape. Holy shit! Such an enjoyable beer let alone IPA. Mikey Likey! 5.0% - on draft at Kiitos.

Uinta - Coffee Black Lager: Some heavy coffee roast, or so it seems. There’s also some green pepper which denotes a lighter roast. Nice coffee aroma. slight ashy taste, with a somewhat hoppy bitter finish. I wanna love it but its somewhat one dimensional. 5.0% - Only on draft at Uinta. 

Heber Valley - Kuma: This new Extra Stout features a wonderful blend of roasted malts bringing flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, toffee, along with fruity esters from fermentation. Hopped with noble hops to bring a balanced earthy/floral aroma. Less hoppy and bitter than American Stouts. 7.1% We will be doing live sensory on this stout this afternoon on Beer Nerd Radio.  

Prodigy - True Blue Scottish Ale: Aromas of roasted malt, toffee, and dark fruit lead into a smooth, full-bodied profile layered with caramel sweetness, raisin, and a subtly smokey roast. This beauty has a clean finish, low bitterness, and is endlessly drinkable. 5.0% - Only at Prodigy.

Saltfire - Codex Pils: Grainy malt bill with nice cracker-like toastiness. Hops take hold with a nice herbal zip that's tasty and crisp. 5.0% - Available at Saltfire.

Top Of Main - Dew Drop Hazy IPA: A juicy, full-bodied hazy IPA with bright notes of mango, pineapple, peach, and citrus. Soft and smooth with low bitterness, letting the tropical hop character shine while the higher 8.2% ABV stays surprisingly easy-drinking! 

 Returning Favorites  

Grid City - Extra Pale Ale: This one had t been around for a minute. So when the Bat, errr “Beer Signal”, went up. I had to come! This features Cryo-Citra and Cryo-Mosaic wtith some Lupomax. Ah, citrus nose. Same with the swig, but with some strawberry and pineapple. Great malt profile too. Mikey Likey! 6.6% - Available at Grid City.

Cheers!