Utah Beer Investigates: Anheuser Busch Sets Up Shop in Provo

We were all pretty geeked-up to hear that Provo was finally opening up to the idea of having brewpubs in their hollowed city. But did you know that Anheuser Busch has already set up shop in Provo?

Operating under a couple of names, including: Anheuser Busch - Payson, Ut and Cutwater Spirits the Provo brewery/distillery appears to be ramping up its operations to produce Cutwater Spirits' line of canned cocktails and a line of flavored malt beverages that will be known as "Freeze-a-Rita".

I did a little research and found that AB/InBev owners of Anheuser Busch purchased San Diego's Cutwater Spirits (Founded in 2016 by former Ballast Point executives) in February of 2019. As of the date of the sale, Cutwater was manufacturing 14 different ready-to-drink canned cocktails and also makes 16 types of spirits, according to a press release.

I'm not sure what exactly what the Provo facility's manufacturing responsibilities will be in all of this - as all of my info comes from public records searches. They may just be producing tinctures and flavorings. The 'tinfoil hat' part of my personality wonders if this was the factor the lead the Provo City Council to allowed brewpubs in Provo in the first place. Makes you think, eh? Anyway, I found it interesting and thought you might as well. If any of you have info on this operation, we'd love to hear from you.

Cheers!   

New Beer Friday 11/20/15

There are some really wonderful offering today. Your tongues will not be disappointing this afternoon/evening. Join us for the radio edition of New Beer Friday around 3:30pm on KBER 101. We'll be discussion these new brews and other local beer happenings. 
 
Uinta Port O' Call Belgian Dark - Pours a mahogany color with ruby high;lights with a small-ish head that fades quickly. The nose has some dank dark fruit aromas with with a bit of musty grape skin. The taste starts with a bit of sweet plum and a hint of spicy dates. This transitions into a more prune-like tartness that compliments the Port and Cabernet wine character that raps up the back end. Nicely fruity and complex. Let it warm up a little for the best experience. 9.4% ABV Available now at Uinta's Brewery Pub, Bottle Shop, better beer bars and soon to select DABC stores.

Uinta Brighton Revolver Session IPA - This year's version of the Brighton Revolver IPA features Ella and Calypso hops. It pours a somewhat hazy golden straw color with a firm two fingers of foam.  The nose has mostly tangerine peel in the nose with a bit of malt sweetness beneath. The taste starts with great lemon, grapefruit and orange peel notes that explode on the tongue. Next come a bed of creamy caramel malts that feel round and full in the mouth. The end has a bit of grapefruit bitterness. Finishes moderately dry. Holy Shit! This is the best Session IPA I've had in months! It has a great body for it's low ABV. A must try while it's super fresh. 4.0% ABV @ Uinta Brewery pub on tap right now. Soon to grocery and convenience store and where you'll find Uinta seasonal taps.

Epic Big Bad Baptist Beer Bar/Bulleit Barrel  - Pours black with soem nice copper hued foam. The nose is big with rich coffee aromas. The tastes follows with great coffee flavors to start. A bit of char and roasted malt comes next. Some molasses sweetness creeps in and traditions into subtle vanilla bourbon sweetness. The sweetness from the Bourbon keeps the harsher notes from the coffee and roastiness in check. Great balance, highly drinkable for big beer. 12.3% ABV  This version of Big Bad Baptist can only be found at The Beer Bar in Salt Lake City.

Anheuser Busch Best Damn Apple Ale - I've haven't had a chance to try this, though trusted beer geek Craig Folkman has. He describes it as having a clear golden straw color with a small white head that dissipates quickly to a small white ring, no lacing. Aroma of a green apple jolly rancher. Flavors of candy apples, sugary, plastic, finishes sweet. Not too bad. 4.0% ABV @ Most Grocery and Convenience stores. Craig, thanks for letting me hi-jack your review!

Shades of Pale Mischance White IPA - Pours a murky off white/straw color with a large pillowy head. The nose is fresh with citrus meat grapefruit. The taste fallows with citrusy hop that have some berry like qualities as well. Thin bready malt round out the hops proving a bit of doughy sweetness. A nicely refreshing and light White IPA. 4.0% ABV @ Shades of Pale's Tap room.

I got some bad info on yesterday's post on the Beer Bar Big Bad Baptist. The whiskey barrels used were not Bulleit but Buffalo trace. When reading it just swap those whiskeys and add Frankfort, KY instead of Lawrenceburg KY. My apologies.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/21/15

Anheuser Busch Oculto - Came across this one on an end of the isle display at Harmon's. Didn't get a chance to try it. Oculto is described as having a hazy, straw color with a nose lemon, tequila and pale malt. Tastes of slight tequila, slight hop, strong citrus (lemon) and a hint of pale malt. 4.0% ABV @ Harmon's

Avenues Proper Marmalade Wheat - Havn't had the pleasure yet. looks to be an American wheat ale orange characteristics. perfect for clearing the smokey air from your lungs. 4.0% ABV @ Avenues Proper

Firestone Walker Helldorado - Pours a light, hazy amber/straw color With a great nose of mild citrus, oak, toffee and honey. The taste starts with honey, caramel, vanilla, coconut. Mild hops manage to break their way through next with shortbread and Bourbon rounding out the back end. The finish is slightly boozy and sweet with mild tannins. 13.2% ABV @ BeerHive - Beer Bar - Bayou

Cheers!

New Beer/Firkin Friday 7/5/13

You can tell it's hot outside because all of our New Beer Friday beers are designed to quench!

Boulevard 80-Acre: The nose is full of lemon rind, grapefruit, and orange. The tastes is fresh with citrus, lemon, grapefruit and grape, moderately bitter, Not much for malt character, a hint of wheat. Finishes dry with faint pine. Definitely not your typical wheat beer. @ Liquor Stores

Zion Canyon 360 Ale: Don't have much info on this one. All I  know is that it's a light citrusy session ale. Anyone tried it yet? @ Zion Canyon Brewing

Zion North Rim Hefeweizen: Again, not much info, I'm thinking it's a wheat beer? Please help if you've had it! @ Zion Canyon Brewing

Budweiser 3.5: Apparently this version of Bud was made for the Swedish market, starting a few years ago.  It comes in at a whopping 3.5% ABV. Makes the local stuff (4%) look like malt liquor. I guess they figured, why not sell it in Utah & Oklahoma? they won't know the difference. @ Grocery/Convenience Stores

For Firkin Friday at the Bayou, RedRock 'be represent'n with an old school pale ale, infused with juniper, bitter orange peel, and if that doesn't peak your interest, it's dry hopped with simcoe hops. Yum!
tapping's are usually at 3pm.

Hoppy Beerday, Bryan!

Cheers!

Goose Island Beers are Coming

About two years ago the Utah Department of Alcohol Beverage Control began a restructuring at their main warehouse in Salt Lake City. The goal was to free up space in the severely overcrowded downtown space. One of the options was to get the majority of the beer out of there and into the hands of local distributors. This decision is one of the best ideas to come out of the DABC in quite some time.

Besides cold storage, it has opened up the beer markets to a host of craft brands that may have shied away from Utah because of it's less than delicate treatment of their products.

Over the last few months we've enjoyed spreading the word of new craft beers coming into the market, today we have another notable breweries brands coming. Goose Island Brewing.

Founded in May 1988 by John Hall in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. Goose Island produces several
year-round and seasonal styles of craft beer, the best-known of which are 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Honker's Ale and their most sought after beer, Bourbon County Stout.

Anheuser-Busch bought Goose Island in early 2011, after helping distribute the Chicago-based company's beers for several years. The move means that the Goose Island craft brews will be among few of its kind available for purchase in all 50 U.S. states.

While some higher-end beers will still be produced in Chicago, some of its bigger sellers will be churned out at Anheuser-Busch breweries in Fort Collins, Colo. and Baldwinsville, N.Y. Goose Island beers should be popping up in SLC near the end of November.

Are there any Goose Island labels that your really hoping to see?

Cheers!

Redbridge Beer in Utah

A lot of Celiac sufferers have been asking "what the Hell Happened to Red Bridge Beer"?

I don't know why it's gone from store shelves, but I've been reassured by General Distributing that it will return. Hopefully within the next 60 days.

For those of you that don't know, people who have celiac (pronounced: see-lee-ak) disease have a disorder that make their bodies react to gluten.

When they eat gluten, an immune system reaction to the protein gradually damages the villi in the small intestine. When the villi are damaged, the body is unable to absorb the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

Red Bridge is gluten free and is one of the few option available in Utah. Greens out of the U.K. makes eight gluten free styles. Three of which are available locally. Discovery Amber Ale, Endeavor Dubble & Quest Triple. The Green's are only available at the Bayou(as far as I know). And finally there's Bard's Tale Dragon Gold Beer. Bard's Tale is only at state liquor stores. Hang in there.

Cheers!

Budweiser: American Ale

Over the last couple years I've had the opportunity(along with many other beer gnerds) to sample some of Anheuser-Busch's experimental beers. These are beers that are occasionally offered at beer festivals to showcase what they're capable of doing, and to get some insight into what the consumer has a taste for. Most of these will never see shelf time at stores. Those that do will probably have little-to-no advertising and bearly a mention of who makes them. You've probably seen them. Shock Top Belgian White, Stone Mill Pale Ale, Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale, Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale and Beach Bum Blonde Ale.

So what the difference between these (besides the size of the Anheuser-Busch font) and Budweiser American Ale? Advertising. You can't watch prime time tv or a sporting event without seeing it. The others, not so much. Why? not because they're awful, but because they want you to think that your getting a true craft beer. Not Corporate wannabe. So how is it?... Well... OK... It doesn't qualify as a great beer, it doesn't really fit a style guideline. But it's good enough to drink.

Pours a deep, clear amber with a firm two finger head that had moderate sustainability. The nose is lightly roasted biscuit and caramel. The taste is roasted grain and caramel with Just a faint hint piney hops. The hops fade quickly and give in to the malt. The finish is crisp and dry. Mouthfeel is on the side.

Lets not kid ourselves this is not an exciting beer. It is a transformational beer. A good entry level ale for people looking to get out of the macro rut. But if you want a good, widely available American Pale Ale look to Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Uinta's Cutthroat Pale Ale. Both will run you about the same, and are far better representations of the style and the term "American Ale". Cheers!

The New American Beer

Well it's official InBev's offer to purchase Anheuser Busch was approved by AB's board last week. So what will this mean for the average consumer? Well for the most part not much.
You will most like see an influx of other Inbev brands into the U.S. and perhaps better prices. The industry itself will most likely see minor cutbacks with some workers loosing their jobs and
AB's satellite breweries for the most part will not close(we hope). Possible pro's of the merger could mean
a greater influx of other Inbev brands into the U.S. and perhaps better prices. I guess another question would
be "what about AB side ventures ie: Amusement parks and festivals. My guess is they will most likely be sold-off
or closed they seem the likely places to trim the fat. And finally if your one of those guys or gals
that had to go with "Freedom Fries" over french fries after 9/11 looks like your going to have to do a
Little soul searching. If drinking only "American Beers" is a must for you... beware!
Of the Big American Three. Bud, Coors and Miller. All three are no longer American owned. Samuel Adams is now America's
Largest Domestically owned brewery. So start looking toward them. Or better yet! Start Looking toward your regional,
and local craft breweries. You should be doing that anyway.