Coming Soon from Moab

Moab Brewing Co's recent expansion and change in packaging has resulted in a phenomenal increase in sales for the small desert brewery. The new "tallboy" cans that are rolling out of Moab have been a huge hit. Part marketing - part great beer.

At the pace Johnny's IPA and Rocket Steam Beer are flying off the shelves it was inevitable that a third beer was added to the mix. Dead Horse Amber Ale has been a popular staple in Moab (and Utah) since the doors opened in 1996, and is a logical choice for the next canned beer. It's an approachable beer for non-craft beer drinkers but offers a body perfect for recreating and grilling.

Should be showing up on shelves in the next thirty days or so.

A new addition to Moab's Desert Select Series is on the horizon as well. Export Stout is said to be a full bodied stout full of roasted coffee and chocolate notes. 8.0% ABV. No release date as of yet, though it sound like it will be a perfect offering for the holidays.

I hope the brewery decides to ditch the those massive 1 liter bottles. They work fine for the Moab market, because they sell faster and are refrigerated, but those "easy cap" bottles just don't have the ability to keep the beer from spoiling as they sit dying at room temperature - liquor store shelves. That's my experience with them anyway.

 Cheers!

IPA Day in Utah

Today is International IPA Day! It may not have all the moral fortitude of Chick-fil-a Day, but let's be honest, few things do.

Today you're tasked with the sacred responsibility to consume at least one India Pale Ale and remember the hard work that helped get it into your glass. I've spent precious minutes compiling an incomplete list of locally available IPA's for you to choose from. Select wisely.

Today is also the release of Squatters newest IPA Monsoon Monster, a collaborative brew, made with John Harris, formerly of Full Sail Brewing and Utah Brewers Coop's Dan Burick, and of course Squatters Head Brewer Jason Stock.  There will be a beer tasting dinner celebrating International IPA Day at The Bombay House • 2731 Parleys Way • Salt Lake City today August 2, 2012 - 6:30 PM - $25 PER PERSON for the Dinner and $15 PER PERSON for the beer pairings.

Here's your local list, which one you gunna have?
Anchor Liberty Ale
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA
Bear Republic Racer 5
Big Sky IPA
Boulder Hazed
Boulevard Double Wide IPA
BrewDog Hardcore IPA
Crooked Detour Double IPA
De Molen Storm & Averji
Deschutes Hop Henge
Deschutes Inversion IPA
Deschutes Hop in the Dark
Epic Hopulent
Epic Imperial IPA
Epic Spiral Jetty IPA
Firestone Double Jack IPA
Firestone IPA
Full Sail IPA
Full Sail Bump in the Night
Hop Rising IPA
Kona IPA
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Lagunitas Maximus
Lagunitas IPA
Mikkeller Sorachi Ace IPA
Mikkeller/Brewdog I hardcore you
Moab Jonny's IPA
Moab Black IPA
Pike Brewing IPA
Pike Double IPA
Pyramid IPA
Red Rock Elephino DIPA
Samuel Adams IPA
Samuel Smiths IPA
Sierra Nevada Torped
Sierra Nevada Estate
Squatters IPA
Squatters Monsoon Monster
Tenaya Creek Hop Ride IPA
Uinta Hop Notch IPA
Uinta Dubhe
Uinta Trader IPA
Widmer Rotator

Cheers!

The New Moab Brewery

It was around this time last year that Moab Brewing announced that they were expanding their operations and changing their packaging from bottles to cans. Today it's all come to fruition, the expanded brewery is on line and cans of new Moab beer are hitting store shelves.

Moab's new packing revolves around 16 oz cans that come in 4-paks. The first two new offerings are Johnny's American IPA and Rocket Bike Lager. Johnny's IPA is described as a golden colored session-able IPA with four types of hops used and the Rocket Bike is a Steam style lager with roasted barley and Cascade hops.

In the near future Moab will start producing these brands in higher alcohol versions. The IPA will be 7% and the Steam Lager will be 5.5% abv.

And that's not all. In the coming months look for two new Desert Select styles a Rye beer called Hopped Rye and an Export Stout both will be upwards of 8% and bottle conditioned.

The 4-paks are said to be going for around $5.99 and are for sale now in select areas.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank everyone for coming out to the Holiday Tasting last Saturday. It was our largest event so far and the quality of the beer and the company was second to none. I'll post some pics from the party on the Utah Beer Facebook page today or tomorrow.

Cheers!

Tanks A Lot!

In the last few years, many of Utah’s home-grown breweries have been venturing out into the continental U.S. and, in some cases, the world, exposing people to the award-winning suds we’ve always known and enjoyed.

As a local beer lover, you may or may not have an interest in this. "Can my favorite brewery meet the national demand without affecting my beer enjoyment"? Simply the answer is "yes"!

50% of the breweries in the state are or have undergone a major expansion and a good percentage of the the other half - have something in the planning stages.

With beer production it's all about the fermentation tanks. Apart from barrel aging the fermentors spend more time nurturing the beer than any other vessel in the brewery.

In recent months a serious amount of stainless steel has made it's way into the state at great expense to to the breweries. I thought I'd share some images of the new hardware that's cradling some of your favorite Beers.

Utah Brewers Cooperative's Gargantuan 200 barrel fermenter

Epic's 40 barrel fermenters

Shades of Pale's new whirlpool tank

And there's more coming. Moab's new and improved brewhouse with all new equipment will be up and running soon, Shades of Pale Brewing is already looking at expanding their operations and Zion Canyon Brewing is in the process of building a new brewpub in Springdale.

Some State Legislators may be trying to hold you back, but that's not stopping breweries from moving forward to meet the increasing demand.

And, there's a new poll!

Cheers!

Moab Can!

We've been trying to keeping you up to date on the great things going on at Moab Breweing. Every day the new Moab gets closer going on line.

Today we have a preview of the artwork for their new cans. Deadhorse Amber Ale is one of their best sellers, looking forward to the newly packaged beers.

Moab has also announced that an IPA will be in their canned line-up. look for that one around the first of the year.

Cheers!

Moab's New Improved Brewery

Moab Brewing Company has been spending a lot of time and money over the last year expanding and remodeling their oasis in the desert.

One of the things that our desert brethren are looking forward to most is getting their local made beer back in the hands of Utah's consumers. For quite a while everything except for the beer at the brewpub in Moab, was made in Montana. No longer, this new facility will soon be handling all of Utah's needs.

Within the next week Moab's new canning line is due to arrive providing a new look and packaging. If all goes well we could be enjoying cans of Moab beer by September/October.

Cheers!

Desert Select Comes to the Wasatch Front

A lot of you seem pretty stoked about the impending release of Duhbe and I don't blame you I'm a fan of the Black IPAs myself. But it's not the first BIPA to be made in the state.

Moab Brewing co. actually gets the credit for having the first BIPA a Double BIPA in fact. It was released about two years ago. The problem was it was only available in Moab, and if you never got a chance to get down there, you probably never got a chance to try it. This is no longer the case.

You can now get your Desert Select bottles at 7 liquor stores in the state. All three brands Black Imp. IPA, Scotch Ale and Belgian style Triple all are 8.59% by Vol. The locations are; W.V.C.(3381 s Redwood), Harrisville(484 n Wall ave), Holliday(1814 e Murry Holliday Rd), Draper(14445 Minuteman Dr), Park City(1550 Snowcreek Dr), Pleasant Grove(671 s Pleasant Grove Blvd), and Moab(55 w 200 s). They are not cheep at $14.99 per 1 Liter bottle.

Brewmaster Jeff Van Horn says, there is plenty of stock to last a while and to look for more styles in the Desert Select Series before the end of the year.

Also new, Moab is now producing all of the draft products for the Moab and Park City brands in Moab. These were formerly contracted out to an out if state brewery. It's good know it's local again. They've been doing this for a good month now and shipping to Carlson Distributing in SLC. Also, building permits for the big Moab brewery expansion have been approved, so look for big things from Moab in the coming year. Congrats to the entire Moab crew.

Big Things in Moab

Last week we told you about Epic Brewing and their plans to expand their very new brewery by 3000 square feet. The fact that they need to do this speaks volumes about the need for good craft beer in Utah.

Epic isn't alone most of the major local beer makers who distribute their beers outside of their establishments have greatly increased their production schedules and their real estate.

The Utah Brewers Cooperative, Uinta Brewing, RedRock Brewing, Bohemian Brewing and Desert Edge Brewing have all expanded their operations over the past year to meet the increasing demand for their products.

And the Utah beer-boom phenomena isn't just isolated to the Wasatch Front. Moab Brewing has announced a 5000 square foot expansion of their Moab facility beginning in Late December 2010.

The Moab expansion isn't just about meeting increased demand for their beer, it's also about taking back control over their distribution network and bringing the bottling or canning operations back to Utah from Montana.

You may have noticed the word "canning" in that last paragraph. That's right Cans are in Moab's future. So look for Moab's beer in cans this summer.

Not all of Moab's beer will be making the move to aluminum. The Desert Select Series will be growing as well. Look for a hopped up rye beer (RyePA?) and an Export Stout to Join the Black IPA, Scottish Ale and Belgian Style Triple on liquor store shelve.

You may have noticed the words "liquor store shelves" in that last paragraph as well. The Desert Select Series is currently being sold at the brewpub in Moab and will soon be appearing at select liquor stores in the next couple of months.

Since the whole "canning thing" is still in the planning stages there are no plans for what will be in those cans. Here is your opportunity to provide the Moab guys with you opinion on what you'd like to see in them. So, we've put together a poll. It's up top to the right. Don't fuck it up....

Cheers!

Photo: Bryan Serafini

Moab Brewing Co. Turns Fourteen Today

Moab, Utah is an area of the west where it's common for temperatures to stay well above 100 degrees for most of the summer months. Moab Brewing Company; the towns only on-site brewery is responsible for making sure local and visitors alike have their craft beer needs taken care of while visiting the vast and beautiful area.

This little Oasis in the desert was founded today in 1996 by John Borkoski and Dave Sabey. The beautiful and unique landscape in and around Moab provides the inspiration for the hand-crafted ales and lagers that Brewmaster Jeff Van Horn cranks out on a daily basis.

So raise a glass of Moab's beer to one of Utah's own today.

Cheers and Happy Anniversary!

2010 Snowbird Beerfest

"A dad needs what a dad needs"

Hey, we all know you gave your dad more grief than any one man deserves. So in penance for all the shit you gave the poor ol' man over those many years growing-up, treat him properly this Father's Day and haul his ass up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Second Annual Snowbird Beerfest.

A dozen Utah breweries will be pouring two to three different beers. Snowbird will provide food stations, live music from Good Gravy, The Nate Robinson Trio and the B.D. Howes Band. There will also be crafter/vendors pedaling their wares.

The Beerfest will be on Saturday, June 19, 2010 and run from Noon - 8 p.m. (beer will be sampled until 7 p.m.). The only cost is $1 for a 3 ounce sample.

Breweries Pouring this year include:
Bohemian Brewery
Desert Edge
RedRock Brewing
Uinta Brewing
Hoppers
Ruby River
Moab
Wasatch
Squatters
Roosters
Four +

Cheers!

No Green Beer Today

Got it? The only green beer you should be drinking today should be organic made from wind powered breweries.

There are plenty of better local options around town anyway.

Bohemian has it's 1842 pils.

Hoppers has McGee's Irish Red.

Squatters has McGrueh's Dry Irish Stout.

RedRock has two. Hibernian Ale and their Irish ale.

Desert Edge LDS Stout.

Wasatch has Their 1st Amendment Lager.

Four+'s Wyld Organic Extra Pale Ale

Moab Black Raven Oatmeal Stout.

Roosters Junction City Chocolate Stout.

Tracks Tooele Tar Stout

Zion Canyon's Virgin Stout.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Moab's Wee Heavy

The Third beer in Moab's Desert Select Series is available for purchase Moab's Scottish Style Ale or "Wee Heavy" is a rich, full ale made with smoked malt, English hops and is aged in French oak barrels.

Head brewer Jeff Van Horn describes it as "A great winter beer with rich caramel and dark fruit flavors". The Ale was bottle conditioned for four months in one liter bottles and has an ABV of 8.6%. The cost is $12.99. Only available at the Brewpub in Moab.

In other beer news Sierra Nevada's Estate Harvest Ale is finally here. I had it at the Bayou, so it should be in select liquor stores.

Also in are two new Deschutes labels. Jubelale is a Holiday ale that's full of hops caramel, toffee malts with a light, dry fruitiness 6.70 abv.

Hop Trip is from Deschutes' Bond Street Series. You'd think with a name like Hop Trip that this would be a "hop monster". It's actually a nicely balance American Pale Ale, nice hop profile with a healthy malt backbone. 5.5% abv.

I believe Jubelale is only available at the Bayou & Beerhive. Hop Trip Should be available at state liquor stores.

And... The 9th Annual Beer Dinner at Lugano will be held November 4th. Cutthroat, Duck Confit and King's Peak Porter will be part of the six-course menu.

$45 per person
optional pairings:
beer $18
wine $39

Call Lugano for reservations: 801-412-9994.

BOO!

Moab's Triple Released

On the heels of a successful debut Moab Brewing started selling the second beer in their Desert Selct Series Last week. If your not familiar, The D.S.S. is Moab's first attempt at a true high gravity series, served in handsome one liter bottles.

Moab's Tripel is a pale colored, Belgian style ale made with Pilsen malt and a traditional addition of Belgian candy sugar, then hopped with German Noble and Saaz
hops. This ale has a light malt nose and a subtle hop aroma. In traditional fashion, this Tripel has been conditioned in the bottle to create natural carbonation and long-term stability.

If you never got the oportunity to try Jeff's Black Imperial IPA there are about 80 bottles left - only at the brewpub in Moab. Trust me, it's worth your time to get your ass down there and get some.

Next in the series is a Scotch Ale that will be ready in a month or so. I'll get more info on that as it's release gets closer.

Also, later this month Brewmaster Jeff Van Horn and some of his crew will be heading to Montrose Co. to pick hops at the San Juan Hop farms. Last year they picked 25 lbs of Chinook and dried them for use in the B.I.IPA. This is a pretty cool concept for area home brewers and pros alike. They also have their very own strain of hop found at a mine in the Telluride area that's being cultivated also.

It's nice to know the Moab guys and gals still get out and do things a little old school. Cheers!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Moab's Black Imperial India Pale Ale

This post may be a little late, but damn this beer is worth talking about. A few months ago Moab Brewery announced that they were producing a new line of beers, The Desert Select Series. This series is Moab's first attempt at producing big, flavorful beer for a market that's increasingly demanding them.

Last June I finally got my hands on a bottle of their first release, a The Black Imperial India Pale
Ale (thanks to brewmaster Jeff Van Horn) and man is it tasty!

Pours a very dark chestnut color with a large frothy two fingers of off white head. The nose is a fresh bouquet of grapefruit, pine and roasted malts. The taste starts same as the nose with a healthy does of pine and citrus with roasted malt. Toffee and vanilla come next with slightly dry oak and piny resins rounding out the finish. The 8.59% alcohol is noticeable, but for the most part is well hidden. The balance between resiny hops and the roasted malts works nicely. I guess that's the toughest part about this style. Getting these two competing flavors to play together well, without becoming too astringent. A great example of the style. Available only in Moab at the Brewpub.

Next to be released in the Desert Select Series Moab's Belgian Style Triple. Also check out
this write up from the Salt Lake Tribune on Brewmaster Jeff Van Horn.

The Beehive Grill

There's good news and bad news for the beer scene in Logan. The good news is that Moab Brewing Company is opening a restaurant up there. The bad news is that there will be no on site brewing... at least of beer.

The Beehive Grill is a joint venture, partnering local entrepreneurs with Moab's restaurant success. The Beehive will be brewing beer but not the kind you might be thinking of. Craft sodas will be the signature menu item, with Moab's Ales and Lagers taking a back seat.

Jeff Van Horn, Brewmaster at the Moab Brewey has perfected the soda recipes over time and will be offering patrons root beer and other seasonal sodas as well as craft beer brought up from Moab's brewery in Moab.

The Beehive Grill will be located at 255 south Main St. in Logan, Utah and is scheduled to open in mid-June.

I think this is a bit of a missed opportunity for Moab Brewing. I guess we'll see how it evolves. At least USU students will have craft sodas to play "Root Beer Pong" with.... Cheers.

Thanks to Chad Tarvin for posting the original info.

Moab's Desert Select Series

Here's some updated info on Moab's new series of beers.

- The series will be known as the Desert Select Ales.
- The first released will be the Black Imperial IPA.
- Second will be the Belgian Style Triple.
- The third will be a Scotch Ale (aged in French oak).

They're going to run you about $13 - $15 for a one liter bottle.
And for now they will only be available for purchase at the brewpub in Moab.
Moab Brewery has applied for the class 5 packaging licence, and as soon as that it issued you be able to buy unopened bottles to go.

All beers are hand bottled at the brewery and are bottle conditioned.
These are small batch series. only 800 (approx) per bottling.

More info as I get it. Cheers!

Moab's Triple & Black Imperial IPA

Sometimes breweries and brewpubs outside of the Wasatch Front tend to get overlooked in beer news. Well here's some good news for all regarding Moab Brewing.

Looks like our brothers and sisters in the desert are joining the high ABV revolution that's been going on in the state.

Within the next few weeks Moab Brewing will introduce two brand new ales, their first high ABV beers ever. The first is a Belgian style Triple and the second is a Black Imperial IPA. Black IPA's are the new, hot style around the country. Mixing the roastiness of porters with the leafiness of IPA's. You wouldn't think the two styles wouldn't meld very well together, but ohhh man they do! Trust me I had my fill of them this weekend. It'll be nice to have a local beer riding the crest of this trend earlier than later.

RedRock has one on tap right now that's quite tasty, go check it out.

I'm still gathering info, no word yet on where they'll be sold (brewpub or Liquor stores), or their names. But I do know that they are in the states distribution system.

Also new to liquor stores Full Sail Brewing's Keelhauler Scottish Ale. Should be available any day now. More to come. Cheers!