Support Your Local Brewers

When I discovered last year that our local beer fest was in danger of going away, I was curious about what would be required to take the helm and try to resurrect Brewers Festival. Well let me tell you, it takes a lot. They require a strong commitment and a lot of time. From high costs to staffing, security, permits, toilets, etc; it can be a huge undertaking.

That being said, I'm sooo glad that local beer champion Greg Reid had the time and desire to shoulder the burdens. So, to thank Greg for a thankless job, get you asses out to the Gallivan Center Oct 6th and support you local breweries; While helping out the Tracy Aviary.

The event features live entertainment, food as well as celebrating Utah's award winning craft beer industry. All of Utah’s micro-breweries are invited, each offering three of their finest beers. Participants are encouraged to ask the brewery’s questions and to experience the varied blends and creations. Something that has been missing in recent years is the return of the commemorative refillable mug for participants 21 and older. As usual each Brewers tent will only accept script tickets. These can be purchased near the food tents for a dollar per ticket(I assume).

Red Rock, Rocks

At our state and county fairs the are no competitions for beers and brewing. I get it. That's how the predominant culture wants it, and I expect no change anytime soon. However, many other states do allow home and commercial brewers to compete at state & county fairs. California is one of those states.

I was surprised to find that Red Rock Brewing Company entered some of their beers at the 2007 Los Angeles County Fair Commercial Beer Competition, the country’s largest annual county fair. Red Rock left Los Angeles with a gold medal for its Nut Brown Ale in the American Style Brown Ale category; a silver medal for Red Rock Organic Zwickel Bier (an organic pilsner); and a bronze medal in the Rye Ale competition for Red Rock Roggen Rock. Not bad considering some of the best breweries in the world are located in Cali. Hopefully they'll offer some of these at the Utah Brewers Fest and The Great American Beer festival next month. Congrats Red Rock crew!

Utah Brewers Festival

Last month someone asked me when the Utah Brewers Festival was going to be held, I embarrassingly said it was on indefinite hiatus. Well, apparently the hiatus is over. Jamie Burnham: Manager at the Beer Nut, kindly informed me that the elusive, somewhat annual, local beer soiree is on.

The Utah Brewers Festival will be held on Saturday Oct. 6th from 11am to 10pm featuring breweries from all over the state. Tickets are $8.00 in advance and $12.00 day of and can be purchased at participating breweries until October 5th.

Bad Taste

Any sane adult will agree that kids and alcohol don't mix. But sanity is a relative term on both sides of the alcohol argument. Is it sane to label a malt beverage so it looks like a typical energy drink? Probably not. Is it sane to regulate a product because of it's flavor content? Again, probably not. Well, if your from Utah or have ever spent any time here you know the sanity is a term that at best is controlled by the insane.

The argument here deals with the premise that the more palatable an alcoholic beverage is the more regulation it deserves. And should these "tasty" beverages be removed from the shelves of grocery and convenient stores and placed into the state's liquor agency to be taxed and sold as heavy beer (beer containing more that 4.0% abv). These restrictions would also make it illegal for taverns to sell them.

And how are these tea- totaling mensas going to differenciate between a bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade and bottle of Wasatch's Raspberry Wheat Beer. The line is too God-Damn thin.

Utah's laws on beer, wine and liquor are beyond convoluted; and this attempt at fogging an already distorted landscape in a knee-jerk reaction to control a problem that may or may not exist, could easily be addressed by attentive store managers and 25 cent signs.

If the Attourney General has such a hard-on for helping the children, maybe he should start with alcohol education or involving himself with more serious teen related problems, like why 41% of high school student can't pass the state's math test.

The Great American Beer Festival

One of the best things about being a beer lover is the ability to enjoy a variety of flavors and styles that represent cultures and techniques from all over the world. In the coming weeks one of the best opportunities to sample some of the best and worst of America's Beers; as well as American interpretations on international styles makes it's annual return to Denver, Co.

If you've never been & truly love beer this is a must. For three days you can take-in what ever the American beer culture has to offer. From brewing techniques, to pairings, to cooking. The GABF has what your inner beer geek needs. Oh yeah and drinking beer.

The GABF runs from Thurs Oct 11th to the 13th. From Salt Lake, it's roughly a five to six hour drive with fairly cheap accommodations available. Tix start a t $45 per session.
GABF will serve over 1,600 beers (in one-ounce tasting portions) from 380 American breweries to the event's expected 40,000 attendees. The list of beers is the largest array of US beers ever gathered together in one setting.

Since our local beer fest has been nixed you really should take this opportunity to immerse yourself in beerdom. If you plan on attending drop us a line and let's try to hook up. Cheers!

Molson Coors Wants In

In yet another sign that the craft brew industry is enduring itself to the worlds population comes the announcement that Denver based Molsen Coors Brewing Co.(one of the worlds largest brewers) has formed a small brewing subsidiary called AC Golden Brewing Co. to cultivate above-premium products, joining other large brewers searching for a way to gain a bigger share of the fast-growing market segment already thick with brews and craft beer.

Coors Brewing said the brand incubation brewery would introduce products by rolling them out in a slow, deliberate fashion, similar to the way it launched it's "above-premium beer" Blue Moon White Belgian Ale.

Details on when it will become operational have not been released. Company spokeswoman Aimee Valdez said in an e-mailed statement Thursday that Blue Moon will not be absorbed by AC Golden Brewing.

Michael Jackson Passes Away

Famed Beer Author and enthusiast Michael Jackson reportedly passed away at his home in London, England yesterday. Jackson authored more than a dozen books and helped bring beer out of the working class stereotype that had shadowed it for more more than a century. He was arguably the foremost authority on beer and whiskey in the world, and made it his life’s work to identify and describe the ever growing styles and characters of crafted, artisans beers from every corner of the globe. I had the pleasure of talking with Mr. Jackson on a few occasions. He was a man who was always in demand and yet made time for casual beer geek talk.

He will be greatly missed

Oktoberfest at Snowbird

It's been a brutal month here at Utah Beer. I've been scouring the state looking for good beer related crap and coming up with bupkiss. Finally. A lil' sumpin-sumpin to talk about. Snowbird's three decades long Bavarian themed Oktoberfest resumes once again. This year marks the 35th anniversary of our locally produced Oktoberfest, which will take place weekends at the resort center Aug. 25-Oct. 7.

So strap on your lederhosen, cram your alpenhorn in to the back of of your Honda and join the 70,000 visitors that'll consume tens of thousands of brats and weisswurst. Along with hundreds of kegs of local suds. I'm not sure yet if an actual Oktoberfest style beer will be available, but I'm checking.

In like a Lion

The Czech's love they're beer. They have one of the highest per-capita beer consumption rates in the world and created what has become the most popular beer style in the world. The Pilsner. Utahans love their beer as well. Even though we have one of the lowest per-capita beer consumption rates in North America, and a claim-to-fame of having some of the weakest beer around. So, what could tie these two apparently different beer drinking cultures together?

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and communism in Europe ended. It opened up Western markets that had been denied to some of the best breweries in the world for nearly four decades. Transitioning to free-market brought on new challenges to brewers who were eager to get they're products out to a Host of new international distributors.

In the early ’90s, Lev importer Milena Harvey—a Czech—had married an American and moved to the United States. As she looked for work, she noticed a market thick with good beer. But the only Czech beer available to the U.S. market was Pilsner Urquell. Harvey knew that dozens of quality beers were brewed in her homeland. So, she thought, “Why not import some here?” One of those brews was Lev. “We tried to introduce the beer to as many places as possible,” including Utah, says Harvey, who is based in Pleasanton, Calif. “Lev was just kind of an afterthought,” she says.

But Utah’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the state agency responsible for buying and selling all alcohol over 4.0 percent A.B.V, chose Lev first. They're explanation was that the beer is of good quality, is priced well and there are few similar beers on the market.

Distributed in 12 states, Lev has, for some inexplicable reason, made its biggest splash in the Salt Lake City market. It sells better here than anywhere in the country, says Harvey. Every year since it was introduced to Utah in 1995, the beer’s sales have increased. In 2006, the state consumed 10,000 cases.

Beer & Air

If you like clean air and beer(shit who doesn't). You may have to sacrifice a little bit of one for the other. Retail prices for beer at supermarkets and other stores were up 3% in May from a year earlier, the biggest increase in 2½ years, according to the latest data from the Labor Department. Those going out on the town will also pay more for suds. Prices for beer consumed away from home were up 3.8% in May from a year earlier.

The gains are in part a result of rising costs for malting barley, one of the main ingredients in our beloved beer. So, "why is barley suddenly so expensive"? Well a booming ethanol market is to blame. "But Mikey, they don't use barley in the production of ethanol". That's correct my friend, corn is the main distillate for ethanol. All those farmers and ranchers that use corn for their livestock feed are finding that corns availability isn't what it once was and are now looking to other food sources(Wheat and barley) to supplement the needs of they're livestock.

We pay a lot for beer as it is in Utah. And I know that it'll get worse before it gets better. I Just hope paying a little more in this case is a sign things are improving on some environmental front.

More Headaches

The other week I wrote about a report that the DABC was going to be changing the pricing structure at the state owned liquor outlets. Be prepared for some new headaches in the way the same ol' taxes are collected. The Trib has a detailed explanation of the ensuing, added confusion to come. Good Luck out there.

Brewer Wanted

Bohemian Brewery has an opening for a Brewer at their brewery in Salt Lake City, Utah. Practical brewing experience in a professional environment or comparable industrial experience is welcome. The position includes duties in all departments of the brewery, from brewing, cellar operations and packaging to warehouse. Bohemian Brewery is an equal opportunity employer. Interested applicants please fax their resumes and cover letters to the following number:, or send via email to

jpetras@bohemianbrewery.com or pete@bohemianbrewery.com .

www.bohemianbrewery.com

Tapped for a Tap?

Need a Kegorator? Well I sure as shit do! The problem at my camp always seems to revolve around the lack of pesos in the "keep Mikey in beer fund". So if your "tapped" for a tap I've found nice people who want to help. Well... at least one of us. The happy people at Keggerators.net are giving away a fine single dispensing keggerator to one lucky contest participant. The contest runs from June 1, 2007 - August 1, 2007 and all you have to do is explain why you deserve it. I think it'll look great in my living room, next to my easy chair.

Utah Breweries Crack The Top 50

If there's anything to be said about my rants on Utah beer, it's that I'm a little touchy on the perceptions people have about our local suds. Whether it has to do with measuring alcohol by volume/weight, or the good ol' "Oh, I thought your state was dry" shtick. I do my best to get out and preach the good word.

Now, it's common knowledge that Utahan's consume less beer than any other state or province in North America. It's sad but true. But even though we consume less than others, statistics recently released by the Brewers Association, show that two of Utah's breweries rank 47th & 49th out of just under 1400 craft breweries in sales. Nearly 80% of all craft beer sales come from these 50 companies. Those aren't bad numbers for a state that's mistakenly known for it's "shitty" beer.

Wasatch(Brewers Co-op) and Uinta's respective sales match their awards and accolades totaling into the triple digits.

Please Stop Helping!!!!

It has been brought to my attention, that in an attempt to make beer, wine and liquor seem cheaper; the D.A.B.C. is going to start adding the state tax at the cash register instead of including it on the shelf tag. Hmm. Well, look at it this way. At least now you'll know how much they're actually screwing you.

Damn.....

Sadly... this is still not the case in Utah.

Highlights & Lowlights

It was a blast at this years Mountain Brewers Fest. The Utah delegation showed up in full-force. Here's a few of your representatives.
And by the way, big thanks goes to Rob for being the D.D.





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Time for a Change?

After three decades at the helm of Utah's D.A.B.C. Ken Wynn is stepping down. Wynn's decision to leave comes after Gov. Jon Huntsman decided not to reappoint three commissioners on the board when their terms expire at the end of this month. Huntsman's office said the three had served multiple terms and it was time for change.

Wynn began his reign at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in October of 1977. Apparently, Wynn has been considering retirement for some time. Co-workers suspect the upcoming changes have something to do with his decision to leave now.

DABC Operations director Dennis Kellen is considered the front runner to replace Wynn.

To be honest, don't know much about Ken Wynn. As far as Utah's draconian Liquor laws are concerned; I don't know if he's been part of the problem or part of the solution. I do know that during Gov. Huntsman's run for office, he pledged to bring Utah's awkward and antiquated liquor laws to a more sensible level. Perhaps this is a step in the right direction. If you know of Ken Wynn or have any info on how he's affected the state's liquor control laws, please post a comment. I don't know whether to be elated or concerned.

photo: Deseret Morning News

Bless These Beers

Last weekend Utah breweries and brew-pubs took the NABA's Mountain Brewers Festival by storm. Judges from all over the country, participated in blind tastings, awarding 18 medals to the most misunderstood beer producing state in the nation. Here's a list of Utah's winning beers.

Gold

Hoppers Grill & Brewing Company

This is the Pilsner

Gold

Red Rock Brewing Co.

Munich Dunkel Lager

Gold

Uinta Brewing Company

Kings Peak Porter

Gold

Uinta Brewing Company

Cutthroat Pale Ale

Gold

Moab Brewing Co.

Scorpian Pale Ale

Gold

Uinta Brewing Company

Gelande Amber Lager Californnia Common

Gold

Moab Brewing Co.

Squeaky Bike Brown

Silver

Roosters Brewing Company

Diamond Back Ale

Silver

Uinta Brewing Company

Bristlecone Brown Ale

Silver

Uinta Brewing Company

Blue Sky Pilsner Canadain Style golden

Silver

Wasatch Brewing Co.

Polygamy Porter

Silver

Moab Brewing Co.

Black Raven Stout

Silver

Wasatch Brewing Co.

1st Amendment Lager

Silver

Red Rock Brewing Co.

Redrock Wit Beer

Bronze

Desert Edge Brewery

Inversion Ale

Bronze

Red Rock Brewing Co.

Reve

Bronze

Red Rock Brewing Co.

Organic Zwickel Bier

Bronze

Wasatch Brew Pub

Wasatch Summer Brau

So support your local brews! Also, here's a link to the rest of the winning beers.

The First Wildfire of the Year

Two months ago Utah had no locally produced organic beers. Now we two. Yesterday Four + Brewing Company debuted they entry into the live healthier market with they're Wildfire Extra Pale Ale. Brewed with 100% Organic malts, WILDFIRE is light golden in appearance with Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Imparting a slight “mango essence” to both the nose and taste without minimizing its hoppy goodness and refreshing taste.

This newest of Utah brews, has been in the works for over a year as the brewers have been hard at work fine-tuning the recipe while the Brewery underwent the rigorous compliance issues that accompany becoming Organically Certified. It hits the shelves of your favorite stores this week and is already available in select bars & restaurants on draft.

While organic beer sales are still minuscule in the overall beer industry, they are rising fast. North American sales of organic beers grew from $9 million in 2003 to $19 million in 2005, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Organic beers are even drawing the attention of the nation's largest breweries.

Before a product can be labeled “Organic”, a Government-approved "certifier" inspects the farms where the ingredients are grown to make sure that the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies, such as Four+ Brewing, that handle or process organic ingredients before they get to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified as well. Four+ Brewing received its organic certification in February of 2007.

Click the title for a video link.