New Beer Friday 9/27/19

You can defiantly tell it's autumn by the beers that have been released this week. When the evenings develop that slight chill these are the types of beers you'll want. Happy New Beer Friday.

Epic - Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Rapture: The second release in the 2019 Big Bad Baptists is a chocolate dream. Rich, roasted coffee bean nose with a good amount of earthy potent chocolate. The taste largely echoes the aroma, with notes of caramel syrups, roasted barley malts, and dark chocolate undertones, matched by a rich, roasted coffee bean flavor, generating a balance of fruit, acidity and roast characteristics. Finishes moderately dry with a lingering roasted coffee finish and hints of bourbon manage to make an appearance. Best enjoyed on the warm-side. Available starting today at Epic's SLC brewery.

Saltfire - Mobius Trip: This barrel aged golden sour has been sleeping in chardonnay casks for 15 months. Cherries were also added for more depth. This a collaborative beer made with home brewer, Rob Rutledge an award winning brewer of sour beers. Mobius Trip officially goes on sale this Saturday at Saltfire. I'll have some tasting notes on this at 2:30pm on KBER 101 with Mick and Allen.

Desert Edge - Wet Hop Chinook: Juicy citrus fruit aromas make my mouth water. I could sit and smell it all day. The hops smack you in the face. Sweet malt is present but the hop rule here. Finishes more bitter than expected, but I'm not complaining. Very noice. 4.0% - Available at Desert Edge.

Proper - Winchester: This American golden ale utilizes oats and rye, which make for a pleasant combo in this very light golden hued beer. The hops take on a slight citrus quality with a floral finish. 4.0 - Available at Proper. 

TF Brewing - Smoked Helles: The smoke element here is quite light and it adds a round sweetness to the beer that would otherwise be there. You still retain the a hint of nuttiness and the spicy floral component of the Saaz hops. Quite nice. 4.0% - Only at TF Brewing

TF Brewing-  Oktoberfest Märzen: TF released a smoked version of this later last month. This is the traditional version that feature a good dose of caramel and vanilla flavors that come across as creamy smooth. the hops are subtle with herbal spiciness and let the malts do most of the heavy lifting. Very nice. 4.0% - Only available at TF

TF Brewing - Dos People’s Doppelbock: Lots of bready malt, dark chocolate, light roast, faint booziness, and just a touch of syrupy sweetness. Medium-full bodied with slightly sharp carbonation but also very smooth and creamy in the mouth. Lingering stickiness and aftertaste leaves plenty of malty, sweet, complex breadiness and a late emerging floral hop bitterness. 7.9% - Only available at TF Brewing.

Fisher - Baby Beast: This Belgian style table beer is mostly yeast driven with light malts and hops. The flavor is mostly phenolic spices with a slight floral snap at the end.  4.0% - only at Fisher

Fisher - Falling Leaves Lager: This pleasant looking amber lager is light and toasty with some malt driven nuttiness. The hops are traditional with a nice grassy quality that drifts into the floral side of the spectrum by the finish. 4.0% - only at Fisher

Hopkins - Munich Dunkel:  The aroma is malty sweet and bready, while the flavor profile is rich and complex, displaying notes of toasted bread, chocolate, and graham cracker. Bitterness is minimal. The flavor is reminiscent of Golden Graham cereal. A delicious dark lager without the roasty character of a stout or a porter.

UTOG - Top Shelf: The smell is lightly hopped up front, still a nice dosage of caramel malts appear. The taste is mainly sweet, becomes slightly bitter, and has a sticky sweet aftertaste and finish. On the palate, she sits about a light to medium, comes across as a fairly sessionable IPA.

Dogfish Head - American Beauty: This American Pale Al has an earthy- orange quality with a good amount of slightly sweet honey grains. The hops take over from here adding orange peel, floral, and herbal bitterness. Plenty of malt depth with a moderate bitterness in the middle, continuing through to the finish coupled with the floral hops and slightly sweet malts.Nice pale ale. 6.5% - found at DABC.

Stone - Tropic of Thunder: They're selling this as traditional lager, but it tastes more like an IPA. So, think IPL. The aroma is full of tangerine, peach and pear. with a hint of floral hops. There's a ton of fruit to go around, with a touch of honey and grain. There's a faint herbal bitterness in the finish. It all comes together quite well. 5.8%  found at DABC

New Belgium - Hop Avenger: Missed this one. It's brand new and not too many people have tried this one anywhere. Have you? Tell us a bout it. 7.7% - found at DABC.

Cheers!

Stein Holding Competition at TF Brewing

In a feat of strength and stein grasping prowess, I became a god among men. The time was 2018, the place was Bohemian Brewery’s Oktoberfest Celebration. The strongest, most virulent men from all over the globe clambered for the right to be be crowned the ‘Stein God’. Wait.... I’m being told things didn’t happen that way? Oh well, that’s how I remember it; truth be told?  I did manage to eat out a win against some very nice, fun loving and very able beer lovers.

If you want to be a beer god like me, consider checking out the Templin Family Brewery’s Oktoberfest Celebration this Saturday September 28th. Besides shloads of fresh, fresh German beers there will be a sanctioned Stein Holding Competition. TF Brewing  just became the only Utah member of the U.S. Steinholding Association.

If you’d like participate in the Masskrugstemmen Competition here's the info you're going to need.

Sign-up sheet will be at the brewery day of the event.

Basic Rules:
1. One liter dimpled glass stein filled with beer to the 1L. line. Approximately weighing in at 5lbs.
2. Arm must be completely straight and parallel with the ground. No bending at the elbow.
3. Stein must be gripped by the handle.  Thumb cannot rest on the stein handle, it must rest with the other fingers.
4. Opposite arm must remain at the competitors side.
5. If any amount of bier spills or drips off the stein you are disqualified.

Visit www.ussteinholding.com for more information about the Association as well as a detailed version of the rules and regulations. Hope to see you there!

Prost!

New Beer Friday 9/20/19

Epic - Big Bad Baptist Vanilla and Brandy Barrel-Aged Stout: Epic's first of five BBB variants is here! This version of Big Bad Baptist was aged in brandy barrels and has vanilla, roasted cacao nibs and coffee. It wonderfully smooth with coffee and cocoa jumping out at first. When the barrel kicks in, it comes across as vinous plum and fig. It's nicely complex best when enjoyed on the warmer side. Right now this in only available at the SLC brewery.

Avenues Proper Brett Pale Ale: This latest batch of Brett Pale Ale brewed with Sorachi Ace and Huell Melon hops. It showcases an incredibly well-balanced combination of dry, fruity, and funky flavors. Find it on draft exclusively at Avenues Proper. 4.0%

Fisher White Star: This nitro pale ale is big with citrus peel bitterness and a good dose of pine bitterness in the finish. Really drinkable for the amount of bitterness. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Fisher Rye Me a River: This rye ale has a nice dose of rye that slightly spicy with malts that are on the lighter side. Hops are mostly floral with a hint of citrus. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Melvin Thaiger Style: This a nice, well balanced IPA that features a lemony hop profile. Some Mosaic citrus flavors as well.  I love the hop profile here and the 5.5% makes it highly drinkable. Found at Beer Bar.

Cheers!

Hoppers La Nymphe Biére D'été

Hoppers doesn't make many high point beers as of late, but when they do they are extraordinary. The newest beer in Hoppers line of limited edition ales was actually designed for summer; however the universe being the uncooperative place that is, decided September would be more appropriate. And in this case I agree.

La Nymphe Biére D'été is made with local Solstice malts and was fermented with traditional French Ale yeast. The result is a beer full of fruity yeast esters that scream peach, fig and bubblegum. Crackery malts are on full display as well along with an ever-so-slight touch of alcohol as well.

Taste-wise, it starts off with a nice, bready malt character. Not a particularly heavy or dark, but bready nonetheless. There are additional snaps of crackers and honey. The French yeast is clustered around the middle and end, offering up some white grape and pear. Grassy and floral hops of the noble variety also give a gentle, earthen grassiness on the finish. The 8.1% is practically in the basement as it comes across more like a 6.5% ale. 

For such a simple beer this really offers up some complex elements that works as a sipper, a quaffer  or as a table beer. This is one beer you'll want on your bar or cellar. La Nymphe is presented in a 750 milliliter bottle and goes on sale today at 11am. Only at Hoppers (for now).

Cheers!

New Beer Friday the 13th - 9/19

Shades - Berry Pie Kveik: The flavors here are basically a berry medly. The fruits are semi sweet with some lactose for balance. Graham cracker comes in next to give it the full pie effect. Very drinkable and enjoyable. It won't last long, get it before it's gone. 6.5% - Available at Shades, also found at Craft by Proper and Bayou. 

Epic - Deep Pocket: This is Epic's first Helles and it's pretty solid. It offers a touch of sweetness with a good dose of spicy German hops. The malt character is soft and bready and the finish is slightly bitter. 5.0% - Available at Epic in growlers.

TF Brewing - Luckenbach: This American brown ale is mostly toasty and malty with some pine bitterness backing it up. It's on the edge of being dry, but the malts have enough sweetness to keep it balanced. 4.0% - Available at TF Brewing.

Level Crossing - Jazz Loon: Can you Spot the Easter egg on the can? This new lager is made with all German hops but it's not your typical German pils. Mild melon and clementine meld with a grassy hop character. The malts are toasty and sweet giving the hops something to play with. A nice change of pace pils. 5.3% - Available starting today at Level Crossing.

Wasatch/Level Crossing - Collaboration IPA: There's a real nice aroma here, starting with zesty citrus oils of lemon and tangerine. The hops get into an herbal spicy like component as well. The taste keeps it simple. Juiced flavor with slight malty sweetness accents; an excellent and somewhat varied fruity hop flavor. Nice qualities of grapefruit to orange citrus juice with a spritzy lemon oil mixed in. 7.0% - Available at most Wasatch locations. Coming soon to Level Crossing.

Toasted Barrel - Chardonnay Apricot Sour: Haven't tried this yet, it hits later today. 2 lbs of apricot puree per gallon in this barrel aged sour. Can't wait to try this one. 6.6%.

2 Row Feelin' Fruity: This is another apricot infused beer. This is Feelin' Hazy with apricot added. The fruit adds a lot of body and depth to this beer. A hint of tartness from the stone fruit provides a welcome zip to this NEIPA. Very Nice! 8.6% - Found at Bayou.

2 Row Dunkel: Smells quite dry. Once on the tongue it's much maltier. Flavor-wise it's dominated by notes of bread, nuts, and perhaps a touch of chocolate. An enjoyable lager. 6.6% - Available at 2 Row.

Bonneville - Pumpkin Ale: Made with real pumpkin, traditional spices and lactose for a nice round mouthfeel. One of the better pumpkin beers you'll try. Available at Bonneville, Soon to All Star Lanes. 

Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout: This beast of a beer generally dials in anywhere between 15 - 20% and is made with a massive amount of barley to get it there. The nose is super boozy with roasted malts and char. The flavor is fairly sweet with chocolate and espresso up front with hints of vanilla and more hot alcohol in the finish. It has a very thick and oily mouthfeel. Found at the Bayou and Beerhive.

Cheers!

New Brews Soon For You: Wasatch, UTOG, TF Brewing, and Red Rock

We haven't done a New Brews Soon for You feature in quite a while, and in that time a lot has come to pass; yet more seems to be steadily coming. This preview of beer seems to have a theme. See if you can figure it out.
 

Wasatch - Oktoberfest: This is another new beer that will be coming from Wasatch's Kick Back Series. These beers are all produced up in Park City at Wasatch's Original brewery. Oktoberfest lagers are mostly known to be Marzens - a generally malty beer with big caramel and vanilla undertones. The packaging on this doesn't state the the style so, we'll have to wait until I can ask Head Brewer, Nils (with out waking him up at 4am).

UTOG - Top Shelf: Now We Get into the IPA Portion of NBS4U. If you're not a fan of IPAs then this portion of the blog will bore you. Top Shelf looks to be a session IPA that is currently set to be 4.0% ABV. I'm guessing by the time it hits, it will likely be making the transition to 5.0% or at least close to that. This IPA will be packaged in 16 ounce cans.

TF - Jellyfish: When the Templin Family Brewing Co., debuted they're first Juicy IPA, called Squirrel a couple of months ago It was a huge hit; selling out in just over five hours. If Squirrel's popularity is any indication, TF's new Jellyfish "Hazy" should treat local beer nerds just fine. What is the difference between a Hazy and a Juicy IPA? Who the Hell knows! I'm guessing the Juicy IPAs are known for low/medium bitterness with a quality of hop derived juicy fruitiness. The Hazy IPAs are obviously dense and hazy in appearance with similar fruit-like profiles. So basically, Juicy IPAs don't necessarily have to be murky or turbid. Jellyfish with be in 16 ounce cans at dial in at 7.7% ABV.    

Red Rock Buffalo Point: (pictured above) If Hazy and Juicy IPAs are basically the same thing, then where the hell does the New England IPA thing fit in? Well, they all fall under the same umbrella of the NEIPA. People who don't nerd out on beers like we do are more likely to gravitate to descriptors like "hazy" and "juicy", versus "New England Style". Anyway, if the popularity of Red Rock's Elephino is any indication of  how their new Buffalo Point New England India Style Pale Ale will be received by beer lovers, it's destined for great things. Plus it has that NEIPA beer code that we nerds love to geek on. Look for it in 500 milliliter bottles and it will come in at  6.2%.

Stay close for more NBS4U in the coming days. And remember, these are previews, none of these beers are for sale as of yet. We'll fill you in when they hit.

Cheers!

All images found at Shipcompliant.com

New Beer Friday 9/6/19

Hoppers - Bungalow Kölsch: Missed this one. Look for toasty and fruity malts with a good dose noble hops. 4.0% - Available at Hoppers.

Heber Valley- Blackberry Saison: Missed this one too. Look for wheaty and spicy yeast base with blackberry accents. 4.0% - Available at Heber Valley.

Hopkins/Wasatch - Locals Only: This collaboration beer was made with 100% local ingredients. It's malty with fruity yeast esters and hops that lean to the citrusy part of the spectrum. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins and at Squatters 30th Anniversary party.

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale: Smells and tastes of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, brown sugar, malts and some vanilla. Medium to heavy body.  7.0% - Found at DABC

Returning 

RoHa's - Freshies Wet Hop: Made with wild hop from around the area; this special ale is different every year, due to the unpredictable nature of the hops. 4.0% - Available at RoHa.

Cheers!

And the Second Squatters Trivia Winner is...

Congrats to Eric Buehner for being the only one to know that Peter Burrell was the first Head Brewer employed at Squatters. Peter signed on for the first year to get things up and running before moving on the to the west coast.

Burrell was succeeded Dan Burrick, Jennifer Talley and Jason Stock. That's only four Head Brewers in 30 years; sounds like a pretty good gig to me. Thanks for participating, in the Squatters trivia, I hope to do more trivia giveaways in the future.

Cheers!

More Free Tickets for Squatters 30th Anniversary Party

I have two more general admission tickets to give away to this Sunday's Squatters 30th Anniversary Party. I thought last week's question was pretty tough, but the beer nerds of Utah proved me wrong, yet again.

In case you missed the answer to last week's question, "what was Squatters' first beer"? It was City Creek Pale Ale.

Now on to this week's Squatters trivia. Just answer this (hopefully) tougher trivia question.

Who was the first brewer at Squatters?

Email your answer to utahbeer@gmail.com - I'll announce the winner this evening, Tuesday 9/3. If you don't get a reply from me then you probably didn't win.

Cheers and good luck!

New Beer Friday 8/30/19

Proper - Purple Rain: This is a Helles with blackberry and lime added. Nice tasting beer but you don't get too much of the Helles nice blackberry and lime flavors. 4.0% - at Proper Brewing.

Proper - Boston Girl: Nice tropical flavors with a good dose of citrus peel. A solid NEPA. 4.0% - at Proper Brewing

Proper - Foe Hammer: Another NEPA, this one is dosed with blood orange. The fruit kinda takes over the flavor, but not enough to to mute the hops. Nice beer. 4.0% -  at Proper Brewing

Proper - Bier Rose: This one is kinds muddled. Strawberry, Pomegranate and Hibiscus. The hibiscus kinda steals the show from the fruits; muting their flavors. 4.0% - At Proper Brewing

Level Crossing - Three Oaks Uncommon: I thought putting this beer on three different types of oak would make it real papery. Not at all the oak adds nice toasty and sweet flavors that are subtle and balanced. Very nice. 4.0% - at Level Crossing.

Kiitos - Northeast Pale Ale + Raspberries: This a very limited batch beer made to support the UofU's football team in last nights game. The aroma is hoppy with raspberry. The taste is basically, raspberry smoothie. Very tasty if you like raspberry. 4.0% - at Kiitos

Surly - Todd-The Axe Man: Tangy citrus, tropical fruits, maybe a little melon with a bit of pine in the end. Malts are nice and sweet. Solid IPA. 7.2% found at Beerhive, Bayou 

Firestone Walker - Old Man Hatten: The aroma smells like a Manhattan cocktail with some musty German spices. Te taste starts syrupy with some nice gingerbread and some holiday fruit cake. I get what they were trying to do here, but it comes across as a dessert dresssed up like cocktail, trying to be a beer. Didn't quite work for me. 9.6% - found at Beerhive and Slackwater.

Cheers!

Win Tickets to Squatters 30th Anniversary Party

Thanks for your interest in the Squatters Trivia tickets for the 30th anniversary bash. We have our winner for this round. Congrats to Ally Aldrich for answering City Creek Pale Ale.

In an effort to say thank you to all of you Utah craft beer fans, I'd like to give you all a chance to win a couple of pairs of free general admission tickets to Squatters' 30th Anniversary Party that's happening on Sunday, September 8th from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM (MDT).

All ticket holders will also have the unique opportunity to sample limited edition collaboration beers from Squatters and 11 participating breweries. For example, a Smoked Helles with fresh peaches will be available from Uinta Head Brewer, Patrick Bourque, and Squatters Brewer, Ryan Stambaugh; alongside a Cucumber Kettle Sour from Roosters Brewer, Jacquie King, and Squatters Director of Quality, Dave McKean. Details on more collaborations will be coming soon.

Squatters will release a special Rum Barrel-Aged Doppelbock, clocking in at 12.3% ABV in a 750-mL bomber bottle, to mark the occasion. Gracing the label of this specialty beer is an original piece of art by nationally syndicated and locally revered political cartoonist, Pat Bagley. VIP ticket holders will receive a bottle of this limited run brew featuring “Lady Li-Beer-Ty” (shown above) at the 30th Anniversary Beer Festival.

Participating breweries include:

Fisher Brewing
Bohemian Brewery
Hopkins Brewing/Squattters Collaboration 100% Utah's Own Pale - an Ale made completely out of local Utah ingredients!
Red Rock Brewing/Squattters Collaboration ROSÉ SAISON
Hoppers Brew Pub/Squattters Collaboration a delicious German Dunkel Lager!
Level Crossing Brewing/Squattters Collaboration brew is an ESB
MTN WST Cider
Proper Brewing Co.
RoHa Brewing
Uinta Brewing/Squattters Collaboration Smoked Helles with fresh peaches
T.F. Brewing
Roosters Brewing Co./Squattters Collaboration Cucumber Kettle Sour

Okay, now that you've got the info on the party, let's get to the tickets. To try and keep the early  "googlers" from running away from the tickets, we'll make the Squatters trivia questions difficult, but not impossible. Trivia ends at 9pm 8/29 or until we have a winner. Here's the Question:

What was the name of the first beer that Squatters brewed back in 1989?

Please send your answer to utahbeer@gmail.com - I'll announce the winner for the first round of tickets on this week's New Beer Friday post. Good luck and cheers!

New Beer/Brewery Friday 8/23/19

It seems like its been just a couple of weeks (it was) when we had our last new brewery open. This Saturday will mark Utah's 38th brewery location and Heber's first since the early 2000's. The 3.5 barrel brew house will be cranking out draft beers to start, with high point suds coming soon from the brewery's package agency. Brewer, Clint Jones is already planning a Belgian style Tripel that he plans on splitting into fresh and barrel aged versions. The Heber Valley Brewing Co. officially opens tomorrow (8/24/19) and is located on Main Street and 500 n. in Heber Utah. Welcome 

Heber Valley - Cöld Fusion Kölsch:  Look for a nice clean, easy drinking beer. 4.0% - Available at Heber Valley Brewing.

Heber Valley - W.O.W. Wit: look for a very light colored Belgian Wit. Subtle hops and nice yeast character. 4.0% - Available at Heber Valley Brewing.

Heber Valley - Lone Pine Pale Ale: This Pale Ale was brewed with spruce tips and centennial hops.  4.0% - Available at Heber Valley Brewing.

Heber Valley - Heber's Hazy IPA:  Tons of hop aroma with enough bitterness to back it up. Plenty of Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops. 4.0% - Available at Heber Valley Brewing.

Heber Valley - HVBC IPA:  Pretty light colored IPA. Good balance between aroma and bitterness.  Crystal and Mosaic hops. 4.0% - Available at Heber Valley Brewing.

TF Brewing Coconut Guava Berliner: The tropical theme of this beer is undeniable with great fruit flavors that play well with the subtle sour base of the beer. Very refreshing with high drink-ability.  4.0% - Available at TF Brewing.

Hopkins - Coconut Macadamia Porter: This is basically a cookie. Hopkins hand-toasted 40 pounds of coconut and sourced some macadamia flour from a small farmer in Hawaii. Chocolate malt and lactose sugar round out the flavors of this delicious dessert beer. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins

Hopkins - Patchwork Pale 2:
This version is basically a “Hazy IPA”. Hoppy, hazy, refreshing, dry, with a light biscuit malt backbone. The hop profile is Citra forward, which gives bright citrus and tropical flavors with Simcoe and Cascade hops on the back end, giving it a little resiny pine and floral character. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Campfire Smoked Lager:
This is essentially a German Rauchbier. Local cherry-wood smoked Solstice malt adds a distinct smokiness with some light crystal and aromatic malts to give it a nice malty backbone but a nice crisp finish. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins

Hopkins - Raspberry Gose:
This beer was brewed with orange peel and coriander, then fresh raspberry puree and salt were added in the fermenter. The tartness blends beautifully with the raspberry and the salt balances the flavors. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins

Roosters Rooster Tail: Look for big tropical notes from the hops with medium bitterness and creamy malts. The 6.5% ABV is very approachable. 4.0% - Available at all Roosters locations.

Wasatch - Dry Hopped Saison: This is textbook saison with a good amount of spicy phenolic yeast character. The dry hopping adds mostly bitterness to the finish. 5.5% available at most Wasatch locations. 

Red Rock Otto: Missed this new Imperial Pilsner that debuts today. Look for notes of blueberry, coconut, lemon, lime , peach and melon. 7.2% - Available at Red Rock

Illuminated Junior Astronaut Juice: Look for tangerine,orange peel, grapefruit, passion fruit all wrapped up in nice resinous hop bow. Caramel malts give the hop salad pleanty to build on. 6.0% - Found at DABC.

Prost!

Brewery Update 8/21/19

We've seen three new breweries open up in Utah so far in 2019; UTOG, Level Crossing and Strap Tank (Lehi). But 2019 isn't finished yet with new craft beer spots, many more are on deck waiting to serve up craft brewed suds to thirsty beer nerds. Here's a quick status update on what's coming up next.

Heber Valley Brewing: The state's newest brewery opens this Saturday and will debut with five beers. Located at 500 n. Main Street in Heber,  Utah.

Ogden River Brewing: Groundbreaking on Ogden's fifth brewery/brewpub will happen later this morning along the banks of the Ogden River. Located at 358 e. Park View Blvd. look for an early 2020 opening.

Bewilder Brewing: Construction is moving along at a fast pace. The brew system is in house and the boys are looking to get the taps flowing at years end.

Grid City Beer Works: Contractors have been at it for nearly a month turning the old Tile for Less building into a proper brewery. Grid City is looking towards an early 2020 debut. Located at 333 w. 2100 s. in South Salt Lake City.

Zion Canyon St. George: The remodel of the the old Fire Station #2 building in Saint George is moving along at a quick pace and it's looking like a late 2019, early 2020 opening for the second Saint George brewery. Located at 150 n. Main Street.

Helper Brewing Company: Just acquired property in downtown helper and will be looking to their begin remodeling in the coming weeks.

As more info comes in, we'll update you on these breweries and others as news comes in.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/16/19

Sorry I missed you last week, but even super beer nerds deserve a vacation. Well, it looks like I'm going to pay for it this week, because there plenty of new suds to get into. As I mentioned the other day, Alaskan beer are headed this way; umm, they're here. Happy New Beer Friday!

Shades - Hogs Head Reserve Gin Barrel Belgian Strong: The name pretty much says it all. This beer has a pungent gin aroma that very cocktail like. The taste is more subtle with light juniper berries and spuce. The barrel backs a stong beer that full of sugary malt sweetness and bubble gum. This beer come with a hamer as the ABV is not listed. Somewhere in the 10% neighborhood. Available at Shades.

Shades - Kviek Pink Tart: When I see "hibiscus" on the label It's a pretty sure bet that it going to dominate the beer. In this case that isn't exactly true. While it's there it's not the whole show nice tart cherry also interacts with the tart base creating a nice blend of botanical and cherry. 6.5% - Available at Shades.  

TF Brewing - Beechwood Rauchbier: Don't like smoke beers? This one could change your mind. The base here mostly has flavors of light caramelized sugar with hints of cocoa. The smoke element while strong in the aroma is pretty subtle on the tongue and is more accent that star. 4.0% - Available at TF Brewing.

TF Brewing - Big Oh: This new pale ale salutes those Chico inspired pale ales of the late 90's and early 2000's. This is mostly Cascade hop driven with just skosh of Mosaic. The result is a mostly pine driven pale with some orange peel accents. Damn drinkable at 4.0%. Available at TF Brewing.

Level Crossing - Das Lehering: Missed this one. described as a fruity lager. 4.0% - at Level Crossing.

Roosters Shoreline Red Ale: Sorry, I missed this one. 7.0% - Available at Roosters, Bayou

Alaskan - Amber: Caramel, hints of cocoa and fruity malts combined with a pleasant citrus hop bitterness. A great example of an amber ale. 5.3%. Available at Beer Bar, Dick n' Dixie's

Alaskan - Kolsch: Smells of bread and malt and the same on the tongue with a touch of sweetness.Very nice Kolsch. 5.3% - Available at Beer Bar, Dick n' Dixie's

Alaskan -  Husky IPA: Very tropical with orange, a little grapefruit pith and a sweet element like mango and melon. Moderately bitter and some pepper shows up as well. 7.0% - Available at Beer Bar, Dick n' Dixie's

Alaskan - White: Aroma of coriander and orange peel. Taste is full of spice, dominated coriander with nice citrus flavors. The elements are all quite clean and play across the palate. 5.3% - Available at Beer Bar, Dick n' Dixie's

Cigar City - Maduro: The aroma is very bready and malty, with some earthy undertones. Light smoke with mild notes of caramel and brown sugar, along with toasted nuts, coffee, and the faintest hint of chocolate. 5.5% Available at DABC.

Silver Moon - F* Cancer: New to our market; Silver Moon donates a portion of this beers sales for cancer research. Aromas of light citrus; lemon; floral and berries. Clean tasting IPA that has spicy fruity and pine bitterness. 6.0% This will debut at the Utah Beer Festival this weekend.

Lagunitas - A Lil' Sump'n Hazy: The nose has mild citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines and mango. The taste follows with a bitter grapefruit and mango that carry through to the finish. This is actually quite refreshing for a "hazy" IPA. 7.2%. DABC

Couldn't get to these. I'm only one man!

Road House - West Side IPA: 7.5% - at DABC

Road House - Family Vacation: 4.9% - at DABC

Road House - Mountain Jam Vol 4: 6.2% - at DABC

Great Divide - Chocolate Cherry Yeti: 9.5% - at DABC

Ommegang - 3 Philosophers Wine Barrel Aged: 9.3% - Found at The Bayou

Ommegang - Saison Rose': 7.7% - Found at The Bayou

Boulevard - Smooth Fuzz: Missed this apricot sour. - 8.0% - Found at The Bayou

On top of all of this - the Utah Beer Festival hits this Saturday and Sunday. Look for 200 damn beers from local and national brands. Many new beers to the market will be debuting here, if you want to get all of those new beer ticks in, I'd head to the State Fairgrounds this weekend.  Need Ticket? All the info is here.

Cheers!

Alaskan Brewing: Bound for Utah

I'm finally back from my Belgian vacation. The beer there is wonderful, but our home suds will always have my heart. I'm happy to bring news back with me about a new brewery making it's way to the Beehive state.

Back in May we told you about Anchorage Brewing making their way into Utah. Now another popular brewery from America's 49th state announces it's distributing to Utah.

Utah and Hawaii beer drinkers can now enjoy brews from the Last Frontier as Juneau-based brewery Alaskan Brewing begins distribution to the two states. The addition of the Aloha and Beehive states marks the 24th and 25th state where Alaskan beer is distributed.

“We think Hawaiians and Utahns will connect with our beers, our story and our commitment to sustainability,” said Alaskan Brewing Co. Communications Manager, Andy Kline. “These are very unique states, but Alaskans, Hawaiians, and Utahns actually have a lot in common – many of us have an adventurous spirit and love for the outdoors, and we share a special connection to and deep respect for the spectacular places we call home.”

Alaskan Brewing is partnering with Odom Corporation to bring their brews to Hawaii, where the distributor is also broadening its reach. “We are beyond excited to expand our beer footprint to Hawaii and are very fortunate to have partners who have been 100% supportive since day one,” said Odom Corporation Sr. Vice President of Sales, Jack Tullis. “The interest expressed from retailers and consumers in Hawaii blew us away.”

Utah and Hawaii are the last two states of the western U.S. to carry Alaskan beers. General Distributing Co. will handle Utah distribution. “The wait is over,” remarked Andy Zweber of General Distributing Co. in Utah. “The beer drinkers of Utah soon won’t have to go out of state to find their favorite Alaskan Brewing brands. General Distributing is proud to have been chosen to bring their fine portfolio of craft beers to the Beehive State.”

Hawaiians and Utahns will be able to enjoy Amber, White, Husky IPA, and Kölsch, among other Alaskan Brewing beer styles. “Hawaii and Utah have presented some unique challenges when it comes to distribution, but we’re working with some excellent partners to make it happen,” said Alaskan Brewing Co. Marketing and Sales Manager, Merv Boyce.

As soon as they hit shelves we'll get the info.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/2/19

Welcome to August! It looks like you need a beer. Strangely enough I just happen to have found a few that you may like - including a bunch of limited offerings from Hopkins Brewing that go on draft today. If you have any gluten free folk in your life, let them know there are some no malt options as well. Happy New Beer Friday.
 
Hopkins - Chocolate Strawberry Stout: Brewed with organic strawberry, lactose, dark chocolate and white chocolate. 4.0% - limited availability only at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Oxymoron Black IPA: This BIPA was hopped with the Pink Boots hop blend and will have some deep cocoa notes. 4.0% - limited availability only at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Raspberry Spiked Seltzer: Look for raspberry flavored sparkling water with an alcohol kick. 4.0% - limited availability only at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Strawberry Sorghum: This "gluten free" beer is made with organic strawberries, sorghum syrup and local honey. 4.0% - limited availability only at Hopkins.

RoHa - "Chinookie on the Porch":This is a double dry hopped version of RoHa's Back Porch Pale. It has a good malt base with a healthy dose of pine bitterness and lesser citrus peel towards the end. Super drinkable. 4.0% - Available at RoHa.

Avenues Proper - SMaSH (Ekuanot hops): Missed this one. Ekuanot hops have a citrusy and herbal profile, if that give you an idea of what to expect. This one is exclusive to Avenues Proper. 4.0%.

Fisher - Dug: This pale ale has a good amount of rye that adds richness to the malt. The hops are for the most part citrusy, and work well with spicy base. Very nice. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Fisher - Lemon Hop Dancer: Loaded with Lemon Drop hops; this pale has a hazy golden color that looks and taste 'lemony'. The hops are very lemon like, which gives it a nice, fresh taste. Aother winner.

Wasatch Bear River Blonde: This one debuts today and is only available at Wasatch's Sugar House location. 4.0%.

Cheers!

Strap Tank's Lehi Brewery Opens Soon

Utah's next brewery will soon be open and the natives couldn't be happier. On Monday, August 5th this grand craft beer palace on the northern most end of Utah County will open it's doors, bringing local suds to Utah's bustling technology corridor.

The Lehi brewery is a pretty remarkable achievement; mixing carnival, garage and theatrical themes. It's defiantly one of the most unique craft beer spots that you'll find anywhere in North America.

Once Lehi's brew house goes online, look for head brewer, Shawn Smith to get his core brands on tap before he has the opportunity to get his "passion projects" to you. Strap Tank Lehi, has a restaurant license so bring your appetite; or at the very least plan on ordering an appetizer with your beer.

I think the opening of this new brewery is very telling in regards to Utah's changing attitudes on beer and where entrepreneurs are choosing to spend their money to bring it to the masses.

Congrats to the Strap Tank gang and to Utah County beer nerds in general on their newest craft watering hole. Strap Tank: Lehi is located at 3661 n. Outlet Parkway.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/26/19

Did that mid-week "holiday" screw up the rhythm of your week? It sure did with mine. To help you get your groove back there are three new saisons and a pils that are (for the most part) light and kind for these high temperature days. Happy New beer Friday!

2 Row - Czech Pilsner: This new lager has a that classic floral aroma with a light, crip body and crystal clear appearance. Up front is a grassy and peppery hop feel with some balancing sweet and  toasty malt. It finishes slightly dry. This pils has a nice broad palate and is pretty enjoyable. 5.3%. Available at 2 Row starting today. 

Saltfire - Saison de Femme Fatale: This collaboration with the Hop Bombshells Homebrew Club utilizes the Pink Boots society's special hop blend and makes its debut today at Saltfire. 6.7% - Available at Saltfire. 

Mad Fritz - The Lion and Other Beasts: This farmhouse beer is a Belgian style beer known as a grisette. It's earthy and round with nice brett notes along with a good dose of cracker and dough. There's some spicy yeast as well that play off of the very subtle grassy Euro hops. 5.6% - Found at The Bayou.  

Mad Fritz - The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs: This saison has some really nice apple and pear notes with a good deal of yeast spiciness. Herbs, oak and orange peel round out the back end with a bit of white pepper in the finish. Alcohol seems slightly high. 7.0% - Found at The Bayou.

Cheers!

Pie and Beer Day 2019

 If your new to Utah, or have been living in a ward house basement for the last 10 years; Pie and Beer tongue and cheek play on Pioneer Day, where people who really don't identify with "pioneer culture" can celebrate in their own way on this state holiday.

The state's biggest Pie and Beer Day celebration is happening tomorrow, and this year's event is the biggest yet. 26 breweries and eateries have teamed up to provide some of the best pie and beer pairing you'll ever come across in one place. The "official" P&B Day celebration is a fundraiser for KUAA Radio and is held in the back lot of Beer Bar/Bar X and will feature Music and water features to help you  keep cool. $30 get you five pairings and you can up that if you desire. Here’s a list of what you can expect and I hope to see you there!

EATING ESTABLISHMENT & HOPKINS BREWING
Quiche Pie W/ Sugar House Pilsner

COPPER ONION & 2Row BREWING
Cochinita Pibil Empanadas w/ Hipacrit IPA & Draft Saison

PIE PARTY &  EPIC BREWING
Apricot and Thyme WITH Honey Lemon Cream Cheese w/ Oak & Orchard Pie and Beer Day / founder aged sour with blueberry and boysenberry

EVA BAKERY & HOPPERS BREWING
Peach Bourbon pie W/ This is the Pilsner

NOMAD & UINTA BREWING
“Baked Hawaii” Frozen Pineapple Mousse Toasted Marshmallow & Uinta Mango Lime Pilsner Powder w/ UINTA Test Phaze and Tu Meke.

GARAGE ON BECK & MOAB BREWING
Funeral Potato Pie W/ Scorpion Pale Ale

STONEGROUND & BONNEVILLE BREWING
House Made Ricotta Cheese & Lemon Pie W/ Sun Twist Lemon & Ginger Golden Ale

BELTEX MEAT &  KIITOS BREWING
Pastrami Rueben HOT POCKET, Smoked Ham & Beer Cheese Hot Pocket w/ NE Pale Ale

STEIN ERICKSON / WASATCH
Stein Eriksen’s Lodge Sticky Pecan Pie W/ Baltic Porter aged in brandy Barrels

THE DODO & BOHEMIAN BREWING
Dodo Tollhouse Cookie W/ Bohemian Kolsch

OUIRRH RESTAURANT & SHADES BREWING
RASPBERRY CHEESE CAKE W/ Key Lime Golden Sour Kveik. W/ vanilla and graham crackers

MOTHERS FOOD TRUCK & ZOLUPEZ BREWERY
Morgan Valley Lamb Chili WITH Butternut Squash, white Beans & Beehive Rosemary Mint Cheddar Frito Pie w / Mandarina Kolsch, Zolupez Agave IPA, Zolupez Mango Golden.

LUCKY SLICE PIZZA & ROOSTERS BREWING
Lucky Slice Funeral Potato Pizza W/ Roosters Black Berry Cream Ale

BENJI’S 24 HOUR BBQ - RED ROCK BREWING
Ice Box Lemon Pie  W/ Bier De Mars Spiced Belgian Amber

CURRENT & T.F. BREWING
Strawberry Frangipane Hand Pies w/ Keller Bier ( German Pilsner )

BEER BAR & LEVEL CROSSING
Lemon Sour Cream with Poppy Seed Crumble w/
You-Tah UnCommon Cream Ale

RED BUTTE BAKERY & DESERT EDGE BREWING
Tart Cherry Pie W/ Desert Edge Pro Tem

SQUATTERS PUB & SQUATTERS BREWERY
Berry Cobbler W/ JUICY IPA

RIO GRANDE & PARK CITY BREWING
Rio Grande Key Lime Pie  W/ Park City Imperial Pilsner

BAMBARA & SALT FIRE BREWING
Lemon Coconut Cream W/ SALT FIRE Lemon zest & Ginger root SAISON

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PIES & VERNAL BREWING
Apple Crumb Pie w/ Pilgrimage Extra Pale Ale

STRATFORD PROPER & PROPER BREWING
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN PIE W/ PINEAPPLE SOUR BEER

CAMPOS & ROHA BREWING
Braised Short Rib Meat Pie W/ Roha Red Ale

UTOG KITCHEN & UTOG BREWERY
Cheese Cake Pie  W/ Pucker Time Sour Citra IPA

ESTE PIZZA & STRAP TANK
Jordan Savior Pizza ( jalapeño, red onions, artichoke hearts, and Garlic ) W/ HAZY IPA

TRADITION & FISHER BREWING
Rosemary Peach Pie w/ Sour French Saison

New Beer Friday 7/19/19

Happy New Beer Friday. This week you get two treats as Founders' and Belching Beaver's beers hit Salt Lake. Supposedly some of these are hitting DABC stores; I have no info on that but I did find some at a couple of notorious beer spots in SLC. If you see them somewhere else, please spread the beer love.

Toasted Barrel - Bourbon Barrel Quad: This beer has aromas of fig, slight bourbon notes and a fuity sourness. The tastes follows with woody dryness and vanilla up front. Bourbon asserts itself as it warms with a little sour cherry and fig rounding it out. Finishes with boozy cherry and dark fruits. barrel dryness & figs. a beast at 15.0% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

2 Row Huckleberry Sour: This debuted yesterday and I missed it. I'm sad... I'm guessing it's got a sour lemony base with flavors of Huckleberry. If I'm wrong, set my ass straight! 5.9% - Available at 2 Row.

Wasatch Dunkelweizen: I missed out on this one too. This is a very small batch beer that is only available at Wasatch's Sugar House Brewpub. 4.0%.

Proper - It's Always Sunny in SLC: This pale ale is light with caramel sweetness, pine, orange peel and herbal hops in the finish. 4.0% - Available at Proper. 

Belching Beaver - Me So Honey: This has a golden/orange color with an aroma of honey and toasty bread. The taste is sweet with the distinct taste of honey. There is a little bitterness at the end but a lot of cracker and bread notes. If you're a fan of honey beers look into this. 5.5% - Found at the Bayou.

Belching Beaver - Peanut Butter Milk Stout: This is the beer that built this brewery. Smells of peanut butter and chocolate malts. The taste follows with more peanut butter and semisweet chocolate. Lactic sugars come in next to sweeten it up a little. There a hint of coffee in the finish. Medium to full bodied with a creamy mouth feel. 5.3% - Found at the Bayou.

Belching Beaver - Deftones Phantom Bride: This IPA an aroma that is grassy and citrus-like. The taste follows with zesty citrus, some tropical fruit, caramel malt, and a little bit of dank and floral bitterness at the end.7.1% - Found at the Bayou.

Founders Solid Gold: This lager has nice herbal hops that drive this tasty lager with notes of lemongrass and pine. Mild toast and corn round it out. Dry finish with minimal sweetness. 4.4% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Dirty Bastard: Pours a dark reddish brown with a nose of toffee, caramel and brown sugar. Very boozy from the start with flavors of toffee, peat and dates. It finishes with some more fruity flavors, like plum or raisins. Very nice. 8.5% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Centennial IPA: : The aroma is resinous with tropical citrus and melon. There's citrus and melon initially in the flavor with toasted bread and caramel malts underneath. Mostly tangerine, nectar, and melon in the end with a black tea bitterness in the finish. An excellent example of an IPA. 7.2% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - All Day IPA: The nose has a pleasant balance of sweet malt, pine, melon and grass. The flavor is mostly driven by pine with some light tangerine backing it up. Seems thin even for Utah standards. Finishes mildly bitter. 4.7% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Breakfast Stout: Strong and intense aroma of coffee and dark chocolate. The flavor is full of coffee, with dark chocolate and oats in the background. Very nice. 8.3% - Found at Beerhive

Founders - KBS [Kentucky Breakfast Stout]: Subtle roasted malts and coffee notes in the aroma.    Huge bourbon notes with dark chocolate and vanilla off the top. The coffee get a little lost, but it doesn't detract from the smooth, beer's barrel character. 12.3% - Apparently this is only at the Beerhive, if you see it anywhere  else let us know.

Kiitos - Grapefruit Hard Seltzer: Just what you'd expect; spritzy and quenching grapefruit water with a little kick. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos on draft.

Cheers!