GABF 2008 is officially sold out!

If your planning on attending the Great American Beer Festival starting Oct. 9th, I hope you've already grabbed your tickets. If not... you may be shit-out-of-luck. For the first time ever GABF has sold out every session a record two-weeks early! Your only options are to win them on local Denver radio stations, and if you don't live there that may make it, well.... I think you get it. If your thinking of getting from a scalper beware. Most online purchases are "print your own" tickets. Each with a specific bar-code to be scanned upon entry. This could lead to very easy counterfeiting. Just an FYI. Sorry to be such a bummer....

Help Make It A Cold Day in Hell

Consumption of liquor, wine and beer is up in way-up in Utah and to accommodate imbibers the states is building bigger and better outlets at a record pace. Two new state stores are among 10 remodeling or building projects along the Wasatch Front and southern Utah, adding 40 percent more retail space for wine, heavy beer and distilled spirits.

While these are great and long overdue, there is still one thing that will be missing from these shiny new facilities. Beer coolers. With all the taxes that are paid, it's still hard to believe that the concept of a simple refrigerator unit per store is beyond the scope of reason. Now I'm aware of the excuses spewed forth from our LDS overlords. They believe a cold beer bought from a liquor store will be so enticing that we'll be chugging 'em down before we can get our heathen asses in our death Yugo's. It's amazing that societies out side of Utah can function without such keen guidance.

And it's not just about cold beer to be consumed sooner than later. The people in charge seem to forget or just plain don't care that beer is a perishable product that is better when fresh. For Christ sake many breweries won't even sell beer to Utah because of this arcane policy.

Well if you really want to do something about it, grab your mouse(your other mouse Doug) and follow this link to to sign an online petition to get refrigeration units in Utah State liquor stores. It's really a no brainer. If you've bought a single beer from a state liquor store in the past 100 years you'll immediately benefit from it.

Credit and thanks goes to Ross Metzger from Tributetobeer.com for getting this rolling. Tell everyone you can think of to get on this and sign today! Cheers!!!

The Fifth Season

One thing that separates Utah from the rest of the world is our lack of seasons. The rest of the world gets the standard four, you know spring, summer etc. But here in the intermountain west, we get seven months of winter, four months of summer and two weeks each for spring and fall.

To help break up the months in between extremes I propose we create a new fifth season. Leann (lionn) would begin right about now, dedicated to the best time of the year for beer. So, now that we've got that bullshit out of the way. I'd like to throw some good seasonal options out there to help celebrate our new season.

Squatters has quite a few on tap now.
Alt and In the Way: a German style Altbier Copper-colored and aged 35 days. Won a gold in the 2008 World Beer Cup competition.

BlackForest Schwarzbier: Dark and not too heavy with a good amount of hops. Another medal winner.

Cheshire Cream Ale: Pale straw color. Low hop bittering and some hop aroma.

Hop Rising: A well-hopped, classic American pale ale.

Wasatch BrewPub is offering,
Hopalicious Pale Ale: A Pale Ale on cask made from wild Utah hops. Limited supply. Only at the Wasatch Brew Pub.

Pumpkin Ale: An unfiltered fall brew, made with real pumpkin and pie spices. This is one of the better Pumpkin beers available in the country.

RedRock has,
Bamberg Rauchbier: An amber-colored smoke ale with a mild beech wood-esque smokiness.

Harvest Ale: An unfiltered hop monster with a great citrus nose and taste.

Desert Edge.
Desert Hell: A Bavarian Helles Bier. A light and slightly malty German lager with spicy hop character, but a bit more subdued and balanced than regular Czech lagers.

Radius: Is a white, golden ale made with ingredients grown within 150 miles (give or take) from Salt Lake City. Available in mid-October.

Hoppers is offering their take on the Altbier. Out of Bounds Alt: Extended conditioning mellows out the ale's fruitiness and produces an exceptionally smooth and delicate brew. A great balance of malt and hops.

Four+(Uinta). Punk'n: spicier and dryer than Wasatch's with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice.

Roosters. Oktoberfest: Dark copper in color, full-bodied, rich and toasty.

So get your slacker-asses out there and drink-up these seasonals before they're gone. Or you'll be sad lil' beer geeks. Cheers!

Local Beers, Grown Locally

I'm a big fan of supporting local small businesses. I try to spend my money with our local entrepreneurs rather than national chains as often as I can. If your like-minded, consider heading over to the Desert Edge Brewery this October, where Brew master Chris Haas has put together a special beer made from all local ingredients. Radius, will be made with ingredients grown within 150 miles of the Wasatch Front(yeast too???). Chris says he found the malt just over the state line in Idaho and personally picked the hops locally. I'm not sure of what style he's planning on brewing yet, but I'm sure it'll be unique. Radius will be available on draft beginning in mid-October at the brew pub in Salt Lake City. 602 E. 500 South. Cheers!

Prohibition is Back!

This is just another example of why it's a bad idea to have non-drinkers regulating what they don't understand. The state of Utah has inadvertently introduced a de facto ban on flavored malt beverages, beers and ales. On Oct. 1, flavored malt beverages, such as Smirnoff Ice, Jack Daniel's Original Hard Cola and Bacardi Silver, must be off grocery store shelves and moved to state-controlled liquor outlets. But it's unlikely any of the products will be available in state liquor outlets by the Oct. 1 deadline.

"All Anheuser-Busch flavored malt beverages will no longer be available in Utah," said Michael Brennan, president of General Distributing Co., the state's largest beer distributor. "I don't think the public understands that 3.2 flavored beverages will be gone." The new law also targets traditional beers and ales containing flavorings such as apricot or raspberry.

So basically, If you enjoy a lager or ale that is flavored with food extracts made with distilled alcohol. It's unlikely that Utah distributors will continue to carry them. Why? It's problematic for manufacturers to comply with a bevy of regulations from a single state, particularly when the product is part of a national distribution chain and a small niche in the beer industry. It leads one to suspect that many companies may have some reluctance to incur all these additional expenses that Utah regulators are levying on them. If this is what the Utah Legislature and the governor wanted to accomplish, they've done it.

Note: this only applies to beverages that contain extracts. Malt beverages and beers that are made with "real fruit" do not fall under this this new fucked-up regulation. Thank God for small favors...

Obama Beer

Well these photos say it all. And that's good enough for me. And I'm pretty certain they're not one of Cindy McCain's Budweiser's.

2008 Utah Brewers Festival

CLICK HERE FOR FESTIVAL UPDATE It's been a tough couple years for the Utah Brewers Festival. After trying to convert back from the previous Blues and Brew fest and last years bad weather, this years fest met it's demise due to Salt Lake City's new 20% take on ticket sales and concessions. So, organizers have opted to concentrate on an all new '09 beer fest rather than a hurried half-assed beer fest for this year. So mark the dates in your beer calendar for the 2009 Utah Brewers Festival. August 21-23. Yup, three days!

It's like Disney Land... with Beer!

If your planning on attending this years Great American Beer Festival you'd better get on it. Its only a short seven weeks away! It's kinda-like the Disney Land of beer... except for the rides... and the kids. Other than that it's truly a "magical kingdom" for three days. People don their festive head-gear,(aka mouse ears) are greeted by colorful characters(just don't hug 'em) and just have kid-like fun... only with beer.

There will also be many opportunities to learn more about your favorite brews and styles as well as book signings, food & beer pairing seminars featuring an A-list of America's brewers and national celebrity chefs and of course the world's largest and most prestigious beer tasting competition featuring 400+ breweries, sampling nearly 1900 beers.

GABF runs from Oct 9-11 with a total of four public tastings. Get your tickets soon. Or you'll be shit-out-of-luck. Trust me.

The Second Coming

No it's not Jebus! It's that other guy with the God complex, Del Vance(kidding Del). After a very successful first printing Utah's second best beer scribe(after me) has decided to spew forth more detailed info about Utah's Beer; past present and future. Some of the new topics in the book include Zion Canyon Brewing and updated beer legislation. Available at most craft beer establishments and bookstores.

Also, if your wondering about the status of Del's new beer bar the "Beerhive House" don't worry, it's still in the works. The plans are at city hall, waiting to be approved. Apparently there's a huge back-log of plans waiting for approval. But Del assures me that once approved it should come together rather quickly.

Squatters: Fifth Element

If you live in or have ever visited Utah, you know that we have to do things a little different than most states when it comes to the making and enjoyment our suds. What may seem usual and mundane elsewhere can be a big deal here.

Seasonal beers are nothing new to Utah's brewers, they crank them out all the time. But when it comes to special edition brews, things become a little tricky. Especially if those special editions want to venture above the hollowed 4.0% ceiling. Things are getting better. The recent creation of the of the states new Type 5 package license gives brewers the ability to create, bottle and sell, right from the brewery or brewpub. Eliminating the tedious and needless Sell, buy-back, then sell again, crap that brewers have had to deal with for decades.

The first beneficiary of this new law is Squatters Brew Pub. Over the past few years Jenny Talley has been seeking inspiration and advice from all over the world to come up with a way of putting a new spin on old-world staples. Seeking input from some of America's best brewers; including(but not limited to) Firestone Walker's Matt Brynildson, Vinny Cilurzo of Russian River and Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery. Jenny told me that the the support she had from these folks including many, many others gave her the inspiration to start creating more daring beers as well as a name for her first bottle conditioned, oak aged ale.

Fifth Element like most beers are made up from the four primaries. Malted barley, hops, water and yeast. The "fifth element" according to Jenny is the brewing community for which she credits a great deal of her inspiration. Fifth Element is a Belgian style Saison ale. These are traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Fifth Element was brewed December 2007 and laid down to age in oak barrels January 2008.

Poures a cloudy apricot/straw color with a fizzy white head that reduced to a thin froth. The nose has a bit a of barnyard funkiness to it, with hints of lemon. The tastes starts with light citrus notes then transitions into tart green apples and peach. Next comes a dry oakiness that compliments the tartness well. The finish is a combination a champagne like dryness and bitter florals. Light and dry but highly drinkable. It's 6.75% ABV is well hidden. A great effort, well worth trying. Available only at Squatters. Cheers!

Squatters Debuted Fifth Element on August 13th

Uinta Represents at The Great British Beer Festival

If you love beer and have never attended North America's largest beer fest, the Great American Beer festival... well... damn it, you should! Three days of all things beer, in city (Denver) that loves it's suds. Like GABF, The Great British Beer Festival is Britain's largest beer festival and brings together a wide range of real British ales, including a large contingent of American and international craft beers. There are at least 450 beers available throughout the festival. Golden ales, fruit beers, stouts, bitters etc. This fest is mostly about proper British ales, but this year brings a slew of some of the most popular and well respected labels of some of America's craft breweries.

Utah's Uinta Brewery is one of the few breweries chosen to represent this year. They're sampling a limited amount of Anglers Pale Ale, King's Peak Porter and Uinta 14th Anniversary Barleywine. Uinta is in good company, I'm sure they'll represent Utah well. Congrats to the Uinta crew!

Am I Dreaming?

Good news is a round the corner for breweries, distillers and consumers. Wednesday the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission approved a rule change that would no longer require brewers and distillers to ship their on premises made heavy beer and spirits to the D.A.B.C. warehouse for tags and taxes. This means that patrons can buy strait from the source in stead of having to travel to a state liquor store. The so-called Type 5 package license affects Salt Lake Brewing Co., Utah Brewers Cooperative, Uinta Brewing Co. and High West Distillery, all located in Salt Lake City.

This will really help with quality control. Before breweries would have to ship their products in unrefrigerated trucks to the unrefrigerated DABC warehouse. Now beers will stay cold from bottling to purchase.

Remember this has to do with stuff made on premises. For instance a six packs of Squatters India Ale, may only be purchased at the Salt Lake coop where it is brewed - but not at Squatters Pub Brewery in Salt Lake City, Squatters Airport Pub at the Salt Lake City International Airport or Squatters Roadhouse Grill in Park City. The license allows for heavy beer to be sold in bottles as take-out only where it's brewed although the beverages may be sold on tap in pubs. At this point, Squatter's Pub Brewery in Salt Lake City has no plans to sell take-out heavy beer - unless there's a high demand for it. Still, for those anxious to buy the soon-to-be released Fifth Element, a rustic, wood barrel aged sour beer. I guess we can try and ask our servers for a take-home bottle.... couldn't hurt.

Suds Brothers Brewery

My wife and I went to Evenston, Wyoming last Saturday for a long overdue change of pace. We decided to to meet up with friends and attend, A Taste of Evenston. It's a little"get acquainted with Evenston" Street festival put on by the local chamber(plus it was a good excuse to pick up some out-of-state beers)

We had heard that Evenston had it's own brew pub, and of course we had to check it out.Suds Brothers looks small on the outside but is actually quite large. It occupies an old, unassuming retail space on towns old main street. If your not paying attention you might miss it. The inside has an "old west saloon" feel with a small five tank brewery in the back. With a little inspiration this could be quite an attractive place.Their tap selection wasn't too bad, on my visit they had an Amber Ale, Koelsch,Hefeweizen, IPA, smoked porter and an Alt.

The Amber, ironically poured an amber color with a creamy off-white head that stayed 'till the bottom of the cup. The nose was of light pale malts with a slight hop perfume. The taste started with caramel & moderate piney hops up front. A little nuttiness sneaks in as it warms. Finishes with malt sweetness & moderate piney hops.

The Altbier poured a clear amber/brown with thin foam cap. The nose mainly consisted of dry malts. The flavor has some nice roasted overtones and carries a bit of hop bite to bitter the malt base. Good drinkability.

The food was... okay my nachos weren't the best but my wife's patty melt was very good. The place seems to do a brisk local business, and apparently fills up in the evening. I probably won't make many special trips up there for just to visit, but I'll defiantly stop in when I'm in the area.

Due to it's proximity to Salt Lake(a mere 1 hr 15 min. from mi casa) I'm adding it to the brewpub links even though it's not a Utah brewery... Why the hell not, it's closer than some places, the beer is not too bad and it's not restricted to Utah's 4.0% draft cap. Please check 'em out. Cheers!

Mr. Liquor

There's a great article in the current issue of City Weekly called Mr. Liquor. It's a well done profile on former DABC Chairman Kenneth Wynn, that gives a "behind the scenes" look into the the highs and lows of the last 30 years in the creation of Utah's crazy liquor laws and the people who oversee them.

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.

Jenlain Bière De Mars

If your not familiar with Saison or Farmhouse Ales, this is a good time of year to get acquainted with them. Saisons are traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Jenlain's Beire De Mars is the only one I could find in the area. Saisons were close to becoming an endangered style, but over recent years there's been a massive revival; especially in North America.

Poured a hazy golden color body with a nice resilient white head. The nose was soft with flowery hops, sweet malts and yeast. The taste started like the aroma with a creamy balance of gentle flowery hop character against a sweet but light malt background. The end is a little earthy with a dry hop (Hallertau) snap. The bitterness is rounded and not too harsh, but the malts do tend to hang around a little too long on the tongue. Nothing super complicated here, just a simple, down to earth Saisons. If not for the price, this would be a nice summer sipper. 5.40% abv. Available at The Bayou.

Bottle Conditioning at Squatters

Last Friday the crew at Squatters began bottle conditioning for the first time at the brew pub. This is a great thing for Squatters. It gives Jenny and the crew a little more independence from the Utah Brewers Co-op. Now they don't have to rely on UBC's bottling facility every time they want to produce high gravity and unusual styles for Utah's Beer lovers. Squatters first bottle conditioned beer is called Fifth Element. It's a wood barrel aged sour beer that should be available at Squatters in about a month. Congrats Guys!

Also, Jenny was the guest on last Sunday's The Sunday Session an online craft beer radio program on the Brewing Network. They discussed low gravity beers, strange Utah beer laws, ect... Thanks for representing, Jenny! Here's a link to the mp3. Cheers.

Uinta: No Longer Screwed

Beware! Starting today you'll need to keep an eye on your Uinta bottles. Our buddies at the wind powered brewery began the industry preferred switch to vacuum caps from twisties yesterday. What's the difference? Well, if you try to twist off a vacuum cap with your grubby little paws, all your going to do is turn your fleshy little mitts into hamburger. So your gunna need to keep an opener handy. Why? glad you asked... vacuum caps offer a better seal against oxygen which as we all know is bad for beer. So thank our happy beer friends at Uinta for caring so much about our beer enjoyment.

The Benefits of a H.S. Education

Ahh children... You raise them, nurture them, give them the benefit of your knowledge, (or lack there of) send them out into the world to find their way. When they do find their way back hopefully they will bring back knowledge, experience and good beer. Well, we raised our kid well. On a recent whirl-wind trip of Italy my freshly (high school) graduated daughter knew to forgo the Gondolier T-shirt and Colosseum paper weights, and bring back the ol' man Venetian suds.

Pedavena poured a clear yellow gold color with a firm two fingers of thick foam. The nose was light and grassy, with just a hint of sweet malts. Maybe some mild yeast undertones as well. The taste started with dry biscuit notes with a lite fruitiness. Sharp grassy hops dominate the rest of the way finishing slightly dry. 5.0% abv with high/moderate carbonation. It was OK... I've never had a stellar Italian beer so my expectations for Pedavena weren't too high. But the kid did alright. Ollie my cat seemed to like it, gave it two paws up! Wadaya want, he's a wine drinker...

Ava Lee Belgium Style Triple (review)

Last month I mentioned that Squatters had released a one-time-only Belgium style triple. This month I have to say "get out and try it before it goes." It really is quite tasty, and you'll be a sad, sad lil' beer geek if you never get to try it.

Poured a clear golden orange with a finger of white foam. The nose was yeasty and fruity with apple bready malts and hint of orange. The taste started with apple and mango. Next comes dry banana notes with some biscuit notes. The end was tart, spicy and dry. Carbonation was moderate. Nicely complex, not as sweet as I was expecting. It’s 9.0% abv is well hidden. Looks like Squatters has another winner.