Budweiser: American Ale

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

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

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

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

Beer on a Plane

If you like beer and live in Utah, you've probably become pretty accomplished at the art of smuggling beer into the state. Whether it's by car, parcel or air. Remember the days of bringing a bottle or two of some of your favorite travel finds back with you in your carry-on? Well those days may be making a return in the fall of '09. Expect the TSA to lift the 3-ounce liquid restrictions and bring back the good 'ol days. Passengers will still have to remove liquids from carry-on bags at airport checkpoints and put them through X-ray machines; but who the hell cares. As long as I can get that Jeroboam of Stone Vertical Epic in the overhead bin, it's all good! Cheers.

Here's a link to the story in USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-10-27-tsa-liquids_N.htm

New from Wasatch: White Label

Wasatch Brewing is debuting a new label just in time for the holidays. Wasatch White Ale is a Belgian Style Wtibier made in the tradition of such favorites as Hoegaarden and Blue Moon.

Pours a white, cloudy corn color with a thin frothy cap. The nose is of sulphur, wheat, banana and a little coriander. The taste is very similar to the nose with that odd sulfur essence leading off. Next comes bready wheat, then a dry banana. The finish has a minor "zesty" orange peel twang.

The sulfur notes are huge and put me off a bit. So I grabbed a Hoegaarden to make a comparison to see if my palate was off. As it turns out the Hoegaarden was spot on. Wheaty, spicy, hints of orange, mellow citrus, good carbonation & balanced after taste. Everything I was hoping the Wasatch's Wit to be. Now, White Label isn't bad a bad wit even though it is on the stronger side of the style at 6.0% ABV. White Labels isn't due on DABC shelves for a few days. Still, I hope that they are able to correct the sulfur problem in future batches because it is a little offsetting. If your looking for other great local takes on this style try RedRock's Wit, Squatters' Witbier and Rype from Four+. Cheers!

Oh for Shame, Jasoh!

Apparently our interpretation of a Brewpub and Jasoh's Fine Dining is very different. Where as we consider a brewpub to be a place where beer is brewed, fermented and served on premises; Josoh apparently thinks all it has to do is, have a bar and sell other craft beer brands there. I'm sure it's a fine place to eat, but it doesn't qualify to be talked about here. So, in the immortal words of Steve Martin I say, "I break with thee, I break with thee, I break with thee. And then I throw dog poop on your shoes".

Note: I should point out that they have already removed any inference to having a brewpub on their website before this post was made. Cheers!

RedRock in Oktober

In celebration of the waning days of Oktoberfest Redrock Brewing Co is offering up some of their great, award winning German style lagers on tap. Besides the regular line up, look for their Munich Dunkle, Organic Zwickle, German Pils and Black Bier. These will only be available until the end of this week(oct 26) or until there gone. Also on tap is assistant brewer Matt Davis' recent GABF Silver Medal Winning Belgium style Wit Ale. This is probably the best witbier in the area and trust me you'll be sad if you don't get your hands on one before it's gone... And, RedRocks harvest Ale is in the tank and should be out in the coming weeks. Now, if that's not enough to spin you into a fall beer frenzy they are also offering up for purchase their signature 32 oz. steins for 10 bucks. Fill them som'bitches up, yo! With the Holidays fast approaching your gunna need 'em. Cheers!

Utah's 2008 GABF Medalists

Well we made it. After three sessions and hundreds of ounces of beer, our yearly pilgrimage to Beer Mecca has concluded. What did we learn?... Well, no matter how beered-out you may think you are; pouring another fine American craft beer down the ol' pipes brings you right back to square-one. Also, Utah's brewers still know how to represent. Below are this years winners at GABF. All should be available for purchase right now. I recommend getting out sampling these fine brews and congratulate our local brewers for the fine jobs they do. More to come....

2008 GABF

American-Style or Belgian-Style Ale

Bronze-Fifth Element-Squatters Brewing

Category 35: German-Style Schwarzbier

Silver-Cherny Bock-Bohemian Brewing

Category 56: German-Style Altbier

Bronze-All The Way Alt-Desert Edge Brewing

Category 58: German-Style Wheat Ale

Bronze-Wasatch Hefeweizen-Wasatch Brewing

Category 59: Belgian-Style Wit

Silver-Belgian Wit-Red Rock Brewing

Bronze-Squatters Wit-Utah Brewers Coop

How Swede it is!

If you follow the dribble I spew, even somewhat infrequently you know I'm a big fan a Four+'s Wildfire Pale Ale. It's really is a great session beer and if your not drinking it, your bad!... Bad beer geeks!

Uinta/Four+ has as of late been expanding in to and experimenting in markets Utah's brewers have rarely tapped. Over the last couple of months I've been getting alot of feedback from people all over North America that say it's a nice surprise to find quaffable beers coming from all places Utah. Though it's no surprise to us, good beer is good beer no matter where it hails from. It's good to hear that our local brews do well in national competitions. The craft beer market in the U.S. is thick with fantastic beers of all styles and with so much great stuff out there, it's quite a complement to get high praise from your peers.

Overseas it can be a different story. While some enjoy the cutting-edge styles emerging from the U.S. others don't. One of the big criticisms about many "American" craft beers is that they're too "leafy", massively over-hopped, alcohol monsters. That's a fair critique, not entirely accurate but fair. So it's nice when the Utah stuff gets a nod.
This latest nod comes from one of the most unlikely places, Sweden. Where in an unusual move Uinta/Four+ entered four of it's labels in The Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival . Anglers Pale Ale, Anniversary Barley Wine, Wildfire Extra Pale Ale and the never before released Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine, 11.1%.

Of the four, one beer managed to get a nod from the judges. Wildfire. I think the boys and girls have really found a good balance of hop essence and astringents with this one, and it looks like it's starting to find international appeal. This was one of Wildfire's first times in competition it's next big challenge comes this week and The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Co. Where a large informal Utah delegation will be cheering it and every other Utah entry on.

Two other quick notes on Uinta/Four+. Wildfire Pale Ale will be undergoing a name change soon. So, in the coming months start looking for "Wyld" Organic Pale Ale. New name, same beer. Also, when I was listing Uinta's entries above you may have noticed I mentioned "Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine". Yep that's right They took their award winning barley wine and aged it two years in Bourbon and Sherry barrels. If your wondering how it turned out your going to have to stay tuned. This 11.3% monster will never be released for purchase and will never again be entered into competition. Why? I'm not sure. It may just be an experimental brew. All I know is that if your lucky enough to get your grubby lil' paws on a bottle. You've scored big. Cheers!

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.

Dirty Little Secrets

Everyone has those dirty little secrets about themselves that they like to keep hidden. You know, parts of your personality; that if were to get out would destroy or taint what little credibility you have with your friends and family. You know like... like... liking ABBA. Okay I said!!!

I-like-ABBA, so fuck you!... Now before you start tuning-out let me get on with my point. In the world of the beer-snob there are all kinds people with little dark secrets. You know, that guy who only drinks true Belgium beers, but keeps a "Natty-Light" hidden in the back of the fridge "just in case" someone comes by. My dark beer secrets are PBR and Blue Moon. Again, fuck you!

I can't help you with the PBR. There are thousands of alternatives to hide your proclivity for cheap beers, but if your embarrassed to show up with the Blue Moon or simply want an alternative to it, I have a great and somewhat better alternative in Hoegaarden. Some would say this is the Witbier that all others are judged. I'm not sure about that but it is quite good and widely available around the Wasatch Front.

Poured into a branded Hoegaarden glass a dull, cloudy yellow color with a frothy two fingers of head. The nose is sweet and fruity with banana, pear and sweet melon. Taste starts with sweet spices, banana, melon and some coriander. Next comes notes of bready wheat, but the fruit flavors dominate. The finish was very mild with light, floral hops. The mouthfeel is light with moderate carbonation. 4.9% abv. This is a great summer session beer. Very drinkable because of it's light body, well-balanced; smooth and creamy flavor. Mama-Mia!

Summer Lightning

Well it looks like summer has finally found us. If your looking to get out of your summer-beer- rut, I'll do my best to profile some great alternatives that you may not know are out there. First off is offering from the U.K. Hop Back's Summer Lightning is a nice English bitter that pours a light golden straw color with a slightly off-white foamy head that faded to a thin cap The nose was biscuity with hints of vanilla, grassy and lemony notes. The taste started with peppery/ grassy hops and light toasted malts. more spicy/honey notes come next with a light grapefruit 'smack' rounding out the end. This is smooth and light bodied. Very drinkable and quite refreshing - a nice summer quencher. 5.0% abv. Overall, a decent beer... nothing too exciting but very drinkable. Defiantly worth trying. Cheers!

Brew-tah

19 Medals! That's what Utah's suds-meisters managed to compile at this years Mountain Brewers Festival in Idaho Falls, Idaho. From Smoke to Root Beer, our brewers dun-did-us-prowd! Here's a list of the local winners and a link to all medalist. Congrats to all!

Bronze: Bohemian Brewery - Czech Helles.

Gold: Desert Edge Brewery - Anniversary Amber.

Gold: Hoppers Grill & Brewing Company - This is the Pilsner.

Silver: Moab Brewery - Scopian Pale Ale.

Bronze: Moab Brewery - Merrimack.

Gold: RedRock Brewing Co. - Bamberg Rauch Bier.

Silver: Red Rock Brewing Co. - German Pilsner.

Bronze: Red Rock Brewing Co. - Bohemian Pilsner.

Bronze: Ruby River Steakhouse and Brewery - Ruby's Root Beer.

Bronze: Four Plus Brewing Co - Monkshine.

Gold: Uinta Brewing Company- Kings Peak.

Gold: Uinta Brewing Company- Blue Sky Pilsener.

Bronze: Uinta Brewing Company - Solstice Kolsch.

Bronze: Uinta Brewing Company - Bristlecone Brown Ale.

Gold: Wasatch (Utah Brewers Cooperative) - Squatter's Hefeweizen.

Silver: Wasatch (Utah Brewers Cooperative) - Wasatch Evolution Amber Ale (Irish Red).

Silver: Wasatch (Utah Brewers Cooperative) - Wasatch Polygamy Porter.

Bronze: Wasatch (Utah Brewers Cooperative) - Squatter's Organic Amber Ale.

Bronze: Wasatch Brew Pub - Polygamy Porter.

Rodney Scores a bottle of Grand Tetons' Double Wheat Utahns represented a good portion of the crowd

Did You Know???

In my neck of the woods, the beer selection at my (not very) local liquor store is pitiful at best. When I want a special "heavy" beer I often have to call around to every outlet within fifty miles just to see if they have what I'm looking for. Nine times out of ten I end up at the state's best beer outlet; downtown SLC's wine store. Even then there's no guarantee that I'm gunna find my special brew.

But did you know-there is a little known way to increase the odds that you'll find what your looking for. And that it's been available to you for many, many, many years. The best kept secret retail outlet is the DABC's warehouse.

Located at 1700 south and 900 west, all alcoholic bevs over 4.0% begin their statewide journeys at the already overcrowded booze hub. It's not a perfect place to do your shopping but it does give an alternative option for the person who needs that special brew yesterday.

Some of the cons: Only open from 8-5 mon-fri. And there's no browsing. You need to know what want and they'll grab it for you. To help you with your shopping, the state's website provides a list of all bevs that the state carries. And the warehouse people swear that it's updated daily. Here a link to the states beer selection. Use it wisely. Use it for good. Cheers!

SLUG Beer

Writing a beer blog is a lonely pastime. My days mostly consist of sitting in my refrigerator box beneath the Fourth south overpass. Scratching notes onto a used bar nap with my fist full of yellow crayons(regular, not Perma); Doing all I can to spew-forth all that is good for the inter mountain beer faithful. Thankfully this month I'm not alone. Angela Brown editor extraordinaire at SLUG(Salt Lake Underground) Magazine decided to pull her box up next to mine a publish Slug's first ever beer only issue. "The Beer Issue" consists of everything a beer lover could want to navigate they're way through "green jello'd" hued landscape that is Utah.

From reviews to brewers insights to rants from yours truly, It's a must read. Available throughout the month of June in the along the Wasatch Front as well at Slugmag.com

Coming & Going

For most of my adult drinking life Uinta Brewing's beers have been a staple in my fridge. I'm quite fond of most of their beers and I'm quick to pimp them to whom ever will listen. Well stand by for some pimpin' especially if you live in Georgia or Colorado. Uinta has had a great year so far, expanding into the east coast and most recently into one of the more competitive craft brew markets in the country. Brewing is big business in Colorado, it's currently home to 24 breweries(including Coors) and 72 brew pubs! Colorado is serious about their beer. The state ranks number one in terms of gross beer production, producing over 23,370,848 barrels in 2006. That being said, it's no easy thing to break into a market with such stiff local competition. Add in the fact that a good majority of Uinta's line will be at 4.0% abv, you've got yourself a tough task. It's tough enough around here for people to get past the Utah beer stigma, hopefully Colorado beer lovers will be more open-minded.

And as we give we also get to take. In this case a long time bootlegging favorite of many Utah craft brew lovers finally comes to our stores legally. Big Sky Brewing out of Missoula has started shipping Moose Drool Brown Ale, Scape Goat Pale Ale and it's Big Sky IPA. I spoke with the brewery this morning. They said they shipped out an order last week, so we should see bottles in our liquor stores with in the week. Hopefully! Things aren't exactly swift over there at the DABC. If you see them let us know where. Cheers!

Trust, Yet Verify

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Right? I mean at least that's what most of us have been taught. Trust yet verify. That's my position on the current possibility of abolishing the state of Utah's private club system. Even though the plan has the full support of Utah's LDS Governor and the states liquor-control commissioners agreed (by a 3-1 vote) to gather information on the proposed club elimination I still have a bad feeling the rug will be pulled from under us.

The Utah Hospitality Association would like to see the state's 77 taverns - which can only serve beer up to 4.0% - to be allowed to stock heavier beers(above 4.0%), wines and distilled spirits, moving bars into the "private club" category. Thus abolishing membership fees. Under this proposal, everything would operate in a similar fashion to Utah's airport lounges, where alcoholic beverages are sold with or without food, at a bar or table.

It all sounds fine and dandy, 'till you find out that LDS Church has made no comment as of yet on the possible abolishment of private clubs. In reality no such proposal can proceed with out their backing and it would be political suicide to advance without they're input. "The church is reserving comment until it sees a final draft of the law." said LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter Wednesday in the Salt Lake Tribune.

And what about Utah's Tea totaling Legislature. These people don't make major changes in Utah's liquor laws without demanding a large piece of flesh in return. If the proposed club elimination ever sees the governors desk I guaran-fuck'n-tee-you we will loose a drinking liberty that we now enjoy. Remember we only got .5 oz more booze per shot because it was traded away for the "alco-pop" ban. Don't get me wrong, no one would be happier than yours-truly to see this arcane system of the sixties die. But it sounds too good to be true.

The Breakfast Club

You know your a real beer geek when you come across a rare beer-find and start screaming like a school girl at a Zac Efron sighting. Even more so, when said beer is discovered at your local watering hole... Further still, even more giddiness ensues when it's the last two left in the state. Well kiss my b'dizzle ya'll, cause we done up-an'-swilled those bitches!

What 'bitches' am I referring to? only one of the best named, most robust beers on the planet. Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast. Fellow beer gnerd Douglass Byrd and myself were on a sampling tour of some of Utah's finest new seasonals last Friday evening, when we finally came to rest at the Bayou. There tucked away on the "Off the Menu" menu was this stout that we had often talked about but never had a chance to try. I'm glad I got the chance to try Beer Geek Breakfast it really is that good. And If you love coffee or coffee stouts it's a dream.

Poured a surprisingly thick opaque black with a sturdy dark brown cap of foam. It reminds me of my grandmas ebony lacquered piano. The nose was a barista's dream. Strong roasted coffee with dark chocolate, raspberry and fig. The taste starts rich with bitter espresso and dark bakers chocolate. Next comes a smokiness with a touch of nutty-vanilla bean. Hops are bearly noticeable in the end. The finish is Silky and smooth and it's richness lingers on the tongue for quite a while. Very little of the 7.5% alcohol is noticeable. Full bodied with moderate to light carbonation. Nicely over-balanced with great drink ability. I haven't been overly impressed with Danish beers. Mikkeller is quickly changing my attitudes. Sorry to rub it in. They might be a little pricey. If you come across any, snag 'em they'll be worth it.

Ava Lee Belgium Style Triple

Jon Lee one of the brewers at the Utah Brewer's Coop, has brewed a special, one-time beer in celebration of his first child. The Ava Lee Triple dials in at 9% ABV, but will only be available in bottles at Squatters' three locations. This is a one time batch and will never be brewed again. Ava Lee Triple is available today. Friday May 23rd. and will probably go fast. I hear very good things about this one. Thanks to Andy, for helping to get the word out!

It's a Hefe Fest!

If it seem like I give Squatters a lot of 'pub' It's because they actually talk to me! Go figure. So if you want the the Utah Beer bump. Hint, hint. Fire-off some electronic beer love to alegeek@gmail.com and I'll pimp the shit out of you(as long as your beer doesn't suck). Anyway, It looks like Jenny Talley got a 'shload' of wheat malt cause it's going to be a hef-fest at Squatters for the next month or so. First off is Mein Weisse a German-style Weisse beer. Jenny describes it as "Great clove-like phenolic notes mingle with hints of banana. Low hopping keeps this unfiltered wheat beer super refreshing so you can drink it all day long on the patio". The second is available at the end of May. Kindig Weisse (filtered wheat beer, named after her beer brewing grammy). Jenny said, "I used the same yeast strain (wyeast 3068) for both weisse brews. Kindig Weisse is my interpretation of a Krystal Weisse, filtered, straw colored, low hops and plenty of clove and banana to go around.

The Time is Rype for Four+ Brewing

Four+ Brewing C0. has just released a brand new summer seasonal. Rype is described as a Belgian style wheat beer brewed with orange peel and spices. Just in time! I'm already in summer beer mode.

Poured from a bottle(bought at the brewery) a very clear amber-tinted golden color with a thick, frothy two fingers of head. The nose was of orange zest, yeasty breads and coriander. The taste started with orangey twang that transitions to a malty wheat backbone. Yeasty notes come next with a finish that was spicy and lemony. The mouthfeel is nice and creamy. Nicely balanced. Reminds me of a wit, but looks nothing like one. It's 4.0% abv makes it great summer-time, session beer just in time for the warm weather. It's available in stores now and should be on taps soon(if not already). Cheers!

Beer TV is a Go!

Last December we told you that Squatters brewmaster Jennifer Talley was recruited to be the host for a new television program devoted to all things beer. Apparently the beer gods have smiled upon her an deemed it good, because the green light has been given and On Tap is a go!

Jenny says; On Tap is expected to begin airing in the first quarter of 2009 on PBS, with filming to begin within the next few months. On Tap will present an inside look at how artisan microbrewers and their beers are taking the world by storm. Jenny, armed with 16 years of brewing experience from our very own Squatters brew pub will scour the country talking to brewers, chefs, and every day schmucks like us, for an inside glimpse on how beer is claiming it’s place at tables around the world.

Here's a glimpse at the trailer. Cheers!

Mountain Brewers' Beer Fest!

The Mountain Brewers Festival is a mear month away. If you love beer, and have never been your really missing out. Located under the Big Top at Sandy Downs in Idaho Fall, Idaho this annual event gives attendees the opportunity to sample hundreds of different beers from over eighty breweries!

Tickets in the Salt Lake area can be found at most local breweries and brew pubs.
The ticket price - $20 in advance, $25 at the door - includes admission, unlimited three ounce samples and live music.

There's also a food court featuring a variety of treats to gnosh upon.

This is a damn fine event. It's proximity to northern Utah and it's affordability make this an awesome weekend get away. Check out the link for lodging info or call the Beer Fest Hotline: 208-528-MBBF. Send a reply and let us know if your attending. It would be great to put faces to the posts. Cheers!

Unibroue Édition 2005 still alive & well in SLC

Generally; when a fine, limited edition beer comes along they tend to disappear before you ever knew they were around. This is not the case with Unibroue's Édition 2005. I don't know how or why, but for some reason there are still quite a few of bottles of this remarkable ale floating around the "SLC". If you find yourself downtown near the the Wine Store, grab a few if you can.

The 2005 comes in a handsome 750 ml. bomber with a wire cage and a cork. Pours a cloudy reddish brown with three fingers of foam. The nose is spicy, with flowers, yeast, fig and sweet malts. The taste started simple with sweet red apple and spicy doughy cinnamon. Dark Rum and raisin come next with herbal hops rounding out the finish. Everything balanced out nicely. The alcohol is well hidden, which improves it's drinkability nicely.

Viva La Raza!

Cinco De Mayo is just days away. And to mark the occasion RedRock Brewing is debuting a limited edition Mexican Style Lager. "Malt Master" Andy Shaw graciously donated the grain from his huge Malting facility in Idaho Falls. The lager(Viva La Raza) is made with the same malt that Corona and Modelo use in their beers. Viva La Raza gets it's unique light flavor from 6 row barley and flaked corn. I haven't had a Mexican Lager in quite some time, sounds like the right occasion.Also, while there grab a pint or eight of their Silver Medal winning Nut Brown Ale from the World Beer Cup last month. Cheers!

Wildfire Organic Pale Ale

I've been drinking Wildfire Organic Pale Ale for about a year now, and I can't believe it's taken me so long to say this but 'this is the best goddamn beer to come out of Utah in a while'. Forgive me if start to gush over it like a school girl with a crush but it is that yummy.

Poured on tap a clear golden/amber color with two fingers of white foam that thins to a small cap. The nose is burst of crisp citrus and fresh floral hops with just a hint of malt. The taste takes over from where the aroma leaves off with subtle malts then a big citrus punch. Aggressive floral and pine bitters hit midway and carry through the end. The finish is nice and dry with lingering bread and hop flavors.

Even though the hops are fairly pronounced Wildfire manages to maintain a good balance. Although this is a 'hoppy' beer there is no astringent bite. The body is medium-light with a nice creamy texture and a proper amount of carbonated. This is an impressive brew, especially for an organic. Your going to have to keep your eyes open to find this one. It's not as widely available as I'd like. I've seen it at Albertson's, Smith's and even Wild Oats. And on tap at Port o' Call and the Bayou. Cheers!

Utah's World Beer Cup Winners

644 breweries from 58 countries, entered a vast array of beers spanning 91 categories last week at The World Beer Cup in San Diego. Friday night the winners were announced, and once again Utah's brewers had another great showing. Local brewers entered 56 beers and came back with 6 medals. Two gold, three silver and a bronze. That may not sound like a lot, but it gave Utah's beers the fourth highest winning percentage by states entered. Here's a breakdown of the top U.S. medal winners by percentage and those great 2008 award winning Utah beers.

Leading Medal-Winning US States – 2008 World Beer Cup

State- # of Entries, # of Medals Won, % of entries winning medals.

Alaska- 42-6-14%

Colorado- 173-22-13%

Oregon- 123-16-13%

Utah- 56-6-11%

Illinois- 86-9-10%

Washington- 80-8-10%

California- 374-35-9%

New York- 89-8-9%

Here's a link for the complete winners list

Gold: Cutthroat - Uinta Brewing Co. Salt Lake City, Utah
Gold: Alt and in the Way - Squatters Pub Brewery. Salt Lake City, Utah

Silver: Polygamy Porter - Utah Brewers Cooperative. Salt Lake City, Utah

Silver: Bobsled Brown - Utah Brewers Cooperative. Salt Lake City, Utah
Silver: Redrock Nut Brown Ale - Redrock Brewing Co. Salt Lake City, Utah

Bronze: Provo Girl Pilsner - Utah Brewers Cooperative. Salt Lake City, Utah

Note: Four of those six beers are bottled. There's no reason why they shouldn't be taking up space in your fridge. Use the crisper if you have to.