New Beer Friday: Spring Weekend Edition

Spring will be sprung this weekend and with it comes brand new beers that are as fresh and innocent as two kittens having a snuggle fight on a pile of Pink Power Ranger posters. If you're looking for a little spring freshness in a glass, I invite you to check out these new local offerings.

Talisman Promontory Pale Ale - A nice Cascade hop driven pale ale. Pine and citrus work well with the subtle caramel malts. 5.5% ABV @ Talisman

Talisman The Dagda IPA - The nose has malt sweetness detected balanced by grapefruit and pine.
Nice malt and hop balance with flavors of rich earthiness coupled with malt and citrus flavors. Nice IPA 6.6% ABV @ Talisman

Talisman Iron Age Oatmeal Stout - Nose has coffee, roasted malts. Taste is coffee up front, some oats are present, a touch of chocolate. There's a slight sourness in the finish which is typical for the style. 5.6% ABV @ Talisman

Talisman Bel's Fury Red Ale - The nose is malty with some piney and herbal hops. The taste is mostly fruity malts with some herbal bitternss underneath. A little too sweet on this first batch could use more hops for balance. 6.2% ABV @ Talisman

Talisman The Kreation Krystalweizen Bready and toasty nose. The taste follows with bread and crackers. There is a bit of raw grain in back as well. Light and refreshing. 4.5% ABV @ Talisman

Talisman Uplifted Scottish Style Ale Toasted malt and caramel in the nose. The taste is mostly toast and roasted malt. Caramel sweetness could be more assertive. Drinks well for a session version of the style. 4.0% ABV @ Talisman

Proper Instigator Helles Bock - Sadly, I've not tried this yet. @ Proper Brewing

Bohemian Zito Rye Lager - Not had this one yet. 4.0% ABV @ Bohemian

Snake River Pakito Session IPA - Havnt had this one yet, it different than the regular Pako and it comes in at 4.9% ABV @Slackwater

RedRock Sunshine for Dark Times - Not sure what to classify this as. It's got dark malts with some cocoa notes. A bit of spicy Belgian yeast - wrapped up with subtle, tart pie cherries. It's damn tasty! Try this one asap and let me know what you think. 4.0% ABV @ RedRock

Wasatch Apple Gose - Not tried this one yet. Sounds interesting. If you have? please share. 4.0% ABV @ Wasatch, Squatters

Shades of Pale Nitro Oatmeal Stout - Not tried this one yet. 4.0% ABV @ Shades of Pale

Part 2 of Round One has ended - no real surprises in most of these match ups. I personally was a little sad to see some of  those great beers exit in the first round. Part 3 of Round One begins now. I've decided to start the Part 4 of Round One on Monday instead of Sunday, just because it's an odd day for people.

Here's your breakdown of the previous bouts. Any questions?

________________________________________________________________________

72.33%	Avenues Proper - Gose	149 (72.33%)
27.67%	Bonneville Amber	57 (27.67%)

_______________________________________________________________________

80.35%	2 Row Dangeraux	184 (80.35%)
19.65%	Moab Triple	45 (19.65%)

 ________________________________________________________________________

32.67%	Uinta Oaked Jacked Pumpkin	66 (32.67%)
67.33%	Squatters 529	136 (67.33%)

________________________________________________________________________

42.6%	Uinta Anniversay Barley Wine	95 (42.6%)
57.4%	Epic Elder Brett	128 (57.4%)

 ________________________________________________________________________

55.06%	Roosters Chocolate Stout	98 (55.06%)
44.94%	Vernal Porter	80 (44.94%)

________________________________________________________________________

25.45%	Bohemian Dortmunder	56 (25.45%)
74.55%	RedRock Drioma	164 (74.55%)

 ________________________________________________________________________

66.1%	Bonneville Irish Red	117 (66.1%)
33.9%	Shades of Pale Wheat	60 (33.9%)

________________________________________________________________________

64.65%	Avenues Proper - Proper Beer	128 (64.65%)
35.35%	Squatters Big Cottonwood Amber	70 (35.35%)

________________________________________________________________________

Cheers!

2016 St. Patrick's Day Stuff

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Some call it a "beer holiday" - others, "amateurs day" - I simply think of it as pleasant day spent with friends. Whatever your day has in store for you, I hope it involves at least one good beer - hopefully one that's not full of blue dye. Don't worry, if you have one - I won't go all "Beer Nazi" on your ass.

There will be a shload of things happening at damn near every watering hole you'll come across, so I'll leave you to your own conquests. But there are a couple of items of note happening that you should be aware of.

Ogden's Talisman Brewing Co. is supposed to open it's bottle shop today. I say "supposed to" because they are experiencing some ticky-tack bureaucratic B.S. from one inspector. If this paragon of virtue, sees fit, Talisman will be happy to sell you some of their brand new beer today. Please call the brewery before making the trip. I tried some of their beers last night, and the suds are quite good. I was most impressed with Promontory Pale Ale and the Dagda IPA. Look for The Kreation Krystalweizen, Bel's Fury Red Ale, Iron Age Oatmeal Stout and Uplifted Scottish Ale as well.

If you haven't had a chance to try Proper Brewing yet this would be the perfect time. The beer is flowing, the pub is open and the burgers kill.

Part 2 of Round One continues for another 24 hours (as of this writing) urge every beer drinker you know to support their favorite beers. Part 3 of Round One begins first thing Friday morning.

Slainte' and have a safe St. Patrick's Day!

Shades of Pale - Blackout Belgian Style Triple

This offering from Shades of Pale originally debuted under SOP's Beer X label last May. It proved to be so popular that it earned it's way out of the special/limited release packaging and has received it's own name.

Blackout Belgian Style Triple is one of SOP's biggest beers to date at coming in at 8.6% ABV - down a little from last years inaugural release which was 9.2%. It has a wonderfully peachy fruitiness with banana and clove backing it up. It will only be available at the SOP's bottleshop and comes in easy drinking 12oz. bottles. This beer will be available starting tomorrow (3/17/16).

Also at Shades of Pale tomorrow - A special Nitro Stout will be on tap for the first time and Chow Truck will be there serving tasty treats. Jake Skeen one man band music will also be playing.

Now on to the Utah Beer Challenge

Results are in for Part 1 of Round One. RedRock pulled-off two big wins with Elephino and Imperial Red being two of the most popular. In the battle of the rye beers, Moab's Hopped Rye came out on top, narrowly beating Desert Edge's Road Rage Rye. Shades of Pale's Triple - Squatters Fifth Element - Desert Edge's UPA and Black o' Lantern from Wasatch also prevailed and will move on to the next round. 

Speaking of the next round - Part 2 of Round One ballots are up right now and will be up until Friday morning. There are more tough choices to make, seeing many beloved beers going head to head early. 

Here's a breakdown of the voting.

Cheers! 

Total	Answer
61.24%	Bohemian Baverian Weiss	128 (61.24%)
38.76%	Bonneville Pale Ale	81 (38.76%)

(209 Total Votes)

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Total	Answer
37.39%	Uinta Labyrinth Black Ale	89 (37.39%)
62.61%	RedRock Imperial Red Ale	149 (62.61%)

(238 Total Votes)

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Total	Answer
41.58%	Hoppers - Pale Morning Ale	79 (41.58%)
58.42%	Shades of Pale - Triple	111 (58.42%)

(190 Total Votes)

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Total	Answer
21.19%	Uinta - Cockeyed Cooper	50 (21.19%)
78.81%	RedRock Elephino	186 (78.81%)

(236 Total Votes)

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Total	Answer
57.97%	Desert Edge - UPA	120 (57.97%)
42.03%	Wasatch - First One Down	87 (42.03%)

(207 Total Votes)

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Total	Answer
61.54%	Squatters Fifth Element	136 (61.54%)
38.46%	Wasatch Ghost Rider	85 (38.46%)

(221 Total Votes)

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Total	Answer
47.26%	Desert Edge - Road Rage Rye	95 (47.26%)
52.74%	Moab - Hopped Rye	106 (52.74%)

(201 Total Votes)

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Total	Answer
36.95%	Roosters - Polygamy Pale Ale	75 (36.95%)
63.05%	Wasatch - Black o' Lantern	128 (63.05%)

(203 Total Votes)

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Label found at Shipcomplient.com

Cutthroat+ with Juniper and Experimantal Hops

Uinta's line of enhanced Cutthroat Pale Ales will be adding a new member to it's family of beers soon. The newest version of Cutthroat+ will feature the additions of juniper berries and an undisclosed "experimental" hop. Hopefully they'll let us in on the name or number of the hops used at some point.

The beer will of course be at 4.0% ABV and available in 22oz. bottles. Look for them in most grocery and convenience stores. Of course, when they're ready to spawn - we'll let you know.

We are 24 hours into the 2016 Utah Beer Challenge and things seem to be going well. I've been monitoring the voting and there are some interesting things happening right out of the gate. Check back tomorrow for the results of Part 1 of Round One as well as the new ballots for Part 2.

Some of you have expressed your displeasure with some of the first round match ups. What can I say? It's the most fair way to approach the competition. Plus, if your truly committed to the entrants in the field - these choices should sting a little bit. Trust me, it's not going to get any easier as we progress. Feedback is always appreciated.

Cheers!

Image found at Shipcompient.com

The 2016 Utah Beer Challenge

Every couple of years I get this hair up my ass to try and bring Utah's beer makers and we, beer drinkers a little closer together. The Utah Beer Challenge is a friendly competition that pits the best of Utah's beers against one and other. Over the next four weeks we'll whittle down the top four beer from sixteen participating breweries.

Every year this gets tougher to put together. More breweries and brands keep popping up, making it difficult to keep the field fair, due to the limited number of spots available (64) and the current number of breweries in Utah (23). Tough decisions had to be made in regards to what breweries would be participating. To unify the field I'm using Ratebeer.com's database. Some breweries didn't make the cut due to limited data or they contract with other breweries to make their beer. Next time we do this everyone will be represented in one way or an other.   

So we have sixteen breweries going head to head. I have randomly generated the beers of the first round. There will be some tough decisions right off the bat, so prepare yourselves. Due to shenanigans in our inaugural challenge, I will reserve the right to alter votes that i have deemed illegitimate. That being said, I encourage everyone to share the Challenge in your social media accounts. I wanted to wait for Proper and Talisman breweries to acquire enough data on ratebeer to participate, but that would take too long. Next year, guys.

The first round begins today. I've broken it up into four parts - two days each - ending next Monday. As the rounds progress the duration will become shorter but still sticking with a two day voting schedule. You will not be able to see the results of the voting until the that particular round has ended. I'll remind you and you'll also have the full bracket to examine at the top of this web page. The ballots are in the column on the right side of the page. Please, I bet you - resist the urge to cheat. Any questions?

Cheers and have fun.

New Beer Friday 3/11/16

There's a huge entry in to our market this week - on top of a new brewery's debut. It a good New Beer Friday.

Park City Nitro Oatmeal Coffee Stout - Not tried this yet. Made with Park City Roasters Coffee. 4.0% ABV @ Park City Brewery

Mountain West 7 Mile Cider - Not tried this yet. Release date is tomorrow (Saturday March 26) Described as a lighter drinking cider. 5.0% ABV @ Mountain West Hard Cidery

Wasatch Snap Down -  Fruity and tropical with mostly mosaic hops. This IPL has a toastier base than the typical IPA. Very nice beer. 4.0% ABV @ The Beer Store. Wide release next month.

2 Row Random #4 Falconers Flight - Brian Coleman is killing it with his IPAs. This newest version of Random features Falconers Flight Hops. This is a proprietary hop blend of various NW hops. It's very fruity with great citrus bitterness. It will make you happy. 8.5% ABV @2 Row Brewing

Alpine Duet IPA - Well these sure came in under the radar. Alpine makes some of the most coveted IPAs on the west coast. If you've had them, you get 'em. Fruity honey and nectarine flavors abound with citrusy hop enveloping it all. It's pretty, whoa! 7.0% ABV @BeerHive

Alpine Hoppy Birthday - Made with six different hops - this session IPA boasts a ton of pine, citrus and peach. Mouth feel is light but not thin. Damn yummy. 5.2% ABV @ BeerHive

Proper Brewing - The official opening is tomorrow (Saturday). Look for many favorites that have been previously offered at Avenues Proper, plus a few new high ABV options , including:

Faultline Red IPA - Not tried yet. 6.0% ABV @ Proper Brewing

Recommend Rye - A saison with rye spiciness that compliments the esters the Belgian yeast creates. 5.6% ABV @ Proper Brewing

Brumblin' Brown - Not tried yet. 5.2% ABV @ Proper Brewing

Cheers!

Setbacks for Utah's Breweries?

It looks like the attempt to bring distilleries, wineries and breweries under one tasting rule has ended as we originally feared. HB228 was passed yesterday by the Senate and confirmed by the House that same evening. I believe all these rules apply to "high point" beer.

HB228 now allows for samples of liquor and wines. Good news for those manufactures. Now for the bad news.

Zion Curtains are now coming to wineries, distilleries, and breweries. Older tap rooms may be grandfathered in.

Limits per day. only one tasting per calendar day. I believe this applies to liquor and wine.

All manufactures will be required to charge for all tastings and at a rate equivalent to its portion of the bottle. So for reference $25 bottle with 25 tastes each taste must cost at least $1

The food requirements are now more strict than in previous language. There will likely be some type of food prep involved.

I haven't had a chance to comb the complete legislation, this is how I understand it. Anyone with a different understanding please share your thoughts. 

These laws will likely go into affect after May 2016.

Image courtesy: Pat Bagley

A Sour Power Weekend

If you wanna get your pucker on, this is looking to be the perfect week to punch-up those duck lips. We've got three tart and sour beers from three different breweries - all are quite different, so let's break out those antacids, smack our cheeks and get on with it.

First off - we have the return of Squatters' beloved Fifth Element Wild Saison. This is the sixth vintage of Utah's first wild sour. It's described as being a little more tart than previous vintages, while keeping it's saison like qualities. It will be available starting tomorrow morning (3/10/16) at Squatters Downtown - Utah Brewers Cooperative - Wasatch Sugar House and Wasatch Park City. Four bottle limit please. $14.99

Uinta Brewing is releasing their 23rd Birthday Suit (release no. 5) this Saturday (3/12/16) starting at 11am. This year's Birthday suit is a sour raspberry ale. Look for mostly tart beer with very little sweetness. There will also be a special birthday beer dinner that same evening starting at 6pm - designed around this new release among other beers in Uinta's Portfolio. Info for this event is here.

The final sour comes to us from the newly opened Proper Brewing Company in Salt Lake City. Billed as Utah's "first gose' Proper's Lake Effect (formerly Gose the Gozerian) is lemony and briny with a bit of coriander for spice. This is the first time this beer has been packaged and it will also be available beginning on Saturday 12th. You'll find this in 22oz. bottles. Note: Proper is in the midst of a private soft opening. Saturday is the official opening.

Cheers!

RedRock Spring Ale & A RoHa Update

Yea, more new beer coming your way from RedRock. The Spring Ale should be hitting Harmon's Grocery Stores in the coming weeks. This ale is basically a White IPA. The Cascade and Citra hops provide a nice citrus twang with a touch of spiciness from the Belgian yeast. 4.0% ABV

I also have an update on what you can expect this summer from the RoHa Brewing Project. Look for:

Pale Ale (4% ABV, served in cans and bottles)
American Ale (4% ABV, served in cans)·   
IPA (6.5% ABV, served in cans)
Double IPA (8%, served in bottles
Grand Saison (6%, served in bottles)
There will be seasonal offerings as well TBA.

Keep checking back for more updates on this and other new breweries coming to Utah.

Cheers!

RoHa Brewing Project

It's going to be a great week for Northern Utah's Beer lovers. Proper Brewing Company will be officially opening it's doors and taps this coming Saturday and now, I have the pleasure to announce that Salt Lake City is getting yet another brewery to add to it's ever growing beer family.

RoHa Brewing Project will be focused on creating amazing craft beer, and distributing it through local grocery and liquor stores. Headed-up by former Desert Edge brewmaster Chris Haas, an award winning leader in the Salt Lake City's brewing scene for 20 years. Partners Rob Phillips and Josh Stern will also add to RoHa's unique flare - rounding out the business's circle.

Most of RoHa's brewing equipment has already been procured. The brewhouse will also be accompanied by an onsite tasting room and beer store. The brewery is currently in the planning stages now and jumping through the many hoops necessary to open. Chris, Rob and Josh are looking at an open sometime this summer at 30 E. Kensington in Salt Lake City, Utah.

RoHa Brewing Project is rooted in passion for life, for people, and for enjoying great beer. "We are three partners who are excited to bring new crafted beer to our friends".

Prost!

New Beer Friday 3/4/16

This guy is making my brain hurt. Luckily New Beer Friday will numb us from the dumb.

Anchor - Saison Spring Ale: This beer is described as having lemongrass, lemon peel and ginger - whose synergy adds a tangy crispness and herbal spiciness to this sharply refreshing, uniquely California saison.

Ballast Point - The Commodore: This American Stout has a nose of coffee, roasted malt, chocolate, some caramel, and some bready malts. The taste has roasted malt, chocolate, some slight coffee, and a bit of vanilla. Finishes on the bitter side with hops and char. A nice stout. 6.5% ABV @ Bayou, Beer Bar, Beerhive

Boulder - Shake Chocolate Porter: The nose is is full-on milk chocolate not much else. The taste is slightly sweet chocolate syrup and roasted malts followed by coffee-like bitterness. Very creamy texture with a semi-sweet, piney bitter finish. 5.9% ABV @ Bayou, DABC

HUB - IPX El Dorado: This IPA is huge with floral and tangerine and tangerine both in the nose and in the taste. Malts are subtle and sweet with a moderate to strong bitter finish. Really nice an easy drinking beer. 6.0% ABV @BeerHive, BeerBar

Hive - Ghost town Dry Oaked Mead: described as having a bourbon nose with clover, sage and oak on the tongue. Sounds wonderful. No ABV listed @ Hive Winery

Cheers!

Snap Down IPL

Remember Snap Down Header from Wasatch? It was an Indian Pale Lager that hit our market in May of 2014. it was a nice herbal/spicy heavily hopped lager that was a nice draft option for quite some time.

Well, you can for get it. Everything about it is about to change - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

•Gone is the old soccer theme, it's been replaced with a dragon.
•Gone is the name, Snap Down Header, It's now simply Snap Down
•Gone is the spicy/herbal hopiness - replaced with the more approachable tropical Mosaic hops.

So it's basically a band new beer. I love Mosaic hops, they'll make a highly drinkable, uniquely citrus American take on the traditional lager. I haven't tried it yet but I believe it's already on draft at the Utah Brewers Cooperative - double check that with a phone call before heading over please.

Prost!

Label found at Shipcomplient.com

A New Look for Random and a SOB

Today we have a peak at the new label for 2 Row Brewing Company's Random IPA. The label shows off a more comical and playful direction design-wise and I believe the time I spent posing for the artist really paid off (I'm the one on the right).

As with the old labels always check the window in the lower right to see which Hop varietals your getting. After all, this IPA is Random.

In other news Epic Brewing's SOB - Son of a Baptist Imperial Coffee Stout is out in bottles finally and ready for purchase. One of the great things that Epic did with this beer is that they've chosen to use local coffee roasters from the different markets that Epic is in. As of right now there are eleven different versions of SOB floating around the U.S. So, If those unique Untappd or RateBeer check-ins are important to you, I'd get busy chasing them down. For we Utahans, Epic has chosen Caffe Ibis Kenyan Reflections Coffee for our home grown version. Available at Epic's Brewery, The Annex in Sugar House and soon to most specialty beer bars.

Cheers!

Label found at Shipcompient.com

4th West Fest

Let's face it, we live in a strange little geometric square of the United States. I know... I'm not blowing any minds with that statement, but the tapestry of odd choices that happen within our boarders can just smoke a fragile mind like mind. For instance - Holidays. If a holiday falls on a Sunday (less Christmas) it gets reallocated to a new day. The 3rd of July holds a particular special place in heart.

And then of course there's St. Patrick's Day - this holiday's parade gets reassigned to Saturday every year no matter what day it falls on. Now, I get it. I completely understand the reasoning - it's due to the fact that our fair city just doesn't have population or the enthusiasm that most lager cities do - plus 400 West, the designated street for the parade is right next to West High School.

By the way Cheers to Utah's Hibernian Society for keeping this tradition alive.

Alright, now that I've sorta explained why St. Patrick's will come to Utah six days early this year - we can now talk about a special party that will help continue the parade's festivities after it has ended.

4th West Fest is a collaboration between RedRock Brewing Company and Mountain West Hard Cider - both of which just happen to to have addresses on 400 West. After the St. Patrick's Parade join these two fine adult beverage makers for live music, entertainment, games, food, cider, beer, and fun for all ages. 

Hey, If you can't play on the actual holiday, this seems like the perfect post parade activity!

Swagger will be performing from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm!

The Cluck Truck, Urban Press Truck, Waffle Wagon, and Fiiz Drinks will be serving up grub and beverages. And of course, Mountain West Hard Cider and Red Rock Brewing will have that stuff you really want....

Admission is free to the general public, and don't worry, it's happening rain or shine!

I hope to see you there.

Slainte!

New Beer Friday 2/26/16

Sorry for this late and half-assed New Beer Friday. It's been a busy morning. Please enjoy!

Ballast Point Mango Even Keel - A Session IPA with an assertive mango flavor, but I wouldn't call it a fruit beer.  The hops still shine through the fruit flavors and the malty backbone is not overpowering. Not too bad for a fruity IPA.3.8% ABV @Grocery/Convenience Stores

Deschutes Abyss (Rye Whiskey Aged) - The nose has bourbon, roasted malt, bittersweet cocoa, molasses, with a hint of dark fruit and barrel. The taste starts with roasted malt and cocoa followed by bourbon and molasses. Also has barrel throughout and a lasting molasses and rye aftertaste. Dry and bitter. 13.2% ABV @Beerhive

Uinta 801 Coffee Pilsner - If your expecting a dark color from the coffee addition you can forget it. This beer has all that filtered out leaving a nice yellow straw color behind. The nose is cappuccino-esque with a taste that is similar and subdued. Surprising drinkable. 4.0% ABV @ Bayou, BeerHive and Beer Bar

Beer Bar and the Beerhive have teamed up on a special order from Prost Brewing out of Denver. Prost is mainly a lager house similar to our own Bohemian Brewery. Here's what's in.

Prost Pilsner
Prost Weissebier
Prost Dunkel
Prost Altbier
Prost Dopple Bock

Prost!

Utah Starbucks to Sell Beer & Wine

About a year and a half ago Starbucks announced that it was going to to start selling beer and wine at some of it's coffee shops around the U.S. Last Tuesday, one of our local Starbucks franchises was awarded a liquor license that allows them to do just that.

There are many Starbucks franchises in Utah, so this won't be a state wide thing. The franchisee that was awarded the license only has five locations - Farmington, Salt Lake, Holladay, Park City and Lehi. However since the owner of these coffee shops acquired a master license - if he chooses to expand he or she can add beer and wine to those new stores as well. Assuming they meet local codes.

Speaking of codes - These Starbuck will have to undergo some modifications before the beer and wine can flow. "Kitchens" or the states definition, will need to be installed to meet the state's food requirements. Other Requirements include - Only 30% of the sale can come from alcohol. This is doable because Starbucks will only be selling beer for a few hours in the evening. Customers will have to do that whole "intent to dine" bullshit. The beer and wine will have to be poured in the back or behind a Zion Curtain and No drive-through wine and beer!

Around the country most of the Starbucks that sell beer and wine, use locally made products in their shops. I hope these Utah stores follow suit.

I'll try it. Up here in "god's country" where I live, there aren't many beer options, so I'll check it out.
I'll keep an eye open for their first beer day.

Cheers!

the 2016 Tour de Brewtah

In 2010 a bunch of bicycle and beer enthusiasts got together to combine two great hobbies into one, all encompassing event that gave all the participants a greater appreciation of the outdoors, Salt Lake City's downtown all while fueling people with great local craft beers. I'm talking about the Tour de Brewtah. If you've participated, you know what I'm talking about. If not? listen-up - your going to want to hear this.

The "Tour" is basically a way to connect people with their bikes and the great craft beers of Utah. It's a ride designed to appeal to all levels of riders that can run from a few hours to most of the day.

This year there will be four routes for participants. All  Routes will begin and end at the Gallivan Center in SLC.

The first is the Free Spirit Route - it's the shortest and is great for those who want to take their time
and enjoy a fun cruise around the downtown area.
Registration: $45 per rider
Start Times: 12:00pm OR 1:00pm OR 2:00pm
Starting Location: Gallivan Center
Approximate Mileage: 4.5 miles
Stop 1: Squatters
Stop 2: Desert Edge
Stop 3: Poplar
Stop 4: Gallivan Center

Next is the Weekend Warrior - This fun loop route will take you down to South Salt Lake, then across the S Line to Sugar house, and then back downtown.

Registration: $45 per rider
Start Times: 11:30am OR 12:30pm
Starting Location: Gallivan Center
Approximate Mileage: 11 miles
Stop 1: Shades of Pale
Stop 2: Wasatch Brew Pub
Stop 3: Beer Hive
Stop 4: Gallivan Center

The Trail Blazer - This middle-of-the-road route will be a fun chance to explore a bunch of Salt Lake’s finest neighborhoods, while hitting up Avenues Proper’s new location!

Registration: $45 per rider
Start Times: 11:30am OR 12:30pm
Starting Location: Gallivan Center
Approximate Mileage: 9 miles
Stop 1: The Annex
Stop 2: Avenues Proper
Stop 3: Beer Bar
Stop 4: Gallivan Center

Finally for the hard-core bikers there's the Ex-Splorer  Route - this will be the longest yet! This is the route for those who enjoy working a bit for their refreshments.
Registration: $50 per rider
Start Time: 10:30am
Starting Location: Gallivan Center
Approximate Mileage: 36 miles
Stop 1: Bohemian
Stop 2: Uinta
Stop 3: The Garage on Beck
Stop 4: Red Rock
Stop 5: Gallivan Center

Registration opens March 1st and the actual Tour takes place on Saturday April 30, 2016
Registration includes:

• Tour de Brewtah Pint Glass
• Several pours of Utah’s finest craft beer or soda
• Post-ride party with music, vendors, and fun
• Riding through Salt Lake City on a beautiful day with tons of great people
• Support for Splore and its mission of providing outdoor adventures to people of all abilities 

For more info on the Tour de Brewtah, pop on over here. Costumes are encourages. There is a cap to the number of participants and it does fill up fast, so don't wait too long to register. Hope to see you out there

Cheers!

Photo Courtesy - Chase Carpenter Design

Uinta Coffee Pilsner

There's a very limited edition coffee pilsner on tap right now at the Bayou in Salt Lake City. The beer, made by Uinta Brewing - is an experiment using their 801 Pilsner and and an undisclosed blend of coffee from SLC's Publik Coffee Roasters. I haven't tried it yet, but I see it in my future this afternoon.

How limited is it? Well... one keg. If this seems like a beer that will be "right up your zip code" I suggest you make haste!

If you've tried it please share your thoughts.

Prost!

New Beer Friday 2/19/16

A big damn day for sour lovers. If you've never tried any of Cascade Brewing Company's sour ales, you day has finally come. If you've had them, you get it. They are for the most part simply sublime and not exactly easy to get. The Beer Bar managed to secure a special order and me thinks, things will never be the same. The following Cascade beers are only available at the Beer Bar and The Bayou. I'm not going to get into prices (I never do) but, they're not going to be cheap - that being said, they'll still disappear fast. Don't wait to long. 

Cascade Brewing Blueberry Ale - The nose has oak mixed with a tart blueberry and unripened cranberries The taste starts with a hit of blueberries, some lemon peel and vinegar. There are some raspberry notes creeping onto the sides of the tongue as well but it ends with blueberry. the finish is fairly dry and prickly. 7.3% ABV

Cascade Brewing Cranberry Ale - The nose has rich berries and is slightly yeasty. The taste follows with added oak present as well. The cranberry isn't necessarily strong in flavor but the layers of flavor consisting of tartness/sourness, oak, and some green apple was excellent. Complex and very drinkable. 8.0% ABV

Cascade Brewing Noyaux Ale - The nose is oaky with some raspberries and apricot. a slight nuttiness too. The taste starts with raspberry and mango. Apricot comes next with a good smack lactic sourness sourness to balance it out. Finishes with a bit of plum and drying oak. Very yummy! 8.5% ABV

Cascade Brewing Sang Noir - The nose is full of cherry and a hint of vanilla bourbon. The taste is similar to the nose starting off with a slight sourness and bourbon with more distinct sour cherry notes rounding out the end. The finish is long and drawn outwith mild acidity. Probably my favorite of the four. 9.5% ABV

If sours aren't your thing, 2 Row Brewing has something in the complete opposite direction in regards to the sours listed above.

2 Row Limited Release Beer #2 American Porter - The nose has rich roasted malt, coffee and light chocolate. The flavors are similar, but not quite as sweet as the nose. Dark roasted coffee, roasted and blackened malt, smoky notes and a touch of toffee. The body is medium/full and the carbonation is prickly. 7.0% ABV @ 2 Row, Beer Bar, BeerHive, Bayou

Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin - The nose has pineapple and tropical fruits. The flavor has pineapple, of course but not too sweet at all. The best part of this beer is that the IPA is still identifiable underneath. Just a delicious tropical hop West coast IPA with a subtle addition of pineapple. 7.0% ABV @ BeerHive & Slackwater

Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado - The nose is all watermelon with some unidentifiable hops lurking beneath.The taste is pleasant watermelon with heavy bittering hops backing it up. The hops don't seem to compliment the melon very well. Beware, this dials in at 10.0% ABV @ BeerHive & Slackwater

Cheers!

Important Brewery Legislation for Utahans

This is very important. If you have the slightest interest in craft beer you need to contact your representatives asap and tell them to vote against HB0228. This goes to a vote tomorrow, Friday 2/19/16. Read it and you'll understand. Don't delay. Spread the word tonight!

Dear Representative ____________,

As a constituent of yours, I am reaching out to you today to ask that you vote against HB0228. This bill is bad for Utah’s small breweries. The bill contains a number of problematic clauses most notably:

1.       Unrealistic proximity restrictions

2.       Overzealous food requirements that turn manufacturing breweries into restaurants

3.       The elimination of the Off-Premise Beer Retailer Local Authority that would hurt off-premise sales for small brewers

4.       A service rule that is unenforceable (one visit per person every 24-hours)

5.       The addition of a “Zion Curtain” or masking tasting from public view

Please vote against this bill when it comes up for a 3^rd Reading in the House. As a small business owner, we cannot support a bill that creates undue burdens on our operations, forces us to become restaurants and decreases our ability to sell beer to go. 

Thank you for taking the time to hear our perspective and we appreciate your support by voting against this bill.

Sincerely,

Epic/Ska Skeptic Collaboration Ale

Epic Brewing Co. and Ska Brewing out of Durango, CO have teamed up to produce a beer specifically made for Colorado's Collaboration Festival. This fest is all about teaming up breweries from around the world to see what different minds can produce.

The Epic/Ska beer will be an American IPA aged in Peach Street Distillers' Peach Brandy Barrels. This beer will be available in Colorado before it hits Utah, but rest assured - it will be coming to Utah in a limited release. I'll let you know when that day gets close.

Skål!

Label found at Shipcomplient.com

Talisman Brewing is Making Beer

Around here when a brewery adds yeast to wort for the first time, it's officially new brewery time. That's exactly what has happened up in Ogden this week at Talisman Brewing Company. The first beer currently churning away in the fermenters is Talisman's Uplifted Scotish Ale. It's Talisman's only 4% beer that will be offered.
This and other new beers will be flowing our way sometime in March along with beers brewed in SLC at Proper Brewing Co. going on sale in just over two weeks!

Congrats to Talisman Brewing, Utah's newest brewery!

Just in case you're keeping score - the last time two breweries opened up in Utah within weeks of each other was back in 2010 when Epic Brewing and Shades of  Pale Brewing both went online just three weeks apart.

Of course we'll let you know when the beers go on sale.

Cheers!

RedRock Summer Ale

As the warm weather slowly approaches the crew at RedRock Brewing Company will be offering up a new limited release that's designed specifically for the summer heat. RedRock's Summer Ale is special Pale ale that will be brewed with tangerine and grapefruit peel.

The citrus peel will enhance the hops used that already have a similar natural bitterness. No release date has been announced yet. This beer will come in at 4% ABV and be packaged in RedRock's 500ml. bottles.

Prost!

An Irreverant IPA from Roosters Brewing Company

It looks like Roosters Brewing Company is amping-up it's counterculture game with the forthcoming release of their new Irreverent IPA. The label features two images of the Mormon religion's Angel Moroni, heralding a large angelic hop cone.

Roosters is no stranger to local counter culture kitsch, It was the first brewery in the state to use the "polygamy" branding on a local beer - Roosters' Polygamy Pale Ale. This new Session IPA will likely be hitting stores and bars in the next couple of months.

Look for an IPA full of Mosaic, Chinook and Zeus hops that will impart notes of mango, lemon and pine.It will be packed in Roosters' 500ml. bottles.

Today is also President's Day in the U.S. Many of you may not know that Presedente Numero Uno, George Washington was a homebrewer (who wasn't back then) besides being a lover of the suds he was also a strong advocate for American made suds. In 1789, Washington presented his “buy American” policy, stating that he would only drink beer brewed in the US. It didn't hurt that the pipeline of British ales was all but plugged up due to the end of the Revolutionary war. A great policy, that holds true today.

Cheers!

Image Provided by Shipcomplient.com

RedRock Franconian Rauchbier

Fans of Smoked lagers rejoice! RedRock Brewing Company is looking to bring a little bit of Bamburg, Germany to your fridge and favorite watering hole.

The Franconian Rauchbier will be a classic take on the German style Rauchbiers (Smoke Beer). Rauchbiers are typically dark in color and are similar to Oktoberfestbiers in sweetness. This beer will be made with birch wood smoked malts, that will give the lager a toasted grain and bacon like aroma. Imagine a smokiness so robust, so assertive, that it takes on the caracter of barbecue.

The Franconian will come in at 5.7% ABV and will be packaged in RedRock's German inspired 500ml bottles. We'll spread the word as it's release date draws near.

Prost!

Label found at Shipcompient.com

Talisman Beer Preview

A happy Monday to you all! This morning I was able to obtain the some of the labels for the upcoming beers from Ogden's (soon to be online) Talisman Brewing Company. The labels hold true to the brewery's Celtic themes, with names and images that reflect the history of the Emerald Island as well as our own local roots.

These initial offerings will all be "high point" beers with varying ABVs

Iron Age Oatmeal Stout (pictured above) will be a stout full of rich cocoa flavor with the added  silkiness from oats.

 Bel's Fury is a Red Ale that will shine with sweet fruity malts and a to be determined hop bill.

 Promontory Pale Ale will be a tradition American Style pale ale full of caramel, pine and citrus

 The Kreation Krystalweizen will be a filtered Wheat ale full of banana and clove esters

The Dagda will be a standard America IPA

Slainte!

Images Provided by Shipcompient.com

New Beer Friday 2/5/16

There are so many tasty option out there today, you'll never have time to work them in. I'm sure some of you will try.

Payette Apres Extra Pale Ale - Not tried this yet. It's described as having an orange/amber color with flavors or caramel malts and heavy piney hops. This beer is brewed exclusively for Snowbasin Ski Resort. 4.0% ABV @ Snowbasin

Shades of Pale Publican Pale Ale - Not had a chance to try this big boy version of Shades of Pale's Publican. It's got an ABV of 6% and is only available at SOP's bottle shop.

Hopworks Urban Brewery Non Stop Hef Hop - Not really new, but this beer are now available at select grocery and convenience stores, so I thought it was worth a mention. This basically a White IPA. It has a dank piney/citrusy nose with a taste that follows. some doughy wheat is present beneath the hops. Light, hoppy and refreshing. 3.8% ABV @ Beer Bar - Grocery

Hopworks Urban Brewery Totally Radler - Looks like a witbier, smells like lemon rind and tastes lemony - but not too tart. If you're into radlers, you'll like this. The lemon isn't too crazy.  3.1% ABV @Grocery

Boulevard Tell-Tale Tart - Not tried this one yet. It's described as having subtle acidity with a soft, biscuity malt character, suggesting, rather than announcing its tartness. Beginning with a bracing sharpness at first sip, the ale mellows on the palate to a smooth and faintly lingering finish. 6.2% ABV @ DABC

Boulevard The Calling - This billed as Boulevard's most heavily hopped beer ever, bursting forth with unmistakable tropical fruit and pine hop aromas and flavor supported with a slightly sweet malt character, tapering to a crisp, dry finish. 8.5% ABV @ DABC

Sierra Nevada Tropical IPA - Clear golden color with a nice full head. The nose is full of citrus, mango and oranges with a toasty biscuit backbone. The taste is appropriatly bitter with a little bit of mango more orange and a little bit of lemon. This is damn delicious. 6.7% ABV @ Beer Bar

Laughing Dog 219 (two-one niner) Pilsner - Described as having a grainy aroma with some corn, color is light straw with brilliant clarity. Light malt notes are balanced with a very subtle Willamette hop presence. 4.8% ABV @ Slackwater

Laughing Dog The Dogfather - Described as being  one of the biggest brews Laughing Dog makes. Weighing in at a hefty 11% percent, the Dogfather has 7 malts and 4 different hops giving it a complex flavor profile of roasted malts, bourbon and dark fruits. @ Slackwater

Laughing Dog Alpha Dog - Described as true hop bomb brewed plenty of Columbus and Mt Hood hops for a piney hop character. Premium Pale, Honey and Munich malt make this beer a little less malty but packing plenty of hop punch. 8.5% ABV @ Slackwater

Be sure to join me today on the Freakshow with Mick and Allen on KBER 101 around 3:40pm as we dissect New Beer Friday's offerings further. 

Cheers!

New Vernal Releases Coming

Last week when we were discussing Vernal Brewing Company's new 50 Caliber IPA, we hinted that there would be more "high point" beers coming from the dinosaur country brewery. Today, we can confirm what those beers will be.

The first beer (pictured above) is She's a Peach - Peach Wheat Ale. I'd like to start off by saying, "nice use of the fruit in the silhouette"! . She's a Peach has been around as a 4% draft beer in the Vernal area since last summer. Now the peach ale is getting the full treatment - getting it's own packaging and wider distribution. She's a Peach has a huge peachy nose which continues throughout the taste. - there not much in the way of malt to it. If you like peach, you'll love this beer. The mouthfeel is quick and smooth.

The other beer is Not your Mama's Milk. We hinted that there might be an Imperial Stout looming. What I didn't know is that it would be an Imperial Milk Stout. So, what's the difference? Well - Milk stouts have enhanced sweetness and body, due the addition of  lactic (milk) sugars in the base beer. Lactic sugars are not fermentable, thus can add sweetness without adding to the alcohol content. Regular Imperial stouts have bolder char and roasted element and get their sweet flavors from the massive amounts of malt used.

This beer is expected to dial in at 8.5% ABV and will be packed in 12oz. cans. No word yet on an exact release date - I imagine you'll see one or both hitting shelve sometime in the next couple of month.

In other news, Barley's Angels, Shades of Pale and Millcreek Cacao Roasters are hosting a Mardi Gras - Fat Tuesday celebration Fat Tuesday is on February 9th. $20/person, which includes a Cajun Style dinner Gumbo, red beans and rice, and hush puppies. Beer and chocolate pairing and 1 glass of draft beer. There will be an open bar as well, so you may purchase additional beer and chocolate.

You need to purchase a ticket for entry and THEY ARE SELLING OUT. The Event will be held at the Shades of Pale brewery has a capacity of 50 which means this cannot be a "come-one, come-all" event. Don't miss your chance. The party goes from 7pm-10pm. Ticket info is here.

Cheers!

Labels found at Shipcompliant.com

Uinta 23rd Anniversary Birthday Suit

As the month of March approaches, Utah's beer drinkers begin to look forward to what has become a new tradition in the Uinta brewhouse. The annual Birthday Suit sour beers were Uinta's first foray into the world of sour ales. They've proven to be a good seller as Uinta has expanded their line to include more and more puckery beers.

This latest incarnation of Birthday Suit will be a 6.5% Raspberry Ale. It will come in Uinta's corked and caged 750ml bottles and should be available some time next month.

Local artist, Travis Bone who has designed all of the Birthday Suit labels (and many others) continues to provide the Birthday Suit's artwork.

Cheers!

Label provided by shipcomplient.com

Epic - Son of a Baptist (SOB)

Many of you have already tried some of Epic's Son of a Baptist (SOB) Coffee Stout via Epic's Thursday Growler program. Now the new stout has an official label and it will be packaging soon for your enjoyment.

Like Big Bad Baptist, Epic has contracted with various coffee roasters in the different markets that the beers are sold. There could be as many as five different versions of SOB floating around that reflect the local flavor of the cities they're sold in.

If you're a hard core beer geek and really need those unique beer check-ins, you'd better start making contact with your fellow geeks in Texas, California, Colorado, Washington and Utah to keep you whole. Stay close for the release date.

Cheers!

Image provided by Shimpcompliant.com

Fireman's Brew Coming to Utah

Fireman’s Brew, a Los Angeles-based craft beer company founded by two California firefighters, today announced a partnership with General Distributing, to distribute its award-winning beers throughout Utah. Fireman’s Brew handcrafted beers will be available at the Beehive State beer lovers’ favorite on-premise and limited off-premise locations.

“Our goal has always been to establish Fireman’s Brew as a national, household brand and we’ve been rapidly growing and expanding from coast-to-coast over the last few years,” explained Rob Nowaczyk, founder of Fireman’s Brew. “With the addition of Utah, we’re just one step closer to achieving our goal.”

General Distributing, the exclusive distributor of Anheuser-Busch (AB) products in Salt Lake County and parts of Davis County, will coordinate state-wide distribution for Fireman’s Brew with the help of the other AB distributors in the state.

“Fireman’s Brew is a compelling and authentic brand with their firefighter roots. They also offer phenomenal, award-winning craft beers,” said Andy Zweber, President General Distributing. “We’re thrilled to introduce Fireman’s Brew to Utah and look forward to helping them establish their popularity in this market.”

“General Distributing has a solid understanding of the craft beer marketplace in Utah and we’re confident that they will help Fireman’s Brew grow a loyal fan base in the state,” stated Roger Baer, Chief Executive Officer of Fireman’s Brew. “Utahn’s are going to love our collection of micro-brewed blonde, brunette and redhead beers created using only the finest all-natural ingredients.”
In Utah, Fireman’s Brew signature beers will be distributed in 12-ounce bottle six-packs:

• Fireman’s Brew: Blonde (Pilsner-style Lager; 5 percent ABV)
• Fireman’s Brew: Brunette (German-style Doublebock; 8 percent ABV)
• Fireman’s Brew: Redhead (Amber Ale; 5.5 percent ABV)

I don't think I've tried any of these beers. If you have? Share your thoughts please.

Cheers!