Alaskan Brewing: Bound for Utah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/2/19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

Strap Tank's Lehi Brewery Opens Soon

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/26/19

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

Pie and Beer Day 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SQUATTERS PUB & SQUATTERS BREWERY
Berry Cobbler W/ JUICY IPA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Beer Friday 7/19/19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/12/19

The heat is on, and the beers this week reflect it. I'm not saying these are all quenchers; I will say that if you need an attitude adjustment there plenty here to get the job done. Happy New Beer Friday!

Uinta - Tu Meka Tart: This has an herbaceous/fruited yogurt aroma with a lemony tart base. The New Zealand hop blend adds some perceived fruitiness and bitterness adding to the lactic twang. It finishes slightly puckering. Nice beer.  6.7% - Available at Uinta. DABC next week.

2 Row - Seeing Stars:. Pours a murky orange with thick white head. Aroma is tropical fruits with some grapefruit. Huge tropical fruit flavor with mango, papaya, pineapple and also some tangerine. Another excellent NEIPA from 2 Row. 8.3% - Available at 2 Row, Beehive, Dick n Dixie's

Shades - Tai Tom Kha: This may have already sold out, so make a call before heading out. The subtle tart base creates a nice platform for the coconut, ginger and lemongrass. A restrained amount of lactic sugar helps sweeten it up a bit - adding balance to it all. Another winner. 6.3% - Available at Shades 

Kiitos - Rimando Pale Ale: I missed out on it. I'll try to have something for you later on KBER 101 at 2:20pm 5.0% - Available at Kiitos, I also found it at the Bayou.

Mother Earth/Fremont - 4 Seasons Hazy IPA: It has a peachy nose with some peach/passion fruit vibes at the beginning of the taste. Pineapple and citrus peel round it out. Minimal bitterness in the finish. seems a little light in body for as turbid as it is. Nice. 7.5% - Found at Beerhive

Great Basin - Cerveza Chilebeso: Missed this one. I'll try to have something for you later on KBER 101 at 2:20pm. 5.5% - Found at Bayou. 

Kiitos - Hard Lime Setzer: Nice lime flavor. It looks like real fruit by it's appearance. Very refreshing. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos on draft only.

Cheers!

Speakeasy: A Better Way to Search the DABC

The Utah Department of Alcohol Beverage Control does a relatively fine job given the restrictions the Utah legislature forces upon them. Understaffed and over worked; I'm often surprised by how that ship manages to stay afloat. Their website is a prime example of a bureaucratic mess that focus more on licensing and underage drinking and less on the the people that spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on buying their products. 

While the DABC website certainly has all the information you could ever want regarding the current products the state offers, It's not exactly geared toward getting people what they want in a quick and easy manner. Enter adult beverage consumer and code writing machine, Scott Peterson. Peterson found the current online system less user friendly and decided to give it a more consumer oriented focus. "I've never found it terribly useful unless I knew specifically what I wanted" Peterson told me, "I created Speakeasy to make that information discoverable and give users the tools to find new and interesting products – quicker and easier than they thought possible through the DABC's current site".

Peterson's Speakeasy site is an easy to navigate system that gets the consumer to their preferred beverage(s) in just a few steps while adding an interactive component. "I wanted to augment the information the DABC provides—like adding user generated reviews—and make it a more shopper friendly experience". Lastly Peterson wants Speakeasy to be collaborative websites or app, by being a central place where developers would have access to tools and a publicly available API to build from in the future.

I'm offering a link to Speakeasy here at Utah Beer in the column to the right. Feel free to look it over and give it a good workout. Positive input is already making it better than it was weeks ago. You can comment at Speakeasy's Facebook page. 

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/5/19

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day. I understand that many of you have today off as well? If that's the case.... I hate you. I'm glad we could get that out of the way. Due to the holiday, there wasn't a whole lot released, but there are come collaboration beer left from last weekend's festival – so there's that. Happy New Beer Friday!

Proper - Yellow Sour Ranger: Part of Proper's Sour Ranger Series - this pineapple infused beer has a lemony base with a good dose of pineapple twang to to liven things up. The fruit is the star of the show with most of the Sour Rangers and this one doesn't disappoint. 4.0% ABV - Available at Proper, Craft by Proper and I believe it's still on at Salfire Brewing as well.

Proper - Equal Pay Pale Ale: I missed this one due to the holiday yesterday, I hope to have tasting notes for this this afternoon on my New Beer Friday segment on KBER 101 at 2:30pm. 4.0% - Available at Proper.

Talisman - Mexican Lager: The aroma is bready with notes of crackers and grass. The taste starts of with malt and a hint of corn. It's not pronounced but seems to lend some sweetness to the beer. It's very malty with notes of toasted cereal at the end. This style isn't supposed to be super complex, but it comes off as being more than just a quencher. 4.0% - Available at Talisman.

Wasatch - Gruit: This beer has no hops. It uses mint, dandelion, spruce and holyhock flowers. It fermented with a unique strain of wild yeast. 4.0% - Only available at Wasatch Sugar House.

Wasatch - Classic American Pale Ale: American malt and hops create a citrus/pine dream. 4.0% - Only available at Wasatch Sugar House.

If you missed last week's Brewers Guild Fest, you may still have the opportunity to try some of the collaboration beers that are left. Here are some tasting notes on some of the collabs that have managed to stick around. Due to the limited amount produced, check with the respective breweries before making the trip to acquire these.

Toasted Barrel/RoHa - Gin Barrel Saison: Flowery and woody aroma. There's a faint gin in flavor to start then it transitions to juniper and clove with a hint of pepper. One of my favorites from the festival. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

2 Row/Bohemian - Galaxy IPL: Think of a hoppy pils with more of a spicy grapefruit zest feel. Super crushable.  4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Squatters/Saltfire - Key Lime Pie Milkshake: A subtle mix of "pie" adjuncts make this a super drinkable representation of the famed dessert. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

UTOG/Zolupez - Madarina Kolsch: The hop in this beer give it an intense pineapple, lemon and citrus flavor with a resinous, herbal finish. Tasty AF! 4.0% - Available at UTOG.

Hoppers/Bonneville - Smoked Cherry Ale: Super subtle smoke keeps the malt and fruit in check. The result is a toasty ale with cherry accents that comes off as clean as a lager. An excellent beer that you need to try. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Shades/TF Brewing - Berliner w/guava coconut and Mint: The aroma is big with coconut but the taste is more subtle with mellow lemony tartness and a hint of guava. The mint is tea-like which gives it a refreshing finish. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Vernal/Moab - Route 191: This session IPA delivers on all fronts with a nice caramel base backed with ruby red grapefruit zest and tangerine peel.

Level Crossing/Wasatch - Zappa's Ancient Enigma: Excellent pale ale with a nice caramel base that provides a solid foundation for the tangerine and piny hops. Very nice. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Salt Flats/Hopkins - Chile Mangose: The chilies provide more flavor than heat in this sour based beer. Ever tried mago dusted with chiles? it's very much like that; with less intensity. A wonderful beer. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Strap Tank/Uinta - Sour Brut IPA: Dry, sour and hoppy. This beer will disappear in moments if your not careful. It's dry tartness and citrus twang get those salivary glands pumping. Not 100% sure if any of this is left. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Epic/Red Rock Cucumber Lime Lager:The cucumber and lime are used in moderation here; it creates a refreshing pool-side beer that will or won't work for you depending on your love for cucumber. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Kiitos/Roosters - Key Lime Milkshake: This one is much more 'in your face than the previous Key Lime beer. Loads of lactose and graham cracker here, gives this beer more body and intense flavor. Which did you like better? 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Fisher/Desert Edge - Ancient Sour of the Future: A fruity sour with a good dose of tartness and hops. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Proper/Zion - NXSW Pale Ale: A fruity American Pale ale with a bit of tartness. 4.0% - Available at the respective breweries.

Also, please beware of increased DUI patrols all weekend. 

Cheers!

Don't Forget the Beer!

Remember, if you don't snag the 'high point' suds you crave for Independence Day today, you may be sad little beer nerds come Thursday. Some breweries may have their beer shops open on the 4th, so there's that option, but let's face it, you probably have better things to do with with beer time... like actually drinking it - instead of hunting it down. Have a great and safe Independence Day!

Cheers!

Belching Beaver Heads to Utah

Lookie here! On the heels of the announcement of Founders' entry into the state, comes word that San Diego County's Belching Beaver Brewery is coming to Utah. Look for beers like Me So Honey Blonde, Phantom Bride IPA and of course the beer that put them on the map, Peanut Butter Milk Stout to debut. I'm sure others will follow but this is what they will launch with. 

Cans of these super popular beers will be hitting bars and restaurants as special orders in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on on us here at Utah Beer for the exact dates; not to mention the where and when. Whatdaya think, beer folk?

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 6/28/19

Dust off that cassette case and get out your favorite make-out tape because you're definitely going to get frisky and loose after checking out this week's New Beer Friday offerings. Yes, I know that I'm dating myself....
 
TF Brewing - Rye or Die: So, I’m just going to say it. This beer absolutely looks different. Rye is an oily grain; much more than barley or wheat. If you take the time you’ll notice that this beer has a different groove in appearance and flavor. This lager has fuller mouthfeel that has a hint of spicy rye rye up front. Toasty grains and herbal hops round it out; providing a clean finish. Super drinkable. This is an excellent summer lager. 4.0% - Available at TF Brewing. 

TF Squirrel: This “fruity” IPA is a straight up New England style IPA that has that super turbid appearance that the fans of haze crave. The aroma is full of wonderful citrus peel qualities (mostly grapefruit). Taste wise it follows the nose pretty close with addition of orange pith, mango and pineapple. There’s very little bitterness, but what bitters I do detect come off as dry ruby red grapefruit peel. Alcohol is well hidden. Very nice. 6.5% - Available at TF Brewing starting today.

Roosters - El Doce: I missed out on this Mexican style lager. 4.0% - Available at Roosters' locations

Epic - Baptist Reserve 2019: This is a blend of all of the BBB variants that were made in 2018, the standard BBB, Baptista and Quad Barrel BBB. Look for a silky fudge brownie beer with coffee and bourbon that offers up just a tinge of cinnamon in the finish. 11.7% - Available starting today at Epic in SLC.

Epic - Pakka Berry Seltzer: Pakka is a new brand of alcoholic seltzers that are coming soon from Epic. This has a deep Rosé color and has a flavors that is full of vague berries. Like many alcoholic seltzers this is very light and dry with prickly carbonation. It was gone before I knew it. Made with real berries. Best alcoholic seltzer I’ve had. 4.5% - Limited growlers available at Epic Brewing.

Hopkins - Solstice Lager: There's a heavy amount of toast here that almost comes of as roastiness. The hops are mostly floral with some citrus peel qualities. It has a somewhat vegital finish that is somewhat dry. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins.

Wasatch Top of Main Belgian Dark Strong Ale: Missed out on this one. Look for it later today at Wasatch's Park City brewery and possible the UBC's West Side Tavern in SLC. 10.3% only 160 cases available. So... don’t “F” it up. You'll probably want to get on this one sooner than later.

Wasatch Treeline Mountain IPA: Screw New England and screw the West Coast. Wasatch is contributing to the exploding "Mountain Style IPA". Yes, I said Mountain IPA. These IPAs are more pine & berry based; reflecting the flavors of the Rockies for this new and emerging style. This IPA has medium to light body with a lighter hop profile that has notes of melon, berry and piny/resinous finish. It's super crushable and a welcome change of pace. 6.0% - Found at the UBC's West Side Tavern in SLC.

Wasatch Devastator Brandy Barrel: Boozy aroma with dark fruits. The taste follows with more brandy that transitions into chewy Christmas fruit cake and toffee. A big dose of raisin and dates hits the tongue next with cocoa and bread pudding rounding out the complex flavors. This is a wonderful barrel aged dopple bock that really is really worth checking out. 10.8% - Found at the UBC's West Side Tavern in SLC.

Don't forget that tomorrow is the Utah Brewers Guild Festival. Get your tickets online or at the gate 

And in a programing note: New Beer Friday on KBER 101 is moving to 2:30pm on Fridays instead of 3:30. Check us out on the radio or online.

Cheers!

Founders Is Coming to Utah

Better late than never, eh? Founders Brewing Company announced Wednesday that they were adding Utah to their distribution footprint; making the beehive state their 49th territory (only Hawaii remains).

Founders will be partnering with two wholesalers, General and Wasatch Distributors,” said CEO and Co-Founder Mike Stevens. “For years, craft beer enthusiasts have been asking us to bring them Founders and, with the recent changes made by the state legislature to increase allowable ABVs to 5%, that time has come. Founders is a perfect fit for Utah’s recreational climate and gives us more reason to spend time in such a beautiful state.”

When the ABV law changes this November, you can count on seeing (at the very least) All Day IPA in grocery and C-stores in addition to draft at on-premise retail accounts. Look for other other Founders favorites include, Backwoods Bastard, Dirty Bastard and Rubaeus Raspberry Ale to eventually hit bars, restaurants and DABC stores. 

You can plan on seeing Founders' suds in the next few weeks (mid July). Anyone one have thoughts on this new entry into the market?

Cheers!

The Innagural Utah Brewers Guild Festival

This Saturday The Utah Brewers Guild will be hosting a unique beer festival in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. There are a few things that make this beer festival unique: It's put on by the breweries to support brewery causes; such as independent beer festivals, beer gatherings and pro Utah beer causes.

Also, it's one of the first brew fests to take advantage of downtown SLC's urban settings by utilizing the seclusion and charm of the city's Regent Street.

Finally, this is a collaboration beer festival. All of the participating breweries have teamed up with one and other to make a special beer that will only be available at the festival. A part from the collaboration beers you will also have the opportunity to try other high and low point beers from the local attendees.

There are two ticket tiers:
VIP Admission includes a swag bag and early access to the event’s exclusive brews before the kegs kick! VIP is from 1-6 pm.
General Admission is from 2-6pm.

Each ticket includes 12, 3oz. tasters and can be purchased here. Feel free to purchase mor etickets if you feel that not enough.

It looks like there will be two Key Lime Milkshake IPAs going head to head. Which will prevail as the festival favorite? Keep track and let your opinion be known!

Food trucks and live music will also be on site.

Sorry kiddos, this is a 21+ only event. 

If you'd like to volunteer for the event, sign up here!

McCarthey Plaza is on Regent Street (the alley parallel to State and and Main Streets, behind the Eccles theater in downtown Salt Lake City).

To the right is a list of the breweries and their collaboration beers. Hope to see you there.

Cheers!

Saltfire's Guest Tap Program

In an act of craft beer based altruism, Saltfire Brewing Company will be teaming up with local breweries to serve up draft beers at their South Salt Lake City brewery. As many of you know, Saltfire brews exclusively high point beer (above 4.0%) - which means that they have no draft handles in their brewhouse's pub.

Beginning this Friday, June 28th. you're going to start seeing beers from Proper Brewing Co. at Salfire in a tap takeover format that will happen for an undermined amount of time. These tap takeovers will periodically feature different beers from various local brewers over the next few months. In between the special tap takeovers you'll be able to find various guest taps with beers that the Salfire crew deem "complimentary" to their current bottle section. The first tap takeover will run from 6-10pm.

What a great idea! It's stuff like this that helps to solidify a strong, local craft beer community.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday: Summer Solstice Edition

Welcome to summer! It's currently 48 degrees as I write this. Luckily, our beer selections today will fit the bill, no matter the temperature. Happy New Beer Friday!

Park City - Belgian White: This witbier has a nose full of wheat bread aromas along with a hint of lemon peel. It's more hefeweizen-like. Taste wise the yeast is a bit more prevalent with some minor yeast phenols adding a bit of spiciness. The Belgian character doesn't really come out too much in this, so depending on your love for witbiers this may, or may not work for you. Clean taste. 4.0% - Should be popping up in most grocery stores.

Shades - Brut IPA: Super clear and golden in color. Some faint citrus peel in the aroma with very little else. The taste is bone dry. All of the sugar were pretty much wiped out creating a super dry IPA that has just a touch citrus and floral bitterness. Of all of the bruts that I've had, this is by far the brutiest. Highly drinkable, and with all of that sugar zapped away, it's very low in calories. 4.0% - Available on draft at Shades. 

Shades Citrus Bomb Kveik: Looks and smells like citrus juice. Little to no head retention. Upon first swig you get a lot citrus twang that is nice and mouth watering. Sweetness is moderate to low; it's  like a dry alcoholic version of Sunny D. made with tangerine, grapefruit, blood orange and Citra hops. 6.0% - Available at Shades and your better craft beer pubs.

Shades Premium Lager: This lager has a nice spicy and grassy Saaz hop aroma. The taste follows the nose, with a good balance of biscuit malts and somewhat faint citrus hops. There's also a certain herbal grassiness, with light spicy notes as well. Finishes with a light bitterness and light herbal/spicy note lingering in the aftertaste. 4.0% - This draft beer is supposed to debut today at Shades.

Wasatch - Top of  Main Series BA English Style Barley Wine: This new barley wine was aged in pino noir barrels. It has a aomas of light caramel, biscuits, malt sugars and very light red wine notes.
The taste is similar to the nose. Loads of sweet toffee and caramel with prune and a hint of pecan. An almost port like red wine flavor comes next with a little bit of oak and vanilla rounding it out. It has a nice aged quality already. Alcohol seems fairly weel hidden. Very nice.10.4% - Found at Wasatch Park City and the West Side Tavern in SLC.

Wasatch  - Top of  Main Series BA Baltic Porter: This Baltic was aged in brandy barrels. The nose has a good dose of cocoa and spicy wine, with a hint of booze. The taste starts off with pleasant notes of roasted malt and caramel. Cocoa and vague dark fruits emerge next combining with the brandy barrel for a spicy vinous twang. The end is dry with a hint of lingering heat. Nice and complex. 9.9% - Found at Wasatch Park City and the West Side Tavern in SLC.

Illuminated Brew Works - Brony: The nose was dry with light citrus peel and vague fruits. Taste wise the beer has melon, strawberry and caramel up front with tangerine peel bitterness. The fruitiness is suble as lingers in the background for the most part - letting the bitterness do a fair amount of the heavy lifting. The finish has a light fruitiness with little lingering bitterness. A tasty IPA. 7.0% - Found at Beer Bar and Bayou.

Cheers!

New Brews Soon For You: Saltfire, Wasatch, Kiitos, Red Rock

We haven't had a New Brews Soon for You in a while, This edition has a pretty interesting lot of beers that soon will be on our beer horizons, sooner than later (we hope).

Pictured above is Saltfire's Mobius Trip. This is a golden ale that is currently relaxing in Chardonnay barrels in the South salt Lake brewery's beer spa. Local cherries were also added to add extra depth to what appears to be Salfire's first barrel aged sour. Damn! my mouth is watering just talking about it. That artwork is badass as well, I need that on a t-shirt. This beer will finish at a respectable 8.0%. Stay Tuned.

Second on our beer preview is Red Rock's Otto. This will be an American style Imperial Pilsner. It will dial in at 7.0% and feature a hop profile that will scream 'American Hops'. Look for a sweet malt character with tropical fruits and citrus in stead of the traditional grassy and herbal hop profile. Look for it down the road in Red Rock's 500 ml. bottles. Sounds tasty!

Wasatch is looking to fill the hoppy void creating an IPA that sits
between the West Coast style, New England style and the Session Style. I imagine that Treeline is the beer that Wasatch hopes will bring together all of the IPA factions into one shining 12 ounce can. My previous experiences with Wasatch's latest IPAs tell me that this will be a complex IPA for sure and I'm definitely on board with the lower 6.0% ABV.  Yes!

Finally on our preview tour is a farewell beer from Kiitos, dedicated to Real Salt Lake's Nick Rimando. This is Rimando's final season in the MLS and Kiitos is sending him into his farewell season with this special Rimondo's pale ale. This will be a 5.0% beer and it will be packaged in Kiitos' 500 ml. cans. As Real's season is already underway, I imagine that it won't be too long before we start seeing this pale ale on the shelves at Kiitos. Rimndo previously made a witbier with Epic Brewing a few years back, I guess Rimando and craft beer is a timeless combination.

Remember these are previews of what's coming to Utah's beer market and are not on sale yet. When they are, we'll get you the info you'll need. Stay close for more new brews that will be coming soon for you.

Cheers!

Images found at shipcomplient.com

Be Prepared for No 5% Beer on November 1st

When the ABV in Utah's beer make the climb from 4.0% to 5.0% in November be prepared for the inevitable hiccup that will accompany it. If your planning on walking into your favorite grocery or C-store November 1st, and plan on grabbing some newly amplified brews, you may have to wait a few days.

Due to an oversight, the state of Utah has made no plans to allow grocery stores to stock-up their inventories in preparation for the big switch. Basically: it will be illegal for stores to possess 5.0% beer until the actual day of the switch.

This will create a massive overload on stores, distributors and breweries that self distribute. Just imagine the cluster fuck of people clambering into stores expecting to buy new brands or newly reformulated beers, only to be met with the same selection or empty shelves.

There are basically two ways to avoid this. First: Amend the law (in special session) to allow for a grace period for grocery stores to stock up for the switch. Second: Allow the stores a week to stock up with a promise from the DABC to not to prosecute during that proceeding week (assuming stores don't try to sell it). Option two seems less likely, given it would set a precedent in 'looking the other way'.

I guess this post is meant to prepare you for the disappointment of no new 5.0% beers on November, 1st - and less about torches and pitchforks headed towards capitol hill. Let's face it, poorly written alcohol laws are a mainstay of Utah, like fry sauce and carrots in green jello. We'll keep an eye open on this to see if a fix is put into place.

Cheers! 

Photo Courtesy Westword/Johnathan Shikes

New Beer Friday 6/14/19

In an effort to help you avoid a "melt down", our intrepid New Beer Friday team has scoured the six corners of our state to bring you this comprehensive quench list of tasty (and mostly local) brews.

In addition to New Beer Friday, there are a couple of beer festival happening around the Wasatch Front. Ogden's Wee Beer Festival is happening this Saturday from 3 - 9pm. Look for 45+ local craft brews, food trucks, yard games, and more. Ticket prices: $12.00 includes a 4 oz. sample glass and three beer tickets.

Snowbird's 11th Annual Brewfest is happening Saturday and Sunday with 30+ local and regional brews, live music and food including a Father's Day BBQ on Sunday. Oh yeah, and you can still ski the mountain.

Wasatch - Soop Joose: This sooper juicy (get it?) IPA has a nose filled with orange, grapefruit, peach and floral hops.  The taste is lightly sweet and complex. There is grapefruit, orange, peach and floral components. Finishes with a nice pithy bitterness. Light and creamy in the mouth. 7.0% - Available at West Side Tavern and all Wasatch/Squatters locations

Epic - Utah Session Wit: The flavor profile exhibits a fine balance of citric acidity and grainy, bready wheat sweetness. The spicing is agreeable and understated; coriander melding seamlessly with static clove notes and phenol undertone. Orange peel provides more pithy bitterness rather than flavor, and serves to offset residual sweetness, lending a quenching near-dryness. A very nice witbier. 4.0% - Available at most Grocery/C-stores.

Silver Reef - Color Country Red: Light caramel, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, grass with light pear and spicy Belgian yeast. The nose is pleasant with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and earthy hops. 4.0%  - Available at East Liberty Tap House, Craft by Proper,

Silver Reef - Agua De Deablo: Missed out on this one. 4.0% - Available at East Liberty Tap House 

Proper - Haka Juicy Pale Ale: The beer hits with a piney bitterness surrounded by that zesty blood orange flavor, with some light bready malts moving the beer along. The finish is dry as the bitter comes back in towards the finish with earthy bitterness. 4.0% - Available at Proper, Craft by Proper.

Hopkins - Stonewall Sour Saison: Lacto aroma with some stone fruits. Taste is moderately tart with some saison yeast spices.  The funkier aspects have a tough time cutting through the sour but it's there. Quenchable. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins

UTOG The OG Juice: This one just became available yesterday at the brewery. No notes yet. 5.5% - Available at UTOG.

Toasted Barrel Andy's Ale: Brewed to help celebrate the 60th birthday of Andy the Condor. This beer is a black rye saison and it was released at the brewery yesterday. 6.3% - Available at Toasted Barrel

Ex Novo/Culmination - Relief Society: Only a brewer from Utah could come up with this name. Made with LDS hops (Laurel, Denali and Simcoe) this IPA has nice citrus qualities with a moderate amount of bitterness. 8.0% - Found at Beer Bar.

Ex Novo - The most Interesting Lager in the World: It's not the most interesting lager in the world but it is a very nice pilsner that is super tasty and worth checking out. 5.0% - Found at Beer Bar

Rogue - Marionberry Sour: Musty and jammy with a bit of dry sourness. Lingering berry flavors continue on through to the finish. It's actually quite nice. 6.5% - Found at the Bayou and at select DABC.

Lagunitas - Phase Change: Nice aroma of mild tropical fruits and citrus. The taste follows with more citrus caramel malts and a nice hop bite in the end. Finish is mild with a hint of tartness.Damn tasty. 7.4% - Found at the Bayou, Slackwater and at select DABC.

Cheers!

Surly Beers in Utah

Good news for fans of Surly Brewing Company; the famed Minneapolis based brewery is headed to the beehive state. Earlier this week our friends at Utah Craft announced that they have inked a deal that will bring in the makers of Todd the Axeman, Coffee Bender, and Darkness to our thirsty boarders.

For now, Utah Craft will distributing Todd the Axeman IPA to beer establishments only; you know, as they get the ball rolling. As sales solidify, I imagine their selection will increase - along with the addition of special orders. Look for Surly's Todd the Axeman IPA in July, 2019.

Cheers!