Utah Homebrew Clubs

Please check the column to the right for an updated list of Utah's Home Brewing Clubs.

"Enjoying beer is best when shared" The lord said to St. Arnold. I'm paraphrasing... or full of shit. Most likely the latter of the two, but the statement is true non-the-less. The same is also true for making it. If you enjoy homebrewing consider getting together with some fun, like-minded individuals and brew-up a little barley love. Here's some info on some homebrew clubs from around the state. If there are more clubs than I have listed let me know and I'll gladly post them up. Slainte!

New Website for Zion Canyon Brewery

Zion Canyon Brewery has finally got a new website up. Now if we could just get them to start sending their suds north to Salt Lake...

Home Brew & You Too

(When this post was originally written Homebrewing was illegal. It was made legal in 2009)In Utah home brewing beer is technically against the law. Even though home brewing has been recognized as a legal activity by the Federal Government since 1978. Yesterday Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake City, carves out an exemption in Utah law which currently requires any person who manufactures an alcoholic beverage to obtain a license to do so from the state, including a requisite $10,000 bond.
Johnson's bill will allow the home manufacture of "fermented beverages" up to a limit of 100 gallons a year per person, with a 200 gallons a year limit, per household.

Mark Alston, owner of the Salt Lake City home brewing store, The Beer Nut, testified on behalf of HB425.
"People who are doing it are an amazing cross-section of Utah culture," Alston said.
Alston also noted that home brewed beer is not a "binge drinking product" since brewers devote too much time, energy and care to brewing a batch, which is typically about five gallons.
HB425 was passed out favorably by the committee and now moves to the House for further action.

Contact your local representative and let him or her know it time to join the 20th Century.

Hopefully, socially bigoted, State Senator Chris Butters (R) will be busy drowning kittens when the vote goes to the floor. For the record... I like kittens.

Hey Baby, Nice Stems!

I'm a push-over for glassware. In fact I love them so much they're starting to over-run my kitchen cabenets at home. If your like me you know there's nothing better than enjoying your favorite beer in a great piece of glass or ceramic. Here are some links to some smart and affordable glassware to enhance your beer enjoyment. Cheers!

https://store.merchantduvin.com/e/mdv/scan/MM=d08e83a9dd99be1f0e8e3de5f466aaca:0:4:5?mv_session_id=pR4EYtUB&mv_more_ip=1&mv_nextpage=itemlist

http://www.pubglasses.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SP

http://www.straubs.net/

A Ruby in St. George

*******************Ruby River Steakhouse has Closed in St. George***********************
There's a new option for craft beer fans in Utah's Dixie. Ruby River Steakhouse added it's sixth location a few months ago giving the beer parched area of the state a long needed craft beer boost. Ruby River is one of the more quite craft brewers in the state. In fact, I've talked to many that aren't even aware that they serve they're own brews.


As far as I know the St. George location doesn't brew on site. If your looking for an on-site brew pub in southern Utah you'll need to venture to the Zion Canyon Canyon Brewery in Springdale. Ruby River offers an American & English Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Porter, a Blonde, Hef and a Mexican Style Lager.

Cask Beer

It's a great time to be a beer lover in the U.S. Breweries and brew pubs through-out the states are producing incredible representations of new and traditional beer styles for every taste imaginable. Brewers are making great efforts to make sure that the patrons experience the favorite beers of cultures that they may, or may-not be very familiar with.

Advocates of one tradition style are trying to bring back awarness to a beloved cultural standard that has fallen by way-side as of late.

There's a movement underway in the U.K. and North America to expant the beer consumers awareness of real (or cask conditioned) ales. Fans of the cask have an up hill battle to fight because of the notion that cask ales are naturally "warm and flat". Wrong! cask ales ideally, are served between 54-56 degrees - cool, but not cold like keg beers. They should have a noticeably softer carbonation from the secondary fermentation in the cask. This process creates a gentle, natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavours to develop, resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than standard keg ('brewery-conditioned') beers. Cask ales are always served without any extraneous gas, usually by manually pulling it up from the cellar with a handpump (also known as a 'beer engine').

Beer engines are poping up at steady rate through out the Wasatch Front. I urge you to check out somthing different the next time your out enjoying a pint.

Here's a list of places that serve cask ales.

Squatters Pub Brewery

147 West Broadway

Salt Lake City, Utah 84101-1914

Phone: 1 801 363 2739

Squatters Roadhouse Grill

1900 Park Avenue

Park City, Utah 84060

Phone: 1 435 649 9868

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square

Salt Lake City, Utah 84100

Phone: 1 801 521 8917

The Bayou

645 South State Street

Salt Lake City, Utah 84111-3819

Phone: 1 801 961 8400

Wasatch Brew Pub

250 Main Street

Park City, Utah 84060-5113

Phone: 1 435 649 0900

MacCool's Public House

1400 South Foothill Drive

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108-2327

Phone: 1 801 582 3111

MacCool's Public House

855 Heritage Park Boulevard, Suite #3

Layton, Utah, 84041-5633

Phone: 1 801 728 9111

MacCool's Public House

11610 South. District Main Drive

South Jordan, Utah

Note: McCools in South Jordan, Utah, has become the 500th establishment in the US for selling cask ales. This is the 3rd McCools in Utah, and all sell cask.

Reform or P.R.???

I honestly try to avoid the topic of f'd-up Utah liquor laws on this blog. But recently it's just unavoidable. Were it not for the absolute shitheadedness of some state lawmakers/leaders I'd be a much happier and much more well adjusted individual.

Over the past month or so Utahns and the world have been learning the "Utah Way" when it comes to liquor monopolies. Back in November we learned that malternative beverages need to be removed from store shelves because their deliciousness is too irresistible and impossible to keep out of the hands of babes.

We also learned recently that state liquor cops will go to any extreme to coerce restaurants and bar employees to violate state law. And the cherry on top, cold beer needs to be banned.

These three examples have become topics of extensive debate over that past few weeks. So much so, that the growns from within and from without are finally being heard in the states highest office.

When Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. took office in 2005, one of the issues he identified in his campaign was to normalize Utah's liquor laws, as compared to the rest of the nation. The three previous hot topics have apparently struck a nerve. To combat the negative press the governor has proposed a change to Utah's liquor laws. To do away with the need for the meddlesome "sidecar" and bring the state's liquor pours more in line with the rest of the country.

Input from the gov regarding liquor reform has been long awaited.

Huntsman said that when he came into office, his transition team identified the liquor laws as an area that should be changed. It suggested allowing wine sales in grocery stores, easing private club requirements and increasing the 1-ounce limit - long deemed inadequate by out-of-staters and others used to the standard pour. But, he said, the proposals fell flat with legislators three years ago and haven't been advanced since. The new initiative sends a message, Huntsman said, to those from outside the state who think you can't get a drink in Utah and goes toward "proving the point that we aren't out of sync with the rest of the nation."

This seem to be more P.R. than real reform but I think it helps combat the insanity that the in-state neo-cons have been proliferating.

Utah Considers Banning Cold Beer!!!

If you've spent any time looking over this blog you may have noticed that we who live in Utah experience some pretty difficult and unique challenges when it comes to the enjoyment of adult beverages. The difficulties usually stem from conflicts between ultra conservative Mormons and well... everyone else. Mormons don't believe in the consumption of alcohol (even though Mormon elected officials run the states liquor monopoly) and for the most part don't believe it should be available for purchase at all.

That being said, it has comes to light that a proposal to ban the sale of cold beer is now being talked about by some powerful Mormon lawmakers. The idea of selling only warm beer actually came up Tuesday at the senate's republican caucus. Reportedly, their thinking is, if beer at Utah grocery or convenience stores had to be sold warm, that might discourage people from drinking beer right away or from drinking as much.

What these Taliban-esque zealots don't realize is that beer is a fragile product that requires refrigeration to keep it from spoiling.

I urge the the nice people from surrounding states to invade our borders and liberate us from our Mormon Overlords. The Emperor Has No Clothes!!!

Utopias Ahoy!

For good or bad there's one thing that Americans excel at. Taking an idea, embracing it and morphing it to the Nth degree. Case in point, Samuel Adam's Utopias. This is an anomaly in the beer world. It's a beer that seems to blur the line between beer and spirits. creating controversy over whether it is technically beer. Well, it is beer. A top fermented uber-beer! Even though it may not have many of the characteristics you'd associate with your favorite ale or lager.

The decanter it comes in is a beautiful recreation of an old style mash tun. Made of glass and copper, it's nearly worth the price alone.

Utopias currently enjoys the status of being the worlds strongest beer. At a whopping 27% abv it will warm your core on the coldest winter night.

Note: I haven't sampled the the latest vintage of Utopias. This review is for the '05 vintage. Poured a deep amber/ruby with no head or lace. The nose was bourbon-esque with massive dark fruits, tons of alcohol, malt and caramel. A touch of maple syrup like character is also noticed. The flavor is vinous and ripe. Full of raisin, plum, butterscotch, sweet Carmel and brown sugar. The finish is full bodied, bitter and all alcohol. This burnt like hell going down. Every sip steals your breath. At $200 a bottle you should try it; if anything to say, you’ve had the strongest beer in the world.

If you want to try it, the Bayou is the sole place in Utah to get 'em. I believe Mark said he got six. I'd recommend getting a dozen of your closest beer nerds together and share in the experience. It will definitely help defray the cost. Besides things like don't come around too often and are best shared.

Devistator Double Bock

There's a new kid on the beer block and he's packing a welcomed punch. The happy kids over at Wasatch Brewing have been working on bringing more high-gravity suds to the Utah faithful, and have happily "nailed it" with Devastator. The Devastator is a Double Bock. If your not familiar with Bock Beers, they're a little more hearty than your normal beer. Double Bocks or Doppelbock are a Bavarian specialty beer that were first brewed by the monks of St. Francis of Paula. They're stronger than most beers (between 6%-10% abv). During the Spring religious season of Lent, monks were required to fast. High-gravity Bock beers; high in food energy and nutrients provided sustenance during this period. Hence bocks were considered "liquid bread" by the monks.

So, how does it taste? Pretty damn good!

Poured a nice clear amber/ruby color with a thin foamy head. The nose is nutty with chocolate, molasses and a bit of alcohol perfume. The taste starts with Molasses, brown sugar and pecans. spicy cocoa comes next with toasted grain and finishes with a nice hoppy pine finish. It's 8.0% abv is nicly masked. The label defiantly screams Utah. It says, Utah will never be the same.
Let pray they're right.

The artwork on the label is quite nice it depicts a Ram(Bock= Buck in German. Get it?) Busting through downtown Salt Lake City. Appropriately, snorting fire and being an all around nuisance. Sorry the pic is of low quality it seems when these come available to me, I don't have my good camera.

Devastator is available at State Liquor Stores, Wasatch brew pubs and most private clubs.

The Utah Beer Year in Review

A lot of good and a little bad came to the Utah beer community in '07. Here's a brief review of high and low lights.

The year started appropriately enough our usual winter weather phenomena The Inversion. And Desert Edge Brewer ---- wasted no time in concocting a tasty companion to the murky winter air. Named coincidentally Inversion. It's a nice lite, moderately smokey Rauchbier with a nice bed of malt hops and a whole lotta smoke.

Another style out of the norm that made it's way into local brew pubs was the Flanders Brown Ale style that has it's origins from the Flemish region of Belgium. Jenny Talley from Squatters put together this authentic sour Belgian farmhouse ale with tart cherry accents. Cherry Luv is a seasonal and has no set production schedule.

In February Fifty-four Barley Wines and ninety judges from all over North America converged at the Toronado in San Fransisco to enjoy and select the continents best. Uinta's XI Anniversary Barley Wine tied for third in the annual high octane competition.


Author and beer geek Del Vance published Beer in the Beehive: a History of Brewing in Utah. The book documents Utah's earliest beer producers from past to the present and the cultures that influenced them.

Squatters officially became the largest brewpub in the state expanding to take over the entire three storey historical building it occupies.

We learned in 2007 that the word Merlot is so offensive that it had to be stricken from the licence plate of Glenn Eurick's Merlot colored 1996 Mercedes Benz. After having the plate for ten years he was forced to give it up because it offended the delicate sensibilities of an anonymous caller.

We also learned that were on can tear down, another can rebuild. For the first time since the start of Prohibition, a Utahn will be producing home grown hooch from the states first legal distillery. David Perkins has some pretty great plans for the P.C. distillery, like a top to bottom renovation of the proposed property and a tasting room for patrons to sample the various spirits produced.

Following a nation-wide trend Utah beer makers started producing certified organic beers. Squatters was the first to offer it's Organic Amber Ale at they're brew pub. Uinta's Wildfire Pale Ale was fist to be offered in stores and bars.

Statistics released by the Brewers Association, shown that even though Utahns drink less beer than the rest of the nation our breweries do very well in sales. Two of Utah's breweries ranked 47th & 49th out of just under 1400 craft breweries. Nearly 80% of all craft beer sales in the U.S. came from these 50 companies.

The Mountain Brewers Festival yielded many medals for Utah Breweries in June. Judges from all over the country, participated in blind tastings, awarding 18 medals to the most misunderstood beer producing state in the nation.

Some fresh blood (good & Bad) was injected into Uta's D.A.B.C. after three decades of stagnation.

In July we found that Utah loves Lions more that any other state. Lev Lion a Czech beer that has been in in Utah since the 1995 and is distributed in 12 states, Lev has, for some inexplicable reason, made its biggest splash in the Salt Lake City market. It sells better here than anywhere in the country since it was introduced. The state consumed 10,000 cases in '06.

Famed Beer Author and enthusiast Michael Jackson passed away at his home in London, England. He was arguably the foremost authority on beer and whiskey in the world.

The best reappearing & disappearing act of the year goes to the Utah Brewers Festival. After years of being on hiatus it's return was heralded as trip back to the good ol' days. But Mother Nature was nursing a hangover and it had to be cancelled due to weather. Bitch.

Zima, Smirnoff Ice, Mike's Hard Lemonade and the like were deemed to be too damn enticing for consumers by a member of the states booze patrol. The low alcohol beverages(4.0%abv) were to be moved to the state run liquor stores from grocery outlets so they would be harder to get and taxed at a much, much higher rate. After voting down the move. The Dabc council lost it's spine and decided it's a matter for the state legislature.

Utah scored big at the Great American Beer Festival. Three breweries won eight medals. As well as The Large Brew Pub & Brewer of the Year, going to RedRock and its Brewer Kevin Templin. Other beers awarded were Hopper's Lil' Pip's Mild(gold), Squatters' IPA(gold) & Their Organic Amber(silver).

The last quarter of '07 saw a influx of new imports to the state. Most from Belgium!

Finally, South Salt Lake City blames it's crime rate on the number of bars in their town. So no new licenses are to be issued and bar owners cannot sell their business with liquor licenses included.

All in all it was a good year. People are slowly getting it. Utah got some game!

Buy Utah First!

If you live, have lived or have visited Utah in the past thirty years you've probably noticed the price we pay for our liquor and beer is beyond obnoxious. If Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price has his way consumers could pay less for spirits from small breweries and distilleries. Currently, alcohol sold at the State Liquor Store is subject to an 86 percent markup. The new bill would reduce that markup to 47 percent for liquor and wine and would drop to 30 percent for heavy beer(over 4.0% abv). Last year the state collected $53 million in liquor profits.

If the bill passes, consumers would potentially pay less for spirits produced by local companies when purchasing alcohol at the liquor store because the state markup would be lower on those than on large chains' products. The bill would not affect alcohol prices from any brewery for beer at the grocery store. In addition, the bill would still funnel 10 percent of gross sales from the liquor store going to fund the school lunch program.

Don't hold your breath folks, there's a line already forming to quash this minor tax break.

Twelvth Day of Xmas: Pilsner Urquell

Well here we are. A 12 pack later and twelve days wiser. The grand holiday experiment concludes with a bad case of the narley barleys and a world-wide classic. I hope that the past dozen days have given you the opportunity to try something new, or at the very least get you out of comfort zone for the holidays.

I was thinking that the final beer would have to be something rare and special. You know, some uber-octane, malt-beast. Crafted by the heirs to some mythical European beer dynasty. But that's not what the twelve beers has been about. It's just about good beer. This may not be a beast of a beer but it does have a hallowed history. This is the Pilsner that all other Pilsners take their names. Pilsner Urquell.

Pours a nice burnt yellow with a fine fluffy white head. The nose is nice with grassy hops and malt. The flavor starts bready with a light hint of honey followed by burst of floral/grassy Saaz hop spiciness. And ends with lingering floral spiciness. Finishes crisp and clean. This would probably serve you better during the warmer months, but after days of heavy Holiday food this will be a welcome change. A great session beer. 4.4% abv. Available Statewide. Merry Christmas, be safe and thanks for checking out Utah Beer!

Eleventh Day of Xmas: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Oy! I got stuck with the stomach flu kids, so day eleven is going to be brief. Sorry... So, on the Eleventh day of Xmas may barkeep served me a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale.

Saving one of the best for last, this one pours a nice ruby/brown with two fingers of head which left a beautiful web of lace in the glass. The nose was of caramel sweet malts banana and vanilla bean with a nice balance of piny hops. The taste was mostly sweet carmel, vanilla and a hint of hazelnut. The finish was dry and and had a nice piny bite. They list this as an IPA but I can easily see this being a "Strong" or "Spice" ale. Either way, it’s an awesome beer. It dials in at 6.8% abv and you'd never know it. Available state-wide. Cheers.

Tenth Beer of Xmas: Uinta's Kings Peak Porter

The Tenth Beer of Xmas that my Barkeep gave to me, is Uinta's Kings Peak Porter. After the recent snow storm nothing sounds more satisfying than cozying-up with a fine brew to put you into your special place and keep your spirits alive. This is a multi-award winner that's been a staple in our home for years.

Pours a dark ruby-brown with a moderate tan head. The nose is huge with roasted malt and coffee, a light toffee sweetness is also notable . Taste starts with a good dose of roasted malts. Dark cocoa notes come next providing a minor sweetness. The end is cappachino-esque. The finish is similar, with some residual hop bitterness. This is a nice, medium-bodied porter. That satisfies in cold or warm weather. Kings Peak Porter is available year round at most grocery and convenient stores in and around Utah.

Ninth Beer of Xmas Delirium Noel

It's day nine. At this point you should seeing pink elephants. If for some reason your not, beer number nine will cure that visually and mentally. So, with that, The Ninth beer of Xmas is Delirium Noel.

Pores a slightly hazy dark amber color with a solid head that dissipates into a thin cap of foam. The nose is of toasty malts with a boozy perfume of peach, prune, nutmeg and clove.
The tastes starts sweet with honey, dates and nutmeg. Oak and vanilla finish it out, with burnt cherry and cinnamon notes carry you into the finish. Smooth, sweet malt body with just enough of a hint of hop bitterness to keep it from becoming cloying. A very nice holiday brew that goes down as well as any high ABV Belgian brew. The 10% abv is well hidden, opening the door for the pink elephants to sneak-up and molest you with they're trunks before you even know what's happening. So stay on your bar stool and beware.

Eighth Beer o' Xmas: Rogue's Santas Private Reserve

One of the most highly kept secrets about Santa is his love of beers. You don't hear many songs about the jolly ol' elf tossing back his favorite dram of ale . Or about his home brew sessions with the Heat Miser. That would throw Utah neo-cons into hissy of biblical proportions. Go ahead, take your chances. Leave him milk and cookies, but be warned your just screwing yourself in the long run.

To be assured of getting your G.I. Joe with the kung-fu grip, or that blow-up doll you've had your eye on. Place a bottle of the Eighth Beer of Xmas on your table and you'll be golden in his eyes.

Pours a copper/red color with a nice pillowy two finger head. The nose is very hoppy. A perfume of Pine and florals assault your sniffer The taste starts with a slightly malty flavor, then a very strong hops prescience comes through. Piney and roasted grain flavors are present also with a nice bitter finish. This beer is huge on hops and is probably the reason Santa’s nose is red. A very good pale ale for the holidays.

And if your worried about Santa drinking and driving, don't. The reindeer do all the driving.

Seventh Beer o' Xmas: Bohemian Brewery's Cherney Bock

Sticking with the local brews, I thought I'd select a lager that been around for years, but may have never passes your lips. Therefore Bohemian Brewery's Cherney Bock is the seventh beer o" Xmas. Cherney Bock is part of a quartet of old school lagers made from the finest Czech & German traditions in Midvale, Utah.

Poured a very dark chocolate brown with a thick tan head. The nose was full of roasted malt, dark fruits with a pleasant nuttiness. The taste starts with a deep roasted malt taste, then a dark nuttiness with minor raspberry notes beneath. The end was nicely balanced with an easy piny hop bite at the end. If I had not been told this was a Bock I would have thought it was a schwartz beer or a Stout. Which is not a bad thing at all. Actually Bocks are a fine alternative to the traditional winter warmer crowd. This is an awesome, tasty beer. Even if it’s "Bockness" isn't textbook. I really love this stuff and with a ABV of 4.0 I could drink it all night. And maybe I will Damn-it!!!

Sixth Beer of Xmas: RedRock's Rêve

One of the best beers to come out of Utah in years(from in fact the west) is here and you'd better snag one now because it's in very limited production. Since 2003 the crew at RedRock have been experimenting with recipes to come up with the perfect Barrel-aged, Belgian-style tripple. It's been a long hit-and-miss process. Over the past four years we've gotten a chance to sample various stages of the development of this brew from local area beer festivals. At one time; I believe it was aged in a Bourbon barrel and the result was, well.... unique. Well never fear, experimentation and diligence has paid off with a spectacular interpretation on a centuries old classic.

This has been RedRocks' year. Garnering awards left and right, it's seems they can do no wrong. And it looks like they've saved the best of '07 for last. So for the Sixth Beer of Xmas, I highly recommend Red Rock's Rêve.

Poured into a Chimay goblet a light golden honey color with with a moderate fluffy white head that dissipated to a very thin froth. The nose is a little boozy with banana, cloves malt and ripe mango. The taste is very much the same starting with candied sugar and cloves that transitions into toasted malt and banana. The end is sweet and oaky. The alcohol is warming and welcomed, masked well by Rêve's full body. It adds a whole new dimension to the beer You really get a good sense of the oak in the finish. It's barrel aged for one year. Don't get me wrong it's got a kick. It's 10.2% abv is more than enough to warm your inner beer geek.

RedRock Rêve is more proof that that Utah beers are much more than just 4.0% anomalies . Earning the bronze medal at the '06 Great American Beer Festival and the silver medal in '07, Kevin Templin and his team are proving big things can come in small packages.

RedRock Rêve is available in limited quantities at RedRock's SLC location and it's Park City Pub as well as The Bayou and Fiddler's Elbow! The special edition trippel is available in a commemorative 750mL corked bottles, so snatch 'em up while you can. Cheers!

Fifth Beer of Xmas: Ayinger Dunkel

The fifth beer of Xmas that my barkeep served to me was Ayinger's Altbairisch Dunkel. Keeping in mind that "cousin love" is bad and that I'd like you to hang in there until day twelve, we'll remain on the path of lower alcohol beers for another day. This beer is pleasant and is sufficiently complex for any beer palate.

Poured a rich reddish-brown color producing a 1/2 inch thick head of rapidly dissipating foam. The aroma is incredible, fresh, dark roasted malts with a hint of cocoa. The taste started with rich roasted malts, hazelnut and a hint of molasses. Hops come next nicely balancing the malt sweetness carrying it through to the end. A subtle sting of espresso in the finish leaves you with the perfect mixture of sweet and bitterness. Don't let the photo fool you this is a creamy, light-medium bodied lager. When they coined the term liquid bread this is the style I'm sure they were referring to.

Drinking Ayinger is a no-brainer. They craft they're beers in the finest of German traditions. This isn't a holiday beer but it serves the season well. It's pleasant and sufficiently complex for any beer palate. ABV 5.0%. Available in Utah year-round.