Party at Rob's er... in Idaho!!!

As we come to the end of March, we inevitably start thinking about April. One of the great things about April is that it precedes May. May... Wow, what a f'n great month that is. All thirty-one days of it. However, May would be an even better month if it was June. So, what's so bloody great about June? Well, keep your panties on I'm getting there.
Besides it being named for Juno, the ancient Roman queen of heaven, who just happened to be a daughter of Saturn and the wife and sister of Jupiter. It is also the month in which Utah's best Beer festival takes place. Yeah!!!

Now before you start lathering yourselves up into a frenzy, there's a slight problem with our beer festival. We have to hold it in Idaho. I know, I know it's a bit confusing but look at it this way. Remember when you were younger and you wanted to throw a huge, rager of a party, but you couldn't because you lived with you parents. And of course mom & dad said "no". Then you'd go over to your buddies house and ask him (let's call him Rob) if you could do it over at his dump. And he of course says "fuck ya"! Well, that's kinda how it is here. The state of Utah is "Mon & dad" and "Rob" is Idaho.

Well the Party at "Rob's House" is June 2nd from 12-6pm at Sandy Downs in lovely Idaho falls.

You'll be able to sample hundreds of different beers from over eighty breweries!
The ticket price is $15 in advance, $20 at the door - includes admission and unlimited three ounce samples. I da ho? No. We da ho's!

Whats New Is Old Again.

Zola is out, Squatters is in. One of our favorite SLC brew pubs finally gets full use of it's downtown location. Last July, the eclectic "small plates" restaurant opened with brief success after a huge remodel of the upper levels of the building. A few weeks ago the experiment ended; and what should have happened to begin with, has come to pass. After a few minor modifications Squatters is finally utilizing the entire building, making it (as far as I can tell) the biggest brew pub in Utah. Also, check out they're new tap system. It's sweet!

Here We Go Again

The following is just another example of what a primitive mind is capable of.

And a quick note to the anonymous caller that "tattled" on Mr. Eurick.

"Nice job ass-wipe. Thanks for pissing all-over what little free speech we have behind the Zion Curtain".

(AP) Merlot can be a variety of grape or a type of red wine, but not an acceptable personalized license plate in the state of Utah.Glenn Eurick's 1996 Mercedes has had the license plate reading "merlot" for 10 years. He says the plate never got a lot of notice until the Utah Tax Commission told him last week that he had to remove it because the state doesn't allow words of intoxicant to be used on vanity plates. Six or seven-letter words like liquor or whiskey probably wouldn't make it through the state screening process before the plates are issued. But merlot did and Eurick was fine until an anonymous caller told the state that merlot was also an alcoholic beverage. Eurick's car with the offending plate is dark red, like the wine. He said few people who asked about the plate made the connection. Though one man did ask "if we chose merlot because there were too many letters in Cabernet Sauvignon," Eurick said. Eurick said he will challenge the state's decision.

I'd Like A Bourbon Ale... Please Hold the Bourbon

While on our annual St. Patrick's Day pub-crawl we came across a new brew at Murphy's bar downtown. Although new to us, Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale has been around the area for a short time. Winter's is part of Anheuser-Busch's seasonal program. Along with Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale, Spring Heat Spiced Wheat and Bare Knuckle Stout. First of all, don't let the name scare you off. If you hate the taste of bourbon you will most likely like this beer, because there is no "Whiskey" taste what-so-ever. There are however huge vanilla notes with a moderate malty backbone. It's not a bad beer, It tastes more like a Marzen and would probably go well with ginger snaps or a nice poultry dish.

A Bourbon cask ale that tastes like vanilla not Bourbon. Hmmm. If I didn't know better I'd say the LDS Church commissioned this one. If Michelob actually aged this stuff in bourbon casks that contained actual bourbon whiskey, I would be very surprised.

Puke'n O' the Green

I'm not Irish. And odds are, neither are you. If you are? then... well... aren't you special. Like many, I'm going to hijack your special, special day by getting piss-drunk and talking like the Lucky Charms Leprechaun for an entire afternoon. And I won't be alone. Hoards o' non Celt's will be embarrassing themselves by the truck-loads, trying to "get they're drink on".

Just don't do it drinking green beer.

All it's going to do my friends is make you feel like complete dog shit. Especially, when you see your emerald-hued gastric juices sprayed all over your mom's new carpet. Pay heed, or you'll end up looking like this guy. See you out there. Slainte!

Big Boys Feeling the Pinch

The Wall Street Journal last week revealed an interesting trend among major American brewers to add rather than remove flavor from their beers.
The story featured Anheuser-Busch's Juggernaut Budweiser, which is being brewed with more hops, thus adding bitterness, in an attempt to win back drinkers who have abandoned Bud for more flavorful micro brews and imports.

The article noted that AB's domestic beer recipes over the last fifty years have consistently been made more and more bland, as major brewers sought to market products that would offend the least amount of people with strong flavors. Recently, growing numbers of people have been put-off by the lack of flavor they find in major brands. The result has been a steady decline in sales of Bud and other domestic brews.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Anheuser-Busch actually freezes samples of its beers and periodically thaws them out to check one year’s flavor against another’s. I imagine most people will never notice the change. People who like they're Bud, or equivalent are rabidly loyal to they're brand and will stick with them no matter what.

Other St. Patty's Day Options

It just wouldn't be St. Patty's Day with out throwing back a pint Guinness.

But why limit yourself? From traditional to non-traditional, there are pant-loads of fine beers out there to spice-up your March 17th.

Here's a list of beer options availble along the Wasatch Front. These should appeal to common beer drinker to beer snob.

We'll start with styles/brands that have will have wide appeal. Then progress to the more complex styles.

Harp Lager: A Guinness brand, malty, crisp and a clean finish.
Hoegaarden White: Tapioka-esque with banana & cirtus notes.
Bass Ale: Amber in color, slight bready with a minor bitter finish.
Boddingtons Pub Ale: Golden/Amber color with faint malts and slight bitterness.
Newcastle Brown Ale: Malty, slightly nutty flavor. Very little bitterness.
Pilsner Urquell: The orginal Pilsner. Need I say more.
Rogue:Kells Irish Lager: Light in color. Very clean flavor, malty, with nice crisp finish!
Samuel Smiths: Organic Lager: Not too malty, with a clean grassy bitterness.
Spaten Premium: Smooth, with good maltiness, and nice bitter finish.
Stella Artois: A clear yellow lager, light and crisp. A good beer to finish the night with.

Murphys Irish Stout: A rich, roasted, malty stout. Very little bitterness. Finishes nice and dry.

Smithwicks: A nice balance of toasted malts and flowery hops.

Branch out with these

Anchor Steam: Malty with variety of floral and citrusy hops

Anderson Valley :Deep End Porter Chocolate, mocha and some smoke in the back. Very nice!
Anderson Valley: Hop, Ottin IPA, Top pick. Exellent hop notes. Malty backbone. Yummy!
Anderson Valley: Winter Solstice: A winter seasonal. Drink 'em before they're gone.

Ayinger Alt Dunkle: Rich roasted malts, hazelnut and a hint of molasses.

Firestone: Double Barrel: Caramel tones with citrusy and piney bitterness. Oak Aged

Kiltlifter: Slightly peaty with toffee notes, nutty with a dry finish.

Rogue:Chocolate Stout: Dark chocolate with strong coffee notes due to hoppy bitterness.
Samuel Smiths: Taddy Porter: Fig, raisin, chocolate and roasted barley. One of Britains best.

Sierra Nevada:Stout: Roasted coffee, chocolate with a stiff toffee backbone. .
Squatters IPA: One of Utah's best. Well balanced with piney/citrusy hops and a pleasant malts.

Big Flavor/High Octain

Gulden Draak: Sweet caramel, dark/sour fruits with a boozy alcohol sting. 10.5% abv
Anderson Valley :Belgian Dubbel: Raisins, bready malts and brown sugar. 9.0% abv
Celebrator: Dark chocolate and caramel, with fig and plum and a hint of hazelnut. Bock-on!
Delirium Tremens: Complex elements of apple, peach and pineaple with minor bitterness. 8.5%
Full Sail Old Board Head: Sweet caramel, herbal grainy malts. Nice bitter finish. 9.0%

McEwans Scotch Ale: Brown sugar, maple and caramel. some hops in the finish. 8.0%
Old Growler: Mix of chocolate, carmel, liquorice, smoke and coffee. Not as heavy and it sounds.
Rogue Imperial IPA: Malty, with a huge hop bitterness of mostly grapefruit. Top pick. 9.5%
Rogue Russian Imp. Stout: Coffee, chocolate, roasted malts boozy and nutty. 11.6%
Samichlaus: This one will knock your dick in the dirt. Cognac-like. Raisin, plum, cherry. 14%
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine: A solid Barley Wine. Nicely sweet with a nice hop profile.
Traquair House Ale: Chocolate, vanilla, and raisins. Light boozy finish.
Traquair Jacobite: Caramel, anise and corriander. A bit of sweet smokiness, mild malty finish.
Uinta Barley Wine: Starts piney & citrusy with caramel, toffee and toasty biscuit. Citrusy end.
Unibroue: Terrible: Fruity with mellow, nutty, chocolate notes. boozy warmth in the end. 10.5%

Best bets on tap

Bohemian Brewery Cherny Bock
Squatters Full Suspension Pale Ale
Uinta Cutthroat Pale Ale
Squatters Capt. Bastards Oatmeal Stout
Uinta Kings Peak Porter
Squatters Millcreek Cream Stout
Wasatch Polygamy Porter
Desert Edge UPA
Red Rock Brown Ale
Roosters: Chocolate Stout

This Boob... er... Buds for You.

Boza, a traditional fermented drink out of Bulgaria is becoming a "huge" hit with European Women. The beer-esque drink has some unusual too-good-to-be-true side-effects. Drinking Boza is reputed to enlarge women's breasts (Booya)!

Boza, a millet-ale made from fermented wheat flour is being snapped up by bar owners, shopkeepers and consumers from across Europe.

Now that Bulgaria (the center of boza production) has joined the European Union, duties have been abolished and sales of boza are booming. The customers are predominantly men, hoping to bring home the much anticipated, side-effects to their wives and girlfriends.

Suds Search

Going on a roady? Check out The Beer Maping Project It's a great all-in-one resource for finding breweries and brewpubs all over North America.

Help a Sista Out

When I travel for work, opportunities for going out on the town are limited, due to the weird hours I work. My only after-work beer options are usually at the hotel bar. If your life has you pin-balling around our happy globe, you know that the hotel beer scene is pretty limited to one or two micros brews and hand full of macros.

Four Points Hotels (Sheraton) is looking for a new Chief Beer Officer to help improve the chains selection of quality beers. Hundreds of people applied. Four are left. One of those four finalists is Squatters Beer Master Jenny Tally.

She needs your help. The final four have produced video essays that will be judged online at http://www.fourpoints.com/cbo Check out her video and give her your vote. Tell all your friends and help as sista out. If you know anything about Jenny, then you know she has a good nose for suds. Don't worry she's not bailing on Squatters, this is something she would do in addition to her current job as Brewmaster for Squatters. I'm a little bias, I shot some of her video. I don't know who edited he video but they did a very nice job. It's by far the best video of the four. Vote Now!

It's Beer Day!

March first is Beer Day every year in Iceland. That's right, a whole day dedicated to the world's favorite beverage. This celebrated event began on March 1st, 1989, when a 75-year-long prohibition of beer was lifted. Pubs, restaurants, and clubs all around Reykjavik are especially wild this night. No word yet on plans to make March 2nd National Stick Your Head in a Toilet Day. We could use a little ol' fashion beer love around here.

Why.....

Ever had a Cream Stout? They're quite good, if you haven't tried one you really should. Squatters and Red Rock both make one. This style of stout basically has larger amounts dextrins and unfermentable sugars. This gives the brew more body and adds a sweetness to balance the roasted character of the beer.

Recently the Japanese (as usual) have taken the whole thing to the next, next level. A brewery in the city of Nakashibetsu has succeeded in producing a low-malt beer with milk. The drink, called “Bilk” went on sale on Feb. 1. It reportedly has a fruity flavor that its brewers hope will be popular among women.

I don't know about Japanese women, but ninety percent of the American women I know, hate milk. Good luck with that one guys. I guess the idea for the drink was conceived after dairy farms started throwing out huge amounts of surplus milk. The local brewery(Abashiri Beer) was approached by a liquor vendor, who suggested the idea, of producing a "milk beer" to the dairy farming locals. The "Beer" is one-third milk and for the time being sales will be restricted to Nakashibetsu, with six liquor stores selling the beverage.