New Beer Friday 5/26/23

Happy Memorial Day weekend. This New Beer Friday features a good mix of local lagers and sours. 

While Steph is Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas, I managed to coax radio legend, Allen Handy out of his sabbatical to help me grill Grid City's Jeremy Gross about their unique beer philosophy. That's at 2pm today on 99.9fm KUAA. 

Saltfire - Kiss Whoever You Want: This new IPL realeases on 5/27! It has a nice round malt profile with a crisp finish. The hops add mostly citrus peel, melon and grass in that order. It’s definitely heavier in the mouth than a lager, but you get what the diverse team of brewers was shooting for. 6.3% - Only at Saltfire.

Strap Tank - Czech Your Engines: a Czech Amber Lager that uses old-world brewing techniques and 100% Czech Saaz hops, we've created a malt-driven amber beer that perfectly balances spicy and herbal notes with a rich malt character. Fermented with a 100% Czech Pilsner Yeast Strain, Czech Your Engines is a beautiful example of a classic style that will transport you straight to the Czech Republic. 5.0% - Only at Lehi location for now.

Kiitos - Guava Sour: Fantastic guava nose. Palate much more subdued, tart with milder tropical flavors. Some lingering acidic pucker. Good crusher. 5.0% - Available at Kiitos.

SL Brewing - Farmer's Daughter: Made with Solstice Malts and cherries from Woodyatt Farms Light aromas of wheat malts with light aromas of tart cherry. Upfront there is a light to moderate flavor of wheat malts with a hint of grainy sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of pomegranate + tart cherry. Minimal amount of bitterness and only the lightest amount of tartness in the finish which does not linger. 5.0% - Only at SL Brewing Co.

SL Brewing - Hef Baum: Missed this new wheat beer. 5.0% only at SL Brewing Co.

Talisman - Mama Jo's StrawBEERy Margarita Gose: If you liked the last margarita gose you are going to LOVE this one! The perfect amount of fresh strawberry flavor and it makes the color beautiful! 5.0% - Only at Talisman.

Proper - Purple Rain: Missed this new Helles. 5.0% 

Mountain West - Cider for ALS: Missed this new cider that was created by cider maker Marcio Buffolo, who tragically lost his brother to ALS in 2011, this cider serves as a heartfelt tribute and a way to contribute to the fight against the disease. With flavors of juicy peach, apricot, and hops, Cider for ALS embodies the spirit and zest for life that Marcio's brother, Luis, possessed. A portion of the proceeds from every purchase of this exceptional cider is donated to the ALS Foundation, making each sip a meaningful act in raising awareness and funding initiatives for finding a cure. 6.5% - Available at Mountain West Cider.

Returning Favorites

Uinta - Port O' Call

Salt Flats - 2 Hops 2 Furious

Bewilder - Cosmic Pop

Hopkins - Irish Red 

TF - Jellyfish

Shades - Kiwi Sour

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 5/19/23

Unless you're you've been living in a cave or are freshly back from your mission It's American Craft Beer Week. This means special beers and events; if you missed my ACBW calendar you can find it here, otherwise, here are my weekly sensory notes on this week's new beers.

Today on Beer Nerd Radio Steph and I are happy Bohemian Brewing is in the Radio Pub. We'll get into Utah's original craft lager haus and Lagerpalooza. What's that? well I guess you'll just have to tune in later today at 2pm on 99.9fm KUAA.

Helper - Schloss Tor Pils: I haven't made down to Helper yet, but the feedback I'm hearing from those who have, is that the beer is brilliant and that pubs in SLC are already lining up for kegs. Can't wait to try this pils. 5.0% - Only at Helper Beer.

Saltfire - Mobius Trip (Blueberry): This foeder aged blueberry sour is deep purple with no head. Mouthwatering fruit & some balsamic vinegar. Taste follows: the blueberry is nice and works well with the sour base, which isn’t too enamel stripping. In fact it’s pretty nice. 8.0% - Available at Saltfire now.

Kiitos - Bitter Bear Brown IPA: More roasty than toasty. Aggressively hopped and it’s pine forward for sure. Probably too much chocolate/black patent malt??? Dunno. It’s good, but not great. 5.0%

Salt Lake Brewing - Creator Kölsch: Opens with lots of bread-like malt and abundant citrus and floral hops. The hops strike me as being a bit more aggressive than in traditional German example, but this is very good, nonetheless.The malt and hops strike a harmonious balance throughout the taste. Finishes with a mild citric and floral bitterness, and a flourish of sweet malt. 5.0% - Only at SL Brewing.

Squatters - Pink Boots (Healthy Boundaries): This Pink Boots entry from Squatters is a black IPA. True to style. Plenty of roasty malts with some caramel. The hops - combined with the roastier flavors from the malts come across piney and herbal with a hint of citrus peel in the finish. If you’re a fan of the style, you’ll dig this. 5.0% - Available at Wasatch PC and Wasatch Squatters SLC.

Wasatch - Women of Wasatch Imperial Hazy: Citrus and melon for sure. The can says 20 IBUs, tastes 40. Creamy mouthfeel with some herbal zap. I said I wouldn’t be able to finish all 16 oz. of this 9% beer. I lied. Available at Wasatch PC and Wasatch Squatters SLC.

Wasatch - South Island Blonde: Peach and melon flavors in a light bodied southern equator blonde ale. 5.0% - Available at Wasatch PC and Wasatch Squatters SLC.

Strap Tank - Orange Hopsicle: This hazy pale ale was brewed with lactose sugar and an insane amount of Mandarina Bavaria and Citra hops, giving it a burst of orange flavor and aroma. The brewers added sweet orange peel and vanilla to give it that classic creamsicle taste. 5.0% - Available at Strap Tank in Lehi. 

Saison Dupont: Well, it's about damn time that this saison made it into our market. In my opinion this is the best saison you'll find. 

It pours quite clear, rouse the bottle or can if you like it a bit more cloudy. Excellent head retention. The nose has lots of clove, grass, bubble gum and it's quite lemony with a bit of funk. Very drinkable and refrshing, super dry. This is so thirst-quenching. The flavors very much follow the nose. There is the slightest amount of acidity, which is nice. The finish is moderately bitter with tons of lemon pith and peppery notes. I think that the addition of the sediment gives a creamier mouthfeel and also a slightly more bitter finish and also greater complexity of flavors. Alcohol is almost undetectable. There's a reason why this beer is considered to be the classic representative of its style. Even when I'm not in a saison mood, I can easy slide into this beer. Very well made and highly enjoyable. 6.5% - Found at the Bayou and select DABS.

Equilibrium - Laboratory Dynamics: This Double IPA has aromas of  mango, tropical nectar, lime spritz, and grass building up into chewy flavors of mango smoothie, fresh squeezed pulpy OJ, lime gummies, and a thick tropical custard creamsicle mouthfeel. Flavors are explosive with a chewy liquid fruit cup mouthfeel and an escalating melon finish. 8.5% - Found at Slackwater and The Bayou.

Equilibrium - Energy Equals: This Double IPA has flavor characteristics of mango, pineapple, citrus, and apricot. With the new hopping techniques adding a deeper flavor profile while being extremely bright and lighter in body. It’s extremely crushable with a juicy finish. 8.0% - Found at Slackwater and The Bayou.

Equilibrium - Ocean Vibes: This Double IPA has a hazy opaque bright yellow appearance. It's bursting with tropical notes and flavors of guava, pineapple, bright clementine and a touch of island coconut from Sabro hops. The velvety mouthfeel is creamy with (lactose) a hint of chewiness and reminiscent of a tropical flavored push-pop crossed with a juicy finish. 8.0% - Found at Slackwater

Revision - Creative Alternatives: This Double IPA features Mosaic and Strata hops and offers up flavor and aromas suggesting papaya and passion fruit. 8.2%

Lumberbeard - Flavor Nuggets V10: Version 10 of this Hazy IPA features Eclipse, Mosaic and Citra hops. 6.8% - Found at Slackwater.

Falling Knife - All Sunshine: Missed this Double Hazy IPA that features DDH Citra and Cryo Citra. 8.1%

Here are this week's Small Batch Beers from Hopkins Brewing

Cheers!

American Craft Beer Week 2023

American Craft Beer Week is here! Normally you'd see full calendar of specials and events here, but this years Craft Brewers Conference and World Beer Cup forced brewers to divide their resources, sadly this means things are a bit diminished. 

That doesn't mean there's nothing happening.  

Salt Lake Brewing Company has 12 ounce drafts for $3.50 all week!

Thursday through Sunday Wasatch/Squatters (1763 S 300 W, Salt Lake City) will have the chocolate and beer flight pairing with the chocolates from Millcreek Cacao. Keep an eye on their social media for more details. 

Templin Family Brewery - Meet the Brewers! 6-9 PM, Thursday, May 18th. Hang with the TF fam and get to know the guys behind your favorite beers. Roadhouse Brewing, out of Jackson, WY, is here working on a collaboration beer for TF's Zoig series-meet them too! Roadhouse iust won a silver medal at the World Beer Cup, so there's a lot to celebrate. 

Thursday Beer Releases

Saltfire - Mobius Trip (Blueberry).

Proper - Special limited edition drafts.

Shades - Sounds Gay, I'm In: This prickly pear sour ale returns.

Kiitos - Bitter Bear Brown IPA: Currently for sale.

Kiittos - Big Gay Ale returns: Currently for sale.

Squatters - Pink Boots (Healthy Boundaries): This Pink Boots entry from Squatters is a black IPA. Wahoo!

Salt Lake Brewing - Creator Kölsch debuts.

Heber Valley - Berry Pour (Blueberry and Vanilla notes).

Red Rock Fashion Place $3 Drafts: Every day there's a special $3 draft.

Thursday - Grand Bavaria

Friday - Zwickelbier

Saturday - Zomby Woof

Sunday - Monkey Mind

Red Rock - Food and Beer Pairing: Two amazing food and beer pairing events happening this Friday at their Downtown and Park City locations in honor of American Craft Beer Week! Follow the link redrockbrewing.com/craft-beer-week-2023

SLC Pub, Cameron will host a class featuring fancy grilled cheese sandwiches paired with some of our best beers and an open discussion about beer and its history!

Friday May 19th at 3pm. Price is $40

At Red Rock Junction Restaurant & Brew. Pub, Sean will host a three-course meal where guests will learn about beer styles and food pairings while tasting the delicious combinations provided. For course one, enjoy prosciutto wrapped tomato and fresh mozzarella, paired with Fröhlich Pils. Course two features a choice of Red Rock Burger or Baked Goat Cheese Salad with Elephino or IPA Junior. Then indulge in a slice of carrot cake with Blackalicious Baltic Porter or Shabop Fruited Sour for course three. Friday May 19th at 12pm. Price is $65

Lagerpalooza - All Lager Beer Festival and Homebrew Competition: Come try last year's winning Best of Show lager made by Bohemian Brewing, along with some of the finest locally made lagers from some of your favorite breweries. 12-6pm at Bohemian Brewing. 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale. 

The Beer Festival at Slick Rock: The inaugural Slick Rock Beer Fest is happening Saturday May 20 in Moab and will feature beers from breweries like - Proper Brewing, Moab, Talisman, KiiTOS, Shades, UTOG, Silver Reef, Firestone Walker, Left Hand, Denver Beer Company, Lagunitas, Deschutes, SaltFire, Mountain West Cider, Sapporo, Kirin, Carlsberg, Pilsner Urquell, Kokanee, Stella Artois, Samuel Smith, Pacifico, Corona, Modelo and Kettlehouse. Tickets available here. https://cwstore.cityweekly.net/EventMicroSite/12240 

If I missed something please let me know.

New Beer Friday 5/12/23

I took this photo a few years ago of Bud Light Truck loosing control, then going down a hill to rest in a ward house parking lot. Never has there been so much spilt beer at a ward. It was a bit of a slow week, due to many of our local brewers being out of town at the Craft Brewers Conference and World Beer Cup. But we managed to dig up a few great new beers to help make this gorgeous weekend even better.

Speaking of World Beer Cup, this week on Beer Nerd Radio we'll get into beer competitions with Brittany Watts and Kyle Luce of TF Brewing. It all starts at 2pm on 99.9fm KUAA. 

TF - Superdelic: This Imperial Hazy India Pale Ale pours a turbid yellow-tinted gold color with fantastic lacing of white foam. Taste is juicy mango, orange, melon, peach, pear. Alcohol sweetness is noticeable but balanced by spicy bitter pine. Easy to drink for the abv. Another solid beer from TF. 8.5% - Available at TF starting today.

Offset - Funky Table: This is a small offering of mixed fermentation ales to be released a few times a year. Some will be blends, others will be single casks. Some will be dry hopped, others will be fruited. This version has a nice level of funk with notes of lemon, light hay, and bright hop characterCascade we used in the Table Bier portion of this blend. A really refreshing bier with depth and complexity. 5.0% - Only one barrel produced and it's only on draft at Offset Bier.

Offset - Persona: This "new world pilsner" debuts Saturday 5/13. 5.0% - Available at Offset Bier.

Kiitos - Pink Boots (Hopped UP Lager): This is an herbal and melon forward lager, they're a grassy snap as well. It all finishes on the dry/hoppy side. A nice warm weather lager. 5.0% - Available at Kiitos.

Salt Flats - Three On The Tree: This Schwartzbier Very nice. Light cocoa with minimal sweetness. The malts are there, but very subtle. Clean with a minor lingering finish. 5.0% - Available at Salt Flats 

Salt Flats/Uinta - Hop Across the Freeway: Old school pale meets new. Aggressively hopped with some NZ flavors up front, but it finishes with a good dose of TZ in the finish. The bitterness isn't overwhelming, but has yhat DDH feel. 5.0% - Available at Salt Flats and Uinta.

Cheers!

New Beer Cinco De Mayo 2023

I couldn't decide on theme the New beer Friday meme this week: May the 4th, Cinco De Mayo, or May the Sith. I decided to use them all. As toady is Cinco De Mayo you will of course come across an ocean of Mexican themed beers. We'll try to have an in-depth list of what is available, or you can research on your own - which is always more fun.

Beer Nerd Radio was able to snag long time beer/cider/bar/liquor industry insider Erika Palmer. Her experience in Utah's adult beverage scene is unparalleled and we should all learn a lot this afternoon. It starts at 2pm today on 99.9fm KUAA.

 
Offset - India Pale Ale: This IPA features NZ Southern Cross, Centennial Incognito, Citra, Columbus and Waimea Sub Zero Hop Kief. Do we have your attention? Pours cloudy gold with an inch of white head. Minimal retention or lacing. Pungent stone fruit and citrus in the nose. Unripe peach, tangerine, grapefruit, mango. Medium bodied with a soft, slickish mouthfeel. Tacky. Candied peach, mango, and orange on the palate. Finishes a bit sweet with minimal bitterness and lingering candied citrus. Vaiable at Offset, The Bayou, Beerhive

SL Brewing - Cerveza De Cardenas: A half step darker than most I've tried, but nicely finished. The aroma and flavor feature a little sweet caramelized malt, a faint whiff of brown sugar, possibly some maize sweetness, and a nice aromatic lager yeast strain. Even though it has all of those flavors—mild citrus, some roasted malt, a strong honey vibe, a light cardboard layer that I kind of enjoy, toffee—it isn't particularly sweet. Although it has more substance than most, the yeast effectively dries it out, making it an easy drinker. 5.0% - Only at SL Brewing.

Bewilder - Cerveza De Mayo: Pale yellow bubbly pour with a white cap. Corn, flowers, grass, lemon zest, bright cracker, and lager malt make up the nose. Taste is much the same plus some honey and pear in the middle of the corn, end is sneaky grass dominated. Feel is light and bright with considerable carbonation, malt transcends this however to provide enough backbone to not thin out the body, crushable. Really nice Mexican lager. 4.7% Debuts today at Bewilder. 

Bewilder - Vienna: Pours a clear copper/amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a light layer. Aroma of grainy, slightly toasty bready malt, grassy, herbal, spicy, and herbal notes, faintly fruity, and a touch of honey sweetness. first swig is bready slightly toasty malt, a bit grainy, spicy, herbal, grassy, and earthy notes, a little fruity towards the back end, pear and apricot, and touch of honey sweetness. This is a great representation of the style. 5.0% - Only at Bewilder.

UTOG - HOLA! Cerveza: Missed this New Mexican-style lager. 5.0% - Available at UTOG.

Chappell - SPLOOSH: “sploosh” - Pam Poovey. This sour ale is berry murky in color with vague unripened berry flavors (it's blackberry). The cookies come-off like cereal grains and…. cookies. If your a fan of the FX show Archer, this May all make more sense. 5.0% - Only at Chappell.

Proper - Midnight Especial: Deep brown body, clear; thick and lasting head, soft and billowy. Excellent roasted grain smell with a dusting of cocoa. The flavor mirrors the smell with additional notes of light sweet chocolate and a quiet hop bitterness offsetting the sweetness. Medium mouthfeel, smooth and rich; semi-sweet overall.

Mason - Ricochet: This is the next installment of Mason's Immortal series. This hazy DIPA is packed full of Mosaic and Citra hops. Found at the Bayou. 8.0%

Mason - Millennial Falcon: A galactic DDH West Coast IPA with Citra and Mosaic. Pours a completely hazy light and pale yellow color. Strong aromas of orange, tangerine, apricot. Strong flavors of orange and tangerine, sweet melon and apricot. Juicy and sweet. Heavier-bodied, moderate carbonation. Sweet apricot lingers on the finish. 6.5%

Mason - Respeto: Missed this New Mexican-style lager. 4.5% - Found at Slackwater.

LumberBread - Dope Sauce: This Hazy IPA is brewed with Nelson Sauvin, Idaho Gem and Azalea hops. Look for aromas of white peach and limeade with flavors of pineapple and subtle cherry. 7.2% - Found at the Bayou.

Boulevard - Proper Pour (2023): This Imperial stout is part of Boulevards wine-barrel-finished, barrel-aged series. Look for a backbone of bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout, aged for an excess of 6 months. The base beer was finished in fresh Cabernet barrels, imparting the French oak wine barrel nuances of vanilla, blackcurrant, and tobacco. 12.6% - Found at Slackwater.

Other returning Mexican themed/style local beers.

Epic - Los Locos Mexican-style Lager 

Epic - Horchata Cream Ale

Ogden Beer - Cultura Cerveza

Cerveza Zólupez - Zólupez IPA

Cerveza Zólupez - Zólupez Amber Ale 

Cerveza Zólupez - Zólupez Golden Ale

Cerveza Zólupez - Zólupez Lager Mexicano

RoHa - Lone Ranger Mexican-style Lager

Salt Flats - Baja Mexican Ale

Strap Tank - Ricardo Negra

Saltfire - Main Street Mexican Lager

Salt Lake Brewing - Acapulco Gold

Hopkins - Pico Rico

Fisher - Cerveza

Bohemian - Sir-Veza

Shades - Mexican Lager

Bewilder - El Guopo

TF - Mexican Style Lager

I'm sure I missed someone, hit me up please for the correction.

Now, here Arte this week's Small Batch Beer from Hopkins Brewing.

Salud!