End of October Seasonal Brews

Here's a list of Brewpub seasonal brews available right now throughout the Wasatch Front & Back. There's some great stuff out there. Check 'em out!

Desert Edge Brewery: Shot in the Dark Coffee Stout.
Brewmaster Chris Haas describes it as a slightly sweeter stout with the addition of 15 gallons of freshly brewed coffee to it. "It gives it a real coffee aroma and flavor." The fresh-roasted beans come from Utah's Millcreek Coffee. It's served on a nitrogen tap which makes it creamy and smooth to drink. $4.25 a pint.

Roosters Brewing Co: Indian Summer Nut Brown Ale.
This is a medium-bodied, amber-colored beer it has a somewhat nutty flavor that comes from a "healthy dose of Victory malt," said head brewer Steve Kirkland. "It's been an annual favorite at the brewery for years." $2 for pint during November; $4 afterward.

Ruby River Steakhouse and Brewery: Autumn Amber.
Head brewer Rob Bunn uses special hops and yeast from Germany for this Marzen-style beer. It has a reddish hue and is malty with caramel undertones. "It's real basic, but it's one of my favorite styles," he said. $3 a pint.

Wasatch Brewpub: Pumpkin Ale.
Brewmaster Matt Beamer describes it like this "We are using real pumpkin in the mash along with all those fall spices everyone loves, like cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg,". The ale is unfiltered with an orange hue. "It's super drinkable, like liquid pumpkin pie." Look for it on the nitro tap soon. $3.50 for 12 ounce glass; $4.50 20 ounces.

Hoppers Brewpub: Face Plant Wheat.
"As German-styled wheat beers go, this one is on the milder side with soft banana aromas and flavors and mild spices like clove and nutmeg," said head brewer Donovan Steele. "Some people might notice a bubble gum flavor as it warms." Of course, these ingredients are not put in the beer, but are the by-products of the traditional German Wheat yeast strain used to ferment the beer. Face Plant, a tie-in to the upcoming ski season, is an "easy drinking beer" and one that goes with all types of foods, Steele said. $4 for a pint.

Squatters Brew Pub: Black Forest Schwarzbeir.
"This German dark lager has a medium body and a roast malt flavor. While it's a dark beer, it's not heavy and is easily drinkable" said brew master Jen Talley. The beer, a perennial customer favorite, is one of Squatters' most decorated beers. It has won gold, silver and bronze medals several times at the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival. Also available at Squatters' Roadhouse Grill in Park City. $4.79 for an 18 ounce glass.

RedRock Brewpub: Wet Hopped Pale Ale.
Brewmaster Kevin Templin, was inspired by a trip to the local High Desert Hop Farm. So, he harvested loads of Cascade and Columbus hops and rushed them into the brewery. Thus was born our Wet Hopped Pale Ale. An organic brew made from fresh, locally-grown hops. This unfiltered ale is medium amber in color. $4.50 a pint

The seasonal taps don't last long, so get on it.

Cheers!

Photo courtesy: Katie Panzer

Hard Times Ale

Coming next week, Roosters in Ogden is offering up Hard Times Ale. It is a no-nonsense, no-frills, bare-bones brew to help craft brew lovers get through these tough economic times. Brewmaster Steve Kirkland, waived his salary for a day and brewed a special beer using a less expensive malt and hop bill recipe than his other beers and plan to pass the savings on to friends of Roosters. That'd be you!

Hard Times Ale is light in body (though not a "lite" beer) and very drinkable. My guess is that It'll go down much easier than the stock market. Hard Times Ale, A Brew to Get You Through!

Also on tap at Roosters in Ogden and Layton:
-Irish Stout. Brewed with a peated Malt which has the smoke of a peat fire passed through it
to impart a smoky quality to the grain and a taste of The Ol' Sod.
-Deep Powder Dortmunder. A golden lager with low hop and a dry, bread like flavor.
Cheers!

Rude Ram Red at Roosters

To honor the dedication and respect between the Air Force and the public. Rooster's in Layton has concocted a new beer. Rude Ram Red is named for Hill AFB's 34th fighter squadron. Tom "Divot" Smith, Squadron Commander and F-16 fighter pilot has been rallying for two years for Roosters to brew up a unique beer for the Rude Rams and to reciprocate the ram's presented Roosters with a with a large portrait of one of the Ram's F-16's flying over Iraq with the Roosters logo in the window. The portrait displayed prominently in the lobby at Rooster's Layton Brewpub.

Although Roosters can't brew a beer for every squadron or unit on base, it shows an amount of respect and appreciation through small things, that come from a sense of community between Hill Air Force Base and the community it's apart of. Rude Ram Red is on tap now only at the Layton brewpub. Cheers!

New at Roosters

Roosters has some seasonal brews worth checking out.

The Holiday Rosemary Porter pours a dark ebony brown with a sturdy finger of foam. The nose is of roasted malts and rosemary. A little buttery as well. The taste starts with roasted malt and caramel. next comes the rosemary and hints of cinnamon. the end has a slight piney bite. The finish was a little on the dry side. Mouthfeel is on the thin-side of medium. A unique, but tasty spiced porter. 4.0% abv.

Also available on tap is the Deep Powder Dortmunder. I love Dortmunder's, they hail from all places Dortmunder, Germany! They're typically pale golden lagers with classic a clean character. Look for notes of biscuity malts, moderate bitterness and an overall dry tone.

Deep Powder Dortmunder pours a clear golden yellow with a thick one finger white head. The nose is malty and grassy with a bit of a sour funk. Taste is nice, malty sweet at first then dry grains come next. Grassy hops and a bit of citrus round out the end. The finish is bitter and dry. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side. 4.0% abv. A nice session lager.

Available on tap at the Ogden and Layton Brewpubs. Cheers!

Roosters' Seasonals

Steve Kirkland Brewmaster over at Roosters has got a few seasonals coming to their Ogden and Layton locations. Both brew pubs are currently serving a Nut Brown Ale, a fall favorite, nuttified with a healthy dose of Victory malt from Briess. Pours a nice cloudy brownish color with a firm creamy tan head. The nose is sweet with roasted caramel malts. The taste is maltly with a nice nuttiness. the finish is is slightly piney.

Steve Also has his "Nein, Aber Ich Habe Drie Schwestern Dunkel Weizen". Man, you'll need a beer after trying to spew that name out! Steve said that he wanted to give this brew a "traditional" German name, so he used the only phrase he was able to remember from high school German class, which means “No, but I have three sisters.” Damn Steve, that class sounds like it must have been a real yawner. I think we are all grateful you didn't take Russian! Anyway, his Dunkel is a creamy lager blending the goodness of wheat and roasted malts. Pours an opaque brown with an inch of tan foam. The nose is malty with toffee and caramel. The taste is very malty with, caramel, banana and toffee. The finish is nicely hopped.

And coming in next couple weeks, Steve will be offering-up his unique Holiday Rosemary Porter which uses fresh rosemary at the end of the boil as well as a “dry-hopping” in the fermenter. Also, after the Dunkel is gone, he'll be serving the Deep Powder Dortmunder, a very crisp, blond lager. This is a good time to get your asses into Davis and Weber Counties and try these beers! If that's not an option for you, the Bayou also pours Roosters' seasonals. Cheers!