CW's Beer Issue on the year in booze news, new taps to try and the 13th annual Utah Beer Festival 

• Cover design by Derek Carlisle

Each year, before penning the intro to the annual City Weekly Beer Issue, I take a minute to read through previous editions and refresh my memory of where we've been in an attempt to better understand where we're at and where we're headed. In the context of that exercise, 2023 is looking pretty good.

In 2021—my first year as news editor—I remarked on the Utah Beer Festival returning after a two-year COVID-imposed hiatus. And in 2022, I opened with the record-breaking heat and aridity that Utahns were suffering through on the long, slow march to winter.

This year, the heat is still turned up to 11 but so is the water—there might even be some lingering snow left in our alpine peaks if the shocking monsoon rains of the past couple weeks didn't wipe it out for good. In 2022, we drank to survive, but now we can get back to drinking for leisure—like a rising tide, higher groundwater lifts all ships.

There's good news from our friends in the beverage industry as well. New leadership and direction at the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverages Services (née "Control") has proprietors feeling cautiously optimistic about their government partners. And the local market is increasingly diversifying with new breweries and taprooms in new parts of the state, offering fertile ground for experimentation, collaboration and innovation, plus some great places to just throw back a cold one.

Here at City Weekly, we're gearing up for the 13th anniversary of the Utah Beer Festival—our state's premiere event for those who imbibe—and at the risk of jinxing myself, 13 is looking to be a lucky-number year. With the festival's new location at Granary Live, this year's event will spread out on both sides of 500 West, offering bigger and better space for the more than 60 breweries sampling more than 250 different types of beer, cider and seltzer, plus live music, trivia and other entertainment and vendors across two days of partying in the Granary District.

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After so much, seemingly endless upheaval, we're all due for a lucky-number year. So here's to you, dear reader; may this issue find you well-hydrated, well-rested and with a glass that is always half-full (if not, we'll get you refilled lickity-split).

—Benjamin Wood

• Courtesy Photo
• Helper Beer owner and brewer Jaron Anderson

Beer Nerd Mike Riedel breaks down the new and notable developments in Utah brewing
Beer Issue 2023
By Mike Riedel

We've seen some changes in Utah's craft beer scene in the year since City Weekly's 2022 Beer Issue. New breweries have opened, some have closed and one was resurrected. It's been an interesting year to say the least, in a city with strong craft beer roots.

Below, I break down the latest developments around brewing in the Beehive State.

The Best Helper Ever
Salt Lake City is the primary hub of activity in regard to Utah's local craft beer scene—with a dozen breweries and brewpubs in the city alone. But the enthusiasm for it all isn't limited to within the boundaries of the Wasatch Front.

Rural communities from across the state are discovering the social and economic benefits of having a craft beer purveyor in the area. Helper Beer is the latest such brewery to open up in a region that has been craving local suds for quite some time now.

Jaron Anderson—Helper Beer's owner and head brewer—has spent the past 16 years honing his craft. After learning under the tutelage of Kevin Templin at Red Rock Brewery, then later at the Templin Family [TF] Brewing, his dream could finally become a reality.

"I learned everything I know about brewing from Kevin Templin," Anderson said. "I owe him everything because of that."

Templin had built a strong reputation nationally and here in Utah, known for his flavorful and meticulous techniques. Anderson knew his experience would get Helper Beer started on the right foot.

"When I started at TF, I had already decided that I was going to start my own brewery, so I approached the work differently," Anderson said. "I wasn't just clocking in to make beer. I took it upon myself to learn about the business of brewing and get familiar with the lesser-known processes that I hadn't experienced before."

Not all bosses are keen on helping employees start up a competing business. So, how did that work out, I asked? "Kevin always knew that I was planning on starting my own place, and he did a lot to help prepare me," Anderson said. "But it was hard to leave after working with a good friend for so long."

Many people are familiar with the town of Helper, but few have spent time there. For most, it's a town you drive through on Highway 6 while heading to and from Moab. It has a charming and historic Main Street that celebrates its rich mining and railroad history.

"Two of my friends moved out here and, after visiting them over the course of five years, we just fell in love with the town," Anderson said. "During the big solar eclipse of 2017, we had a quasi-religious experience while we were here in Helper. That's when my wife and I actually committed to doing it."

In Utah, there's no shortage of communities that shun adult beverages, let alone manufacturers. So, was the Helper community open to having having a brewery in its midst? "The city has been 100% on our side the whole time we started this," Anderson exclaimed. "Every time we've needed something, they've worked with us to help us get it done. We even got them to modify an ancient city liquor ordinance to align more with the state's code so we could get the brewery going."

Location, location, location! That mantra is beaten into anyone considering opening up a business. The best building on the wrong property could be disastrous. None of that was lost on the Helper Beer team.

"At the time we were thinking of moving here, the town was all boarded up—revitalization was just starting to happen, and we thought this might be the right time to make our move," Anderson said. "We looked at a lot of the older buildings in downtown Helper that were really cool but just too cost prohibitive to renovate into what we needed. Then we found an old antique store just off the freeway that was perfect for our needs. It was available, and we bought it."

The brewery, with its white facade and desert-themed exterior, is small enough to maintain a pub feel, but big enough to brew up beer for the locals and for travelers who are just passing through.

"We have a 10-barrel brew house and six 10-barrel fermenters—two of those are horizontal lagering tanks," Anderson said.

You might think there'd be a limited selection from a brewpub in a small town, but the Helper taps are fat with a dozen beers. "We have 11 beers on draft right now, with a West Coast IPA called Circle Back in cans [at 7% ABV] with a hazy IPA on the way soon," Anderson said.

People's tastes in beer vary from house to house, and those variations can get broader when you go from community to community. So, what do the people of Castle Country prefer?

"The people in Helper seem to like dark beer, so we keep a nitro stout on tap. But, you also have your Bud and Coors drinkers, so I created what is probably our flagship beer, an American light lager called Helper Beer," Anderson said. "It's quite delicious and crushable. Then again, they love the weisse-bier and the pale ale, too, so I'd say the tastes here are about the same as they are in Salt Lake."

More Helper beer will be making its way around the state. The brewery's ability to can beers has already been established, and, soon, you may see some of their brews in DABS stores. For now, Helper Beer, along with its pizza oven, will continue to offer world-class beers in a not-too-stuffy manner.

"People tend to over-intellectualize craft beer sometimes, and that's fine by me," Anderson said. "I'm all about combining the art and science of it all—it's a way to express my creative side without overthinking it."
159 N. Main St., Helper
435-472-2337
helperbeer.com

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• Courtesy Photo
• Epic Brewing co-founder and co-owner Dave Cole

Epic Focusing on Utah
Back in 2009, something unusual happened that changed the course of Utah's beer industry forever. A new state ordinance was added to the books that allowed beer manufacturers to sell "high point" beer (beer above 4% alcohol by volume, or ABV) directly from breweries, in what is called a Class 5 package agency. This gave breweries the ability to operate as agents of the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS).

Right out of the gate, Epic Brewing Co. seized on the opportunity to test these new waters with a brewery concept that hadn't been tried before in Utah: to make only high-point beer and sell it directly to consumers on premises. Their model was successful, and the Utah-born suds gained acclaim and praise within and outside of Utah. It was time for a second brewery to keep up with demand.

"We looked to Utah to build a second brewery, but the political situation at the time wouldn't have offered us the opportunity to grow as we'd like," said Dave Cole, co-founder of Epic Brewing. "We also looked at California and other places, and then Denver came up."

There's a misconception that Epic was relocating their headquarters to Denver because the Colorado capital city is a beer-friendly town, and the brewery was much larger than the one in Salt lake City. Cole insists that this was not the case. "Salt Lake has always been the base of operations," he said. "Denver offered us a lot of opportunities to expand our production and distribution, but our home has always been Salt Lake."

In 2013, Denver had—and still has—a very saturated beer market. There are more breweries in that one town than there is in all of Utah combined. Moving there couldn't have been an easy business plan.

"We looked at downtown Denver, and couldn't find what we needed real estate-wise," Cole said. "But this brewery had just opened-up in an old part of Denver called River North [RiNo] and we saw that as a new, up-and-coming area that would fit our needs."

The gamble that Cole and his partner, Peter Erickson, took paid off, and RiNo became the new hot spot in town. "The brewery was doing great; the taproom was full. More breweries moved into the area," Cole said. "We were happy with our choice, to say the least."

The Salt Lake and Denver breweries flourished for much of the 2010s. "At our peak, I'd say we were in close to 30 states, Japan and parts of Europe," Cole said. "We could do 30,000 to 35,000 barrels a year out of there. We never reached that, but it gave us the ability to increase our distribution network."

Then the pandemic hit. And like every other business in the world, Epic took the hit.

"We noticed draft beer sales were starting to slow before the pandemic. Then it hit, and it magnified all of those issues dramatically," Cole said. "At that time, kegged beer was more than 50% of our sales from both Utah and Colorado—with the majority of draft beer coming out of Denver. The pandemic just turned those spigots off, and nobody was buying kegs anymore."

As businesses slowly began to reopen, there was a visible change in the beer markets. "When distributors started opening back up, and they weren't buying many kegs, we started to see the writing on the wall," Cole said. "We made the decision early last year [2022] that it was probably time to get out of Denver. The bright side for us in all of this was that real estate value in that area was really high, and we had a few interested parties looking at the property."

Epic's final days brewing in Denver came about earlier this year, though the brewery still has a distribution presence in the Colorado market. "Peter and I are pretty dedicated to Epic," Cole said. "When we had a lot of success, we didn't do too many crazy things and didn't overextend ourselves like many breweries did. So all in all, we're still in a very good position."

That's great news for a local business to share after coming out of the pandemic, but now there's the present and the future to deal with.

"We're still making great beer—our Chasing Ghosts IPA is doing phenomenally—but we're keeping our eyes on the markets to see if the competitive landscape will continue to be less competitive or not. It's going to take time, but we're here for the long haul," he said.

Though Epic can still be found in a few states besides Utah, Cole says the Beehive State is its priority. "We're working on some cool new products for Utah that will be designed for our market," he said. "Utah is our focus. This is our home, and our priority. That will include enhancing our brewery on State Street to make it a better experience for our customers."

With new, old and classic offerings to take Epic into the future, the brewing company's outlook is strong. "Our Peach Cream Ale is doing phenomenally, along with our new Double Cross Ale—and our Big Bad Baptist series will be moving to cans this year for the first time," Cole said. "Now it's all about concentrating on the things that are working while imagining new and interesting stuff for the near future."
825 S. State, SLC
801-906-0123
epicbrewing.com

• Courtesy Photo
• Salt Lake Brewing Co. head brewer Jason Stock

Jason Stock's Excellent Adventure
Prepare yourselves for a tale of rebirth and corporate chaos as Jason Stock, head brewer for Squatters/SaltLake Brewing Co., walks us through the history and process of turning his once local brewpub back into a local brewpub.

In June 2000, Stock began his decades-long career at Salt Lake City's oldest craft brewpub: Squatters.

"When I started here 23 years ago, the craft beer scene was so much different," Stock said. "We were making a classic style of 4% beer only and winning a lot of awards under head brewer Jenny Talley. It was a lot of fun, and I was just happy to be making beer in the background."

Then, in 2009, something changed in Stock's personal and professional life, when a life-changing beer came into his life: "Oh God," he said, "the Hop Rising thing came about."

Hop Rising is a double IPA that, over the years, has become the state's highest-selling craft beer in state liquor stores. The label prominently features Stock as a hop farmer with his lengthy trademark beard along with a massive hop cone stuck on a pitch fork.

"I'm a little awkward talking about it," Stock said. "It was a little weird to be thrust into this bit of local celebrity. I've never looked for that kind of attention."

Not only was Stock's image on bottles and cans but also on banners and billboards across multiple states. "It was so strange," Stock reflects. "I was at the grocery store with my kids one day, and someone squealed to see the 'Hop Rising guy.' Sadly, it's mostly middle-aged men."

Fame aside—Stock's mentor, Jenny Talley, had moved on to further her career elsewhere, and Stock was tapped to be the new head brewer.

"It was weird, but it also opened up a lot of cool opportunities for me," he said. "We continued with some of the special beers like 5th Element and Outer Darkness, but as some of the brands began to find an audience, they would find their way out of my hands to be produced at the Utah Brewers Cooperative."

The Brewers Cooperative—or UBC, as it was known— brews on a much larger scale than Stock's comparatively tiny 10-barrel brewhouse. A few years later, more change was coming.

In 2012, Fireman Capital Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm, acquired a majority stake in the Utah Brewers Cooperative, a move that would change the direction of Squatters for years to come.

"This was the beginning of major changes in many aspects of my work life and the direction of some of the beers," Stock said.

Now, you may or may not know this, but Salt Lake Brewing Co. has always been the official name (on paper) of the brewpub known as Squatters. It's been prominently displayed over the doors since the brewpub opened in 1989.

When the Utah Brewers Cooperative—a Wasatch and Squatters partnership—was acquired by Fireman Capital, it was the beginning of a rollercoaster of acquisitions that kept Squatters and Wasatch bouncing around for a solid decade. Fireman Capital later acquired five other breweries and created a brewing collective known as CANarchy that included such craft breweries as Cigar City and Oskar Blues. Then, early in 2022, Monster Beverage (makers of Monster Energy drinks) reached an agreement to acquire CANarchy, which would become the arm of their new craft beer and hard seltzer division.

Stay with me, because here is where it gets good. In purchasing CANarchy, Monster acquired many restaurants and brewpubs that they really had no interest in owning. Monster had no desire to be in the retail food business and didn't have much need for the small brew houses attached to them. So, they slowly began selling them off.

First to go was the restaurants. Locally, all of the pubs that bear the names Squatters and Wasatch were reacquired by their original owners: Peter Cole, Jeff Polychronis and Greg Schirf.

I should note that these gentlemen have always owned the business properties and the buildings they're in. The only things sold in the earliest stages of these buyouts from the above-mentioned owners were the branding and brewing equipment.

So when Monster was ready to sell the brewing equipment that was already inside of the Squatters pub in downtown SLC, nothing really changed but the ownership on paper. Monster still owns the names "Squatters" and "Wasatch," along with some of the branding.

Today, when you go to Squatters Brewpub in Salt Lake, you're technically not going to Squatters. You are visiting Salt Lake Brewing Co. Yes, everything inside-and-out screams Squatters—however, you'll notice that the beer brewed in-house is made by Salt Lake Brewing. You will also find some draft and cans of Squatters beers as well, but those are made by Monster Beverage at what was formerly the Utah Brewers Cooperative.

"I'm literally entwined with this building," Stock chuckled. "There's a mural of my face on the side of this building that I didn't ask for, but my likeness is still there along with some of the cans and bottles you may have seen over the years".

So after a decade of moving around, never leaving the building he's always worked in, Stock finds himself back where it all started.

"We're doing our best to differentiate the new beers from the old," Stock said. "My entire brewing career has been here at this brewpub—it's been fun coming up with a whole new lineup of beers that are all my own."

One of those new beers is Stock's European Vacation, inspired by a recent trip Stock and his wife took to the Czech Republic. The Old World pilsner is something new that his pub has rarely seen.

"Our pals at Strap Tank Brewing happened to have some of the Pilsner Urquell yeast on hand and were happy to share," Stock said. "I had the good Bohemian malt and Saaz hops on hand, a lot of inspiration, and I went for it. I think this one might become a new house beer."

And this story isn't even close to being over. The Wasatch brewery—just the brewhouse, not the restaurant—at the top of Main Street in Park City is still owned by Monster, for now. That may or may not change in the coming months or years.

There's an entire team up there that may find itself in the same situation. For now, Jason Stock is still making fresh, local beers for his newly acquired, old company, at the same address he's always been at, and he couldn't be happier about it.
147 W. 300 South, slc,
801-363-2739,
saltlakebrewingco.com

• John Taylor

How to attend and make the most of the 13th Annual Utah Beer Fest
Beer Issue 2023
By Benjamin Wood

Come one, come all, to the Utah Beer Festival! Running Aug. 19-20 from 2 p.m.-8 p.m. at Granary Live, Utah's best and booziest party is going supersize for its 13th year, straddling two city blocks in one of Salt Lake City's hottest up-and-coming neighborhoods.

Here's everything you need to know in order to make the most of your wet weekend.

Get Your Passport
Find tickets to the Utah Beer Festival online at utahbeerfestival.com or at the door for day-of prices. Weekend passes and single-day entrance are available, with guests able to pre-purchase their drinking passports or refill their punch passes on the premises.

Whether drinking or not, the event is restricted to guests who are age 21 or older. Beer festival passports are required for sampling, and no package sales of alcohol are permitted.

Doors open at 1 p.m. each day for VIP and Early Beer ticket holders, and at 2 p.m. for general admission. The event ends at 8 p.m. both days.

Get to the Venue
Granary Live is located at 742 S. 500 West. Transit is a convenient option, with the Trax Red, Blue and Green lines stopping less than 1 mile away on 200 West between 800 South and 900 South. The regional FrontRunner train also stops within 1 mile of Granary Live at Salt Lake Central Station.

Free bike valet service (tips appreciated) will also be available near the Utah Beer Festival entrance on 500 West. Both 700 South and 800 South are striped with cycling lanes, while the 9-Line multi-use trail is located two blocks south of the event on 900 South.

For those who choose to drive, street and garage parking is available in the surrounding Granary District and adjacent neighborhoods, but 500 West will be blocked off from direct vehicle access and guests are reminded to travel responsibly. The area is also close to downtown and served by Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services.

Get Drinkin'
The 2023 Utah Beer Festival will feature more than 250 different beers, ciders and seltzers from more than 60 breweries, with non-alcoholic beverages also availalbe. More than two dozen Utah brewers will be participating, representing roughly three-fourths of the local beer industry.

Among the first-time participants are Utah's Chappell Brewing, Prodigy Brewing and Helper Brewing, as well as Colorado's Left Hand Brewing and Montana's Kettlehouse Brewing.

Get Dancin'
Granary Live's concert stage will host several live performances during the festival, with music from the Dead Zephyrs and Soul Maloney on Saturday and Makisi and Magda-Vega on Sunday. Other entertainment includes daily trivia, as well as drag bingo and mini golf hosted by the American Cancer Society.

• Michael Easthope
• Certified cicerone Rebecca Cardaccio of Proper Brewing

New to Beer? Find your seat at the bar with this rookie's Beer Bible
Beer Issue 2023
By Alex Springer

Genesis: I had my first beer after I had my first kid. Not that the latter caused the former in any way—my daughter is and has always been a delightful little soul, and I really like being a dad.

In fact, the only reason I compare the two events is to set the stage for the exploration of beer and other alcoholic beverages that I've been on for the past few years. I didn't have the cocksure experience of adolescence or young adulthood on my side when I started drinking. Instead, I was a 30-something new dad exploring a world that had been expressly verboten for most of my life. Oh, and did I mention that I grew up Mormon?

Once I successfully organized all that emotional baggage, however, I realized that Utah is actually a pretty amazing state to start one's late-stage beer exploration. I had the advantage of putting my Word of Wisdom days behind me while I was scratching the surface of Utah's dining scene as a food writer for the fine publication you hold in your hands.

This gave me an inside track to where I could find the good stuff—the wisdom of age led me down all the right paths, and I had the advantage of cutting my teeth on some of the finest craft brewers in town. I suppose I owe a lot of that to the City Weekly Beer Fest.

I was volunteering at City Weekly's Pressbackers booth at a Beer Fest a few years back when I decided to launch my own beer odyssey—not a bad place to start if any of you readers are in a similar situation. I bought a roll of tickets and worked my way around the various vendor booths to determine what I liked and what I didn't like.

My years of writing about restaurants had honed my palate and there was a point when I realized that sniffing out a good beer is comparable to sniffing out a good empanada—I just had to maintain an open mind and listen to my gut.

The details of this experience are a bit fuzzy for obvious reasons, but I came away from that event with new and seemingly forbidden knowledge. I had grown up thinking that beer would put me on a debauched trajectory straight into the arms of Lucifer himself. Instead, I realized that I was on the precipice of something rare and beautiful. Here I was, a dude in his mid-30s who was too lame to see beer as a party supplement, stumbling upon a new frontier of flavors, textures and colors.

It's like giving a Seattle grunge historian who had somehow overlooked Nirvana the opportunity to hear Kurt Cobain's sandpaper vocals as he rips through "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time.

Since that point, drinking beer has been more educational than anything—I'm a food writer first and foremost, so the opportunity to try flavor combos that I've never tried before is irresistible. I am by no means an expert on beer—I leave that to my fellow City Weekly columnist Mike Riedel.

But, I have picked up a few pointers for new beer drinkers on my own journey and I'm happy to share them with anyone who is curious.

Exodus: My transformative experience at the City Weekly Beer Fest took place around five years ago, and since then, I've maintained an enthusiastic interest in what our local craft brewers are up to. I've gone on brewery tours to see how beer goes from mash to tap, and I've taken every opportunity I could to bring home a six-pack of something new.

I feel like I've got a decent foundation built, but I know my experience and vocabulary is a bit lacking when it comes to discussing beer with those a bit greener to the world of hops, barley and fermentation—which is why I reached out to an expert.

Rebecca Cardaccio, sales director at Proper Brewing Co. (857 S. Main, SLC, 801-953-1707, properbrewingco.com), is one of only two women in Utah to get her Cicerone Certification—which means she knows her shit when it comes to beer.

We met up at Proper Brewing Co. for a tour of their downtown Salt Lake brewery on Main Street and a chat about good entry points for new beer drinkers. Cardaccio's confidence when chatting about Proper's operation is effortless, and her enthusiasm for Proper's roster of beer is as frothy and bubbly as the brewing process itself.

"The more you learn about beer, the more you can pick out what you like," she said as we took our places at Proper's bar for some samples. "Saying you don't like beer is a lot like saying you don't like soup—which doesn't make any sense when you think about it."

At the bar, Cardaccio ordered up five samples that she considered to be good places for a new beer drinker to start at. I'm happy to say that I was familiar with most of them—my beer odyssey has brought me to Proper Brewing Co. on more than one occasion.

We started with SLC Pils, a mild pilsner that borrows its title from the legendary 1998 indie film SLC Punk!—the blue-mohawked silhouette of Matthew Lillard's "Stevo" Levy is even featured on the can. Cardaccio suggests this beer for newbies because pilsners are traditionally on the mild side with less intensity on the hop end.

"Any time you are new to beer, you will want to go with something lighter because it won't be overwhelming and you won't have any trouble discerning flavors," Cardaccio says.

This is definitely a good call. Not only is the SLC Pils forgiving on a new palate, but there is something poetic about a new Utah beer drinker kicking things off with a frustrated counterculture icon like Stevo.

Next up on our flight is the Do Less West Coast India Pale Ale—which you can call an IPA since you're one of the cool kids now. Cardaccio is quick to note that the term "West Coast" simply refers to the locale where the ingredients and recipe inspiration came from. West Coast hops, for example, lean into a more bitter, resin-forward flavor profile.

"IPAs are among the most controversial for new beer drinkers—especially for women," Cardaccio said, before explaining how our hunter/gatherer evolution hardwired women to be a bit more averse to bitter flavors. "As a new beer drinker, the bitterness can cause a lot of people to shy away from IPAs, but you can learn to appreciate the flavor."

A fruity contrast to the West Coast IPA is the Yacht Rock Juice Box. Though it's more hoppy than the Do Less, the bitterness isn't as stark.

Somewhere during this conversation, Cardaccio filled me in on what an IBU—or international bitterness unit—is. You'll see this number on craft beer every now and again, and it's a snapshot of how bitter a beer will be. It's a measurement of the isohumulone levels imparted by the hops in a given beer. So our Do Less sits at 32 IBUs while Yacht Rock has 0 IBUs.

Drinking the Do Less and the Yacht Rock side by side clued me in to the dangers of getting a one-track mind about beer drinking. When you try a type of beer that rubs you the wrong way, it's easy to write off a whole sub-spectrum of beer that might have one or two offerings you could totally dig.

For example, I personally am not the biggest fan of bitterness in my beer, so it was easy for me to say that I didn't really dig IPAs. But the Yacht Rock Juice Box has become one of my favorite summer beers, and I would have missed it completely had I not tried other varieties as part of this little experiment.

From here, Cardaccio suggested Proper's Brunch Beer, a wheat ale made with grapefruit puree. Cardaccio explains that the wheat content makes for a sweeter beer while the addition of grapefruit imparts a nice citrusy highlight.

"How you use fruits and other ingredients can have an interesting effect on the base flavors," Cardaccio says. "A lot of the time, extracts are used in beer which can lead to them being too sweet. When you add fruit to the fermentation process, the yeast just eats the sugar in the fruit, so you're left with a lot of flavor without a lot of sweetness."

Though the Brunch Beer is a bit sweeter because of the wheat, the grapefruit notes come through more crisply and clearly. Definitely something to enjoy with a plate of stuffed French toast or eggs Benedict.

The final beer in our flight was Lake Effect, a Gose ale made with coriander and salt. It's one of Proper's most notable contributions to the local craft beer scene, and it's a great option for those people who like jumping straight into the deep end to start their beer-drinking journey.

"The Gose ale is an old style that has become more popular," Cardaccio says. "It was originally brewed in Leipzig, Germany, and the river where they got their water had a higher salt content, which is what we've re-created here."

Based on our own local history with salty bodies of water, it makes sense to sample a Gose ale produced locally. Whether it will trick your trigger as a new beer drinker is a call only you can make, but I can see the benefits of starting a beer journey here.

"If you're new to drinking, try a lot of different styles and don't let opinions or marketing throw you off track," Cardaccio suggested. "If you go to any brewery in Utah, the bartenders want to talk to you. They spend a lot of time learning about beer and like talking about it. Just go in, don't be scared, and ask for recommendations."

Numbers: To wrap up, I'd like to share a few of the beers that got me off to a good start. Again, we're pretty lucky to have so many great craft breweries in our backyard, so feel free to start here and don't be afraid to do a bit of digging on your own.

• Blackberry Sour

Blackberry Sour
This was the first six-pack of beer I bought, and I mainly did it because I wrote about a pinball championship tournament that was hosted by Kiitos Brewing and recognized the brand. Something about the blackberry in the title made me think this would be an accessible beer, and it turns out I was right.

I had tried kombucha before and thought this beer shared some similarities with the booch, but I appreciated the fact that it was not kombucha. It's a pretty smooth drink, and the blackberry flavor goes well with the overall sourness.
Kiitos Brewing, 608 W. 700 South, SLC
kiitosbrewing.com

• 1841 Viennese Amber Lager

1841 Viennese Amber Lager
I had always imagined what good beer would taste like, and this was the first beer that fit that bill. It's an easy drink with a fluffy head, but the kicker comes on the back end when the flavor of a nice, crisp pretzel hits your tastebuds.

This beer does the trick for me pretty consistently, but if you can manage, snag a pint of this while dining on some pierogi and brats at the brewery itself.
Bohemian Brewery, 94 E. 7200 South, Midvale
bohemianbrewery.com

• Flathead American Lager

Flathead American Lager
While visiting Strap Tank Brewery with a friend, we ordered a few beers before our food arrived. Not really knowing what I was doing, I went with the Flathead because it sounded cool when I ordered it. When it arrived, and I took my first sip, I had to pause mid-conversation to reflect.

This was the first time I had felt refreshed by a beer—like I wasn't fighting it to quench my thirst. I suppose that came from its overall low intensity and accessibility, or simply because it was so cold when it came out of the tap that I couldn't help but be impressed.
Strap Tank Brewery, with locations in Lehi and Springville
straptankbrewery.com

• Lime Pilsner

Lime Pilsner
Admittedly, I first tried this local pilsner at this year's Utah Arts Festival when the heat had reached its apex. Upon downing my first one out of the sheer need for refreshment, I snagged another for a more introspective drink.

The subtle lime flavor blends with the peak of this pilsner's maltiness, and it reaches a point where the beer absolutely sings—especially on a hot day. I've had this one many times since and would definitely recommend it to someone who had started with the Kiitos Blackberry Sour.
Uinta Brewing Co., 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC
uintabrewing.com

Revelations: Those of us who have grown up in Utah often have limited experience tasting or appreciating alcohol. The most important lesson I've learned is to just stick to your guns. You're not going to like everything you try, but don't let that turn you off—and especially don't let what other people think you should like sway your direction.

Just like creating beer, exploring beer is all about experimentation. If you maintain an open mind, Utah is a great place for new beer drinkers to play around.

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• HK Brewing’s taproom pours wine, local beers and “booch” cocktails.

HK Brewing Collective's kombucha offers a low-stress, low-sugar option for drinkers and non-drinkers alike
Gently Brewed
By Bianca Dumas

Nestled at the edge of two neighborhoods in transition—the Ballpark and the Granary—and tucked between 300 West and Interstate 15, HK Brewing Collective is offering up everything you want in a taproom, and maybe a few things you didn't know you wanted yet.

Like a lot of breweries, HK Brewing Collective is in a warehouse. You've got your bar, your high-top tables, your roll-up garage door wall and your conversation pit (that's where the luxurious couch and a few really comfortable armchairs are waiting). If it feels a little warmer than most taprooms, that's because a rosy glow is coming off walls where cinderblock mimics adobe, and a mellow southwest vibe expertly offsets the exposed HVAC and electrical conduit.

The collective is just around the corner from the Bouldering Project, adding to the number of great after-climbing hangouts in the area. They offer local craft beer and wine and some of the city's best small bites, such as Creminelli meats and cheeses from Caputo's and empanadas from Tina's Bakery.

But when it comes to craft cocktails, HK Brewing Collective is offering something really special. Their drinks are made with local spirits and a very local kind of mixer—so local, you can see it being made in the back of the house.

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• Non-alcoholic Han’s Kombucha is made on-site and poured on tap.

That special ingredient is Han's Kombucha, made on the premises in stainless steel vessels of up to 200 gallons. Kombucha starts with China black or green tea, cane sugar and a scobi, which is the fermenting agent that functions much like brewer's yeast in beer.

After fermentation, the product is transferred to the same kind of bright tanks that beer brewers use to carbonate and chill their products, and then it goes to a can filler—Wild Goose—for packaging.

The end product is a sparkling stunner. Han's Kombucha is sold in cans in 135 locations in six states, and about six varieties are always on tap at the bar, plus two local beers. Guests can drink their "booch" straight up, have a tasting flight or have it added to various cocktail offerings.

The star of the bar menu might be the Booch Mule. It's made with local gin, lime, ginger and mint, and is swimming in a base of Ginger Hibiscus kombucha. Another option, the Rosemary's Grapefruit, is served in a highball glass and is made with local bourbon, grapefruit, lemon, Averna (Italian bitters) and smoked Maldon salt in a base of Grapefruit Rosemary kombucha.

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• Kombucha adds a light, fruity touch to mixed drinks without the sweetness of soda.

The drinks are light, flavorful and lightly carbonated. The kombucha base assures that they're not overly sweet like some drinks mixed with soda, and it allows botanicals and fruit to shine through.

While one of the famous big-market brands contains 15 to 25 grams of sugar per serving, a serving of Han's Kombucha only has 4 to 7 grams. This makes it healthier and lower in calories than a lot of commercial beverages and mixers, but the low sugar is also a crucial aspect of HK's brewing process.

Brewmaster Hannah Hendrickson explains that kombucha with less sugar is fermented for a shorter period of time, which keeps it mellow and prevents it from developing a vinegary bite. This led Hendrickson and business partner Kate Lubing to coin the phrase "gently fermented" when talking about their distinct brewing process.

Like most in the brewing industry, Hendrickson began by making her own product at home—or in this case, in her dorm room closet.

It was so good that she began selling it at farmers' markets and in local shops. Then she met Lubing, who was working as a restaurant consultant at Emigration Brewing.

"We yin'd and yang'd quite perfectly," Lubing says of the initial meeting.

The champion of the lineup is the Cheers Queers, formulated as a seasonal offering for June. The soft, peach champagne taste was so popular that fans demanded it stay on the menu year-round.

But soft isn't all there is to this kombucha. Hendrickson likes to push limits as well. A shot of Blueberry Pie—designed for Utah's Pie N Beer Day—comes with a sour, fruity bang. Depending on the season, other pours might include Pineapple Cactus Nectar, Raspberry Rose, Beet Lemonade and the beautifully labeled El Tigre—a blood orange and cardamom wonder.

"My favorite is the Ginger Hibiscus," Hendrickson said while standing on a set of stairs near the top of a tank where 20-pound teabags are settled in for steeping.

Like beer brewers, Hendrickson created her version of a seasonal "land beer," or a land booch, this year—Apricot Thyme—by sourcing locally harvested apricots through Green Urban Lunchbox. While all their kombucha is currently non-alcoholic, HK Brewing Collective has a goal of producing a hard kombucha in the future, as soon as the state gets on board with licensing.

HK Brewing Collective is also a community gathering place with a full activities calendar. Regular yoga, bingo, DJs and drag events are on offer alongside popups like a rolling VW photo booth and a mobile hat shop.

The space is available for private events. It's also a place for adult non-drinkers to chill with friends.

"We took advantage of an opportunity to have a space where those who don't drink are also going to have a good time," Lubing said. "A lot of people who are sober choose not to go out because they feel uncomfortable. But we also make craft mocktails, so we have something for everybody 21 and up to enjoy."

If you want to learn to brew your own kombucha, bring in a one-gallon jar from The Beer Nut and the generous brewers will give you a piece of their scobi to take home, so you can start making kombucha in your own closet. But when you need to take a refreshing break, come on over. As they say on the cans, it's Darn Good Booch.

HK Brewing Collective Taproom & Bar
370 W. Aspen Ave., SLC
385-227-8240
hkbrewing.com

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• Ogden Beer Co.

Craft breweries that are worth a pit stop on your next trip through Utah
Destination Brewings
By Aimee L. Cook

Craft beer is a staple of the drinking scene, with local breweries popping up all over the country. Some imbibers prefer the taste and uniqueness of a locally brewed batch over larger, commercial brands, while others appreciate and wish to support locals pouring their heart and soul into the creation of craft beverages.

Around Utah, local breweries take pride in crafting their brews, making them a true labor of love. So let's hit the road and toss back a pint, shall we?

Ogden Beer Co.
The Ogden Beer Co. was established in January 2023 after Ogden River Brewing closed down, presenting an opportunity for Lane Montoya and Brian Zinsmann—owners of nearby taco restaurant Wimpy and Fritz—to acquire the property.

Prior to joining Ogden Beer Co., head brewmaster Jacquie King spent nine years at Roosters Brewing as head of research and development. And prior to Roosters, King was an avid home brewer who improved her skill set by taking classes.

"This is the closest I will ever get to starting my own brewery, getting in at the ground level with a new brand, new owners and a totally new concept," King said. "Doing research and development for so long, I have a really clear idea of what I think would be successful in a brewery and what I think people want as far as beer styles in a lineup. So far, my theory is working."

In July, the company introduced its beer into distribution, with its three top-selling varieties: a true Mexican lager, an IPA and the unique Hibiscus Haole, a hibiscus wheat ale. The plan is to keep the portfolio small so that they can maintain production as well as drinkability.
358 Park Blvd., Ogden
801-658-3045
ogdenbeercompany.com

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• Roosters Brewing Co.

Roosters Brewing Co.
When it comes to crafting beer, it's crucial to prioritize the quality of ingredients. Roosters Brewing is dedicated to producing clean and palatable products that a wide range of customers can enjoy.

A top-selling beer is the easy-drinking Honey Wheat. For those seeking a stronger option, Roosters has the Niner Bock, a Dopplebock with 9% alcohol by volume (ABV). The word "bock" originates from German and denotes a goat, symbolizing strength. As the name suggests, the Niner Bock boasts twice the strength of a typical Bock beer.

Roosters prides itself on providing a variety of offerings. There are six flagship beers available year-round with six rotating season brews.

"I don't know if we create a product that is unique, but it is definitely exemplary for what the craft is trying to achieve," said Steve Kirkland, head of brewing operations for 28 years. "We don't have a secret formula, just good clean beer, which seems to have a wide appeal."
Roosters Brewing Co. locations
253 Historic 25th St., Ogden, 801-627-6171
748 W. Heritage Park Blvd., Ste. 101, Layton, 801-774-9330
B Street Taproom, 2325 B Ave., Ogden, 801-689-2879
roostersbrewingco.com

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• The Zion Canyon Brew Pub in Springdale

Zion Brewery
The beauty of home brewing is that you can experiment with different flavors and techniques, allowing you to create unique and memorable beers. Such was the case for Jeremy Baxter, the head brewmaster at Zion Brewery for the past 10 years, who ventured into all-grain brewing 25 years ago.

With an impressive lineup of 12 craft brews including seasonal rotations, Zion Brewery's offerings include the refreshing Kolsch and the Juicy IPA, which are sure to satisfy even the most discerning beer aficionados.

"We have a pilot system so we play around with single-barrel batches," Baxter said. "We have a 15-barrel brew house, so we will pilot one-barrel batches, and when we find something that is really exciting, we will do a 15-barrel batch of that and put it on the seasonal line. Right now, we have a strawberry lemon goza. It took a bit to get some of the recipes dialed in, but I think it is what sets us apart—my brewing history and the fact that every brewer has their own unique recipe formations."
Zion Canyon Brew Pub
95 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale
435-772-0336

Station II Bar
142 N. Main St., St. George
435-673-7644
zionbrewery.com

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• Strap Tank Brewery

Strap Tank Brewery
"We have a beer for everybody, and everything is brewed true to style," said Derik DeBoard, brewmaster at Strap Tank Brewing. "We have six core beers served at both locations. The other six that we have on draft are rotating seasonal, which we tend to do differently at each location. At any given time, there should be 14 beers per location with a total of 20 different beers."

Strap Tank's brewers are allowed to individually create one barrel of their choice and offer it on the kegerators, resulting in a wide array of brews. This approach enhances engagement and offers all beer enthusiasts a diverse and exciting experience.

The task of creating a beer that appeals to the residents of Utah County presents a unique challenge considering that Diet Coke is the most widely consumed beverage in the area.

However, by blending creativity and innovation, Strap Tank has risen to the challenge and offers a diverse and engaging range of beers that cater to the tastes and preferences in the local community. While they don't offer an abundance of sours or lagers, they have a strong tap list across the board. For example, each location rotates through different amber styles.

Best-seller Lehi Light—an American light lager—is low carb and low calorie, and the Flathead American lager is a well-balanced beer.
Strap Tank Brewery locations
3661 Outlet Parkway, Lehi
385-503-8443

596 S. 1750 West, Springville
385-462-8775
straptankbrewery.com

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• Tacos and beer at Vernal Brewing Co.

Vernal Brewing Co.
Since 2013, Ginger Bowden has been the proud owner of this brewery. Drawing inspiration from her father's home-brewing skills, she embarked on an exciting journey into the brewing industry, driven by her thirst for knowledge and passion for good quality food.

As a fourth-generation Vernal resident, Bowden continues the pioneering legacy of her grandparents, who were original homesteaders. With an impressive selection of 14 craft beers, this brewery has become a trailblazer in the Vernal area.

Guided by the expertise of head brewer Curtis Dille, they meticulously craft each brew, ensuring a delightful and distinctive taste and tastefully designed labels that pay homage to the locality. Not content with mere perfection, Dille experiments with new brews routinely, and if the folks like it, it stays.

The best-selling beers have an array of flavor profiles, ranging from the invigorating She's A Peach—a peach wheat ale—to the velvety Allosaurus Amber Ale, a medium-bodied and dark copper beverage. Each sip reveals the sophistication and simplicity achieved through the meticulous combination of typically only four ingredients.

"Our water is what makes our beer different; the quality is amazing," Bowden said. "We try to stick with traditional styles, so when you get an IPA, you are getting a northwest IPA, etc. Come to Vernal for the adventures and stay for the beer; Vernal is a phenomenal place to be."
55 S. 500 East, Vernal
435-781-2337
vernalbrewing.com