Utah breweries' Pride Month beers 

This week, we feature a small sampling of Pride Month-themed beers made by our local breweries. There are so many out there I couldn't get them all in, and I had to shave it down to these five. It's a wonderful thing to see so many local brewers supporting our LGBTQ+ community.

Saltfire - Kiss Whoever You Want: An aroma of light earthy hops, some herbal grassiness and just a touch citrus and pine, plus some biscuit and caramel malts. Taste starts with bitterness and earthy hops—a bit herbal and some grassy spice, with a touch of citrus. Then come the malts, a bit of caramel, toffee and biscuit—chewy, with a hint of sweet syrupy flavor, and a little tobacco. Light fruity flavors emerge again as well. The finish is fairly bitter with earthy, herbal chewy hops, as well as little candy flavors. It's fairly dry, with a long bitterness that almost borders on astringent on the finish

Verdict: I enjoy IPLs, and this one has characteristics of a 6.3 percent pale ale due to the more potent caramel notes. Good stuff.

Salt Flats - Rainbow Road: Pours an effervescent bronze with one finger of cream-colored head; there are only traces of lacing and no head retention. Slight peachyness and grassiness starts out the aroma, but the peach ramps up as it warms. There's a dryness in the taste—some peach notes, plus a little tartness up front. Dryness and tartness dominate as this warms, and the faint peach flavor as well. It finishes dry and tart with an ever-so slight sweet hint of banana.

Verdict: An easy 5.0 percent alcohol drinker, with light tartness that makes this super crushable.

Shades - Sounds Gay, I'm In: Fragrant, overripe guava notes dominate the aroma. Lots of berry-like tartness kicks off the flavor; raspberry seeds came to mind, but there are none here. This beer features prickly pear. A bit of powdery yeastiness emerges, but like in the nose, the beer became fruitier and more rounded as it sat, and the prickly pear intensified. Ruby-red grapefruit appeared in the center, along with some tart lemon and wheatiness. More dry tartness and a touch of pithy citrus rind develop on the finish.

Verdict: An easy drinker at 6.5 percent. There aren't a lot of prickly pear beers out there, which makes it unique.

.Kiitos - Big Gay Ale: Be sure and rouse the can before pouring, so you don't miss the glitter filled disco show that awaits inside. The nose has subtle blueberry, light floral notes and sweet honey-touched wheat. Flavors follow the nose, but exceed with overall roundness featuring hibiscus. I like the hibiscus tea side of the beer, as it provides a nice balancing effect for the flavor. This isn't a mass-produced, overly-artificial summer beer that is too sweet.

Verdict: Just the right amount of flavor, and coming in at 5.0 percent, it's a very approachable beer.

Epic - Hopeulant: The aroma is big with herbs and grass, along with some citrus and bread. Mixed in with these smells comes a little bit of grain and yeast, producing a rather inviting aroma overall. The taste begins with a rather nice smooth, bready and slightly doughy flavor, mixed with notes of an earthy hop and a bit of herb. As the taste advances, the earth and herb grow slightly stronger, maintaining a presence to the end of the taste. Along with these hops come some lighter citrus hop flavors and tropical-fruit sweetness. With a little bit of grain and yeast coming at the very end, one is left with a smooth, bready and hopped taste to linger on the tongue.

Verdict: This unfiltered 8.4 percent DIPA is bold and spicy, with a body that provides plenty of caramel sweetness and kick.

Your best bets to find them are, of course, at their home breweries, though some have made their way to pubs and restaurants. Happy hunting and, as always, cheers!