It’s a Crispy Boy Revolution and Utah Backed Right into it

It finally happened. Because of draconian laws on what we can drink on draft, the latest craze in craft beer has caught up to the Beehive State, almost like lapping the slowest kid in class during the mile run. More and more people are ordering something light and easy-to-drink at the bar these days — and wouldn’t you know it, Utah’s craft breweries are more than happy to oblige. Even with the ABV limit being graciously raised by state lawmakers to a very mid 5% (it was not the state lawmakers’ choice to raise it, but that is a different column), imbibers are craving crispy lagers and lighter ales over the heavier IPAs and stouts now more than ever before. By “before,” we are talking about 15 years ago. What led the craft beer drinkers of Utah finally to see the light?

There is a theory that yesterday’s IPA chuggers are today’s lager enthusiasts. Let’s face it, 10% ABV hop bombs aren’t just exploding with aroma and

flavor, they also tend to set off a timed implosion of the tummy. Popping open a pilsner means less alcohol, hoppy hiccups and money spent on TUMS. There is also the added benefit that you can throw back a couple of them without becoming too intoxicated to jump on the right TRAX line home.

Locally made lagers have exponentially increased in quality and quantity. Craft brewers today have become experts at utilizing a soft touch when it comes to lower-ABV beers. Brewing an amazing IPA isn’t easy, but brewing a drinkable one isn’t that hard. Think of it like this: I look amazing in a tuxedo. Take that tuxedo off and you’ve got a 40-something-year-old body, 30 pounds from dad bod status, in a pair of boxers and socks. IPAs taste fine with a lot of hops and a little booze, but strip away all the hops and booze and that beer has nowhere to hide. Lagers brewed today with amazing ingredients, expert brewing practices and increasingly forgiving bottom-fermented yeast is like if I started Ozempic, got an Anytime Fitness membership and started a strict Mediterranean diet. In other words, craft pilsners and lagers brewed today look good and taste even better.

Local tap handles are now filled with excellent beers, though that wasn’t always the case. In Utah, we have been spoiled with Bohemian Brewery’s excellent Czech Pilsner, but now we also have amazing pilsners from Fisher Brewing Company, Proper Brewing Co. and Templin Family Brewing. Delicious Mexican-style lagers from Bohemian, Uinta Brewing Co. and Shades Brewing can be spotted at bars and restaurants around town.

Kiitos Brewing, one of Salt Lake’s better-known breweries for big, bitter beers, has started to see people choosing lighter, hoppy beers. Director of Brewing Patrick Bourque says, “At Kiitos, most of our IPAs have taken this shift as well — to make them more drinkable and refreshing, rather than heavy and cloying.”

But big IPAs still reign supreme. Squatters Pub Brewery’s Hop Rising Double IPA is the best-selling beer at Utah’s liquor stores, according to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS). But go down that list and you start to see some lighter options. Modelo Negra is the second-best seller statewide and Epic Brewing Company’s Los Locos Mexican-style Lager is in the top 20, with Blue Moon and Bell’s Brewery’s Oberon Ale not too far behind. Revolutions never start with a bang, but with the soft crack of a beer can opening. I think Patrick Henry said that.

“All across the country, I would say there is a universal shift toward lagers,” says Bourque. “Salt Lake City is finally starting to see this trend. We are usually a few years behind places like Denver or Portland.”

It doesn’t matter how we got here; it matters that we finally arrived. In a state known for seeing visions and witnessing miracles, it’s about time the crispy boy revolution came to the Beehive State and allowed Utah’s craft beer community to finally see the light.

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