Beer Reviews
Quadruple Your Fun: Utah’s Four Freshest Brewpubs
When I reached the legal drinking age, I joked about aspiring to have a beer gut. I have always been a real scrawny guy with the metabolism of a hummingbird, so I figured I’d never consume enough beer to develop any visible bulge in my midsection. Half a dozen years later, the Utah craft beer scene directly correlates with my budding beer belly. Always eager to try new booze, the Kirkland brothers hit the road to see what’s brewing out in the desert of eastern Utah, on the edge of the Great Salt Lake and up the hill in the Avenues. … read more
The Beehive Brew-off: Beer Making with the Best of ‘Em
People have considered “Utah beer” to be an oxymoron for many years, yet the craft-brewing scene here has evolved into a multi-faceted marketplace. Leading the charge are the home brewers. Jamie Burnham, manager of Salt Lake City’s The Beer Nut, saw a break in the clouds as an opportunity to capitalize on the uniting power of beer—in August of 2009, the first annual Beehive Brew-off was held, with over 300 entries being judged. It was a testament to the pent-up creativity that had been lying in wait, ready to be released upon the world. … read more
Nice Cans!
Since the craft beer boom of the early ’90s, the package of choice for breweries was the good old brown bottle. For too long, people had complained that the tried and true can was making their favorite beverage taste like metal, and the new craft movement wanted no part of that. So, the can was resigned to become the bastard child of the beer world until one innovation came along—the plastic-lined can. … read more
Beer Fest Calendar
As this is the holy Beer Issue, I, the Beer Gnerd and your pastor in beer, have provided for you this list of nearby beer festivals to help you break the heat, while giving you the opportunity to laugh at your friend, Jeff, as he pukes in his shoes. … read more
Beer Reviews
Odds are, if you’re reading this, living a “countercultural” lifestyle is at the top of the list on that whole quasi-grasshopper-vision quest thing you call a life. In SLC, beer would be considered a top player on the list. … read more
Beer Reviews
You’ve gotten to know barley (and wheat–based) beers, amber ales and hefeweizens—now I want you to experience rye beers. Rye malt has a slight herbal spiciness that sets it apart from other grains. I beg you to step out and try some of these locally available examples. … read more
Beer Reviews
As a beer judge and writer, I’m often presented with the opportunity to critique what’s in the glass vs. where its container came from. It removes prejudice and reminds the tongue and brain that they’re on the same team when it comes to beer. … read more
Beer Reviews 4/13
Any beer that you manage to get your hands on has its own little sliver of history to go along with it. I’m not talking about beers being made with the brewer’s “beard yeast” or some crazed fringe zymurgist deciding to throw yak testicles into his latest stout—I’m talking about culturally significant reasons why one region’s beer is so much different than anothers. Looking back on Lenten season (the six weeks leading up to Easter), I thought it would be appropriate to review some beers that were originally designed especially for Lent. … read more
Beer Reviews 3/13
Settle down, class. Today we are going to discuss proper St. Patrick’s Day etiquette. Hopefully, this tutorial will give you the skills to navigate this most hallowed beer day. Many of the “beer nerds” you may encounter likely consider St. Pat’s Day to be “amateur hour” for the majority of revelers. These simple tips and recommendations will hopefully strip that douche-bag aura from your hipster tendencies. … read more
Beer Reviews 2/13
Now that we’re into February, we can finally start putting all of those heavy, spicy holiday beers into our cellars and pray they won’t become chunky, oxidized messes come next November. Now is the time we get to gear up for the early-spring beer releases: ales and lagers that are sturdy, fruity and light. We have three very different beers for February. One is a classic style, another a hybrid and the last is unique and completely new. … read more