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Barley’s Angels: Beer School is Now in Session
Originally started in Oregon, Barley’s Angels is an international society dedicated to women who are passionate about craft beer. The organization allows women from any corner of the globe to begin their own chapter of the brand, and that’s exactly what Alexandra Ortiz de Fargher of Park City did. Having already been well initiated into the craft beer scene (her husband, Trent Fargher, is the owner and founder of Shades of Pale Brewing Company) Ortiz de Fargher wanted to start her own craft beer adventure. She and all the members of Barley’s Angels are dedicated to several philosophies: overturning the idea that beer is only a man’s drink, and convincing women who have written off beer as a bitter, tinny and cheap substitute for wine or spirits that they just haven’t met the right beer yet. … read more
The Hop Bombshells: Drafting Ladies into the Homebrew Army
The story of the Hop Bombshells begins with a talented woman looking for her kind. Jamie Burnham is the manager of Salt Lake homebrewing institution The Beer Nut, and a little over a year ago, she got the spark of an idea from her assistant, Dave Watson, that maybe the lady patrons of her store would enjoy being part of a club where the craft and creativity of beer making could thrive. She put the idea out to her female customers who came to pick up supplies, and received an overwhelmingly positive response. After collecting names and emails, and admittedly “dragging [her] feet for a few months,” she put together the Hop Bombshells, a club exclusively for the fairer sex of homebrewers. … read more
Don’t Be an Ass, Use a Glass!
I have a problem—a glassware problem. If it’s a vessel made to carry a specific beer, I probably own it. Some of it is tradition, how some glasses are almost ceremonial in their approach to beer, but I know there’s more to it than that. So, when people ask me, “Hey, moron! What difference does it make?” or “How can it possibly affect the taste of the beer?” I have some simple answers. … read more
Pie & Beer Pairing
Paying homage to our state’s extravagant Pioneer Day celebrations, we asked some local pioneer foodies to pair an appropriate menu item from their establishment with a favorite local beer available in the bottle, or on-tap inside the restaurant. Make it a merry Pie & Beer Day on July 24 by stuffing your bonnets to the brim with these tasty meals. … read more
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
Squatters: The New Version of the Old Standby
Squatters started in 1989 as a great idea imported from Europe—a brewpub—and they did it well. Bangers and mash were among the first things on the menu, and the beer was, by today’s standards, so-so, but it was better than the sad brews others were making at the time. Popular right from the start, Squatters brought a whole retinue of imitators: brewpubs with their own, great beer and versions of pub food. None have become part of the DNA of Salt Lake in the way Squatters has. The first three restaurants out of my mouth when I talk Salt Lake eating to strangers looking for a place are Red Iguana, Market Street and Squatters. … 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