Review: Utah Pale Ale

Did you get your fill of food and drink over the Holidays? I sure as shit did. Generally, this would be the time we’d be drying out and forgetting about beer for a few weeks, but the times, they are a changin’. There are so many great options out there now for Utah’s beer drinkers that there’s really no downtime in our yearly beer calendars. So what do you do when you’re all beer-ed out, but there’s too much barley goodness floating around? Go light and hoppy. This way, your tongue stays happy while your mind and tummy get a much needed break. To start off 2016, I’ve found a few beers—some new, some old—that will fit our session bill nicely.

Utah Pale Ale (UPA)

Brewery/Brand: Desert Edge Brewery
ABV: 4.0%
Serving Style: Draft

Description: This pale ale pours a dark-orange color with a good two fingers of head that hung around nearly to the bottom of the glass. The nose has a big citrus-and-pine perfume, and a hint of malt lingers beneath as well. The taste starts slightly bitter with citrus zest and a pine-needle snap. Biscuit and caramel malts come next, providing a nice balance. The end is bitter and bread-y with a crisp, light and dry floral finish.

Overview: I can’t believe that, after all this time, UPA has never been reviewed in the pages of SLUG. This is a great example of cascade hop–driven American pale ale, and it’s always available at Desert Edge Brewery (at The Pub) in Trolley Square.