Glitter and Hops: A Guide to Utah’s Pride-Themed Brews

What better way to celebrate Pride month this June than with the girls, the gays and a big gulp of Pride-themed brews from your favorite local breweries? As part of our June Pride issue, SLUG is giving you all the hoppy details on a few of the hottest beers and ciders around SLC that are showing support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Bewilder Brewing

445 S 400 W, SLC, UT

El Fruti Boi:
is a tropical brew with guava being the star of the show. Added lactose gives El Fruti Boi a creamy sweetness, and with less hops and an emphasis on fruit, this brew is an extremely easy-to-drink beer.

Behind the Pride:
El Fruti Boi was released May 29 and is available at Bewilder Brewing Co. and select bars and restaurants at a 6.5% ABV and is selling at $4/16 oz. can. With their hazy beers being named “Los Hazy Boi” and “Dos Hazy Boi,” it felt like a natural progression for Bewilder to show LGBTQ+ support and create “El Fruti Boi” with the direction and blessing from the Utah Pride Center.

Epic Brewing

825 S State St, SLC, UT

HOPEulent IPA:
is a classic, American-style double IPA. Released as a special version of their Hopulent IPA that is described as a “hop head’s delight,” HOPEulent is clear, crisp, bitter and refreshing.

Behind the Pride:
HOPEulent IPA will be available June 1 at Epic Brewing at an 8% ABV and is selling for $5.99/22 oz. bottle. As a natural progression from Hopulent, their original beer brand, Epic created HOPEulent IPA to show support for LGBTQ+ communities and place an emphasis on the idea that everyone could use a bit more “HOPE” in the world.

Hopkins Brewing

1048 E 2100 S, SLC, UT

Stonewall Sour Saison:
is soured naturally with lactobacillus then fermented with saison yeast. Added orange peel and coriander round out the lemony tartness of the brew with a refreshing, fruity and herbal finish.

Behind the Pride:
Stonewall Sour Saison is available now at Hopkins Brewing at a 5% ABV, selling on draft at $6/16 oz. Named in honor of the LGBTQ+ rights uprising at The Stonewall Inn in 1969, Hopkins created this brew as their first in-house sour to show their love to the LGBTQ+ community. Every year they donate 10% of all Pride-themed merchandise sales in June to the Utah Pride Center.

Kiitos Brewing

608 West 700 S, SLC, UT

Big Gay Ale:
is a light, drinkable golden ale with a touch of hibiscus and blueberry for added tartness and to enhance the brew’s bright-pink color. Along with its vibrant hue, Big Gay Ale also features a touch of glamor with edible pink and silver glitter.

Behind the Pride:
Big Gay Ale was released to the public the first week of May and is available at a 5% ABV at 16 oz. It is stocked state-wide in grocery stores, restaurants, bars and the Kiitos Brewery with the price varying depending on where you purchase it. Originally created to show support for Utah’s LGBTQ+ community, Kiitos crafted Big Gay Ale in 2018 to show LGBTQ+ allyship during Pride. Kiitos plans to donate $0.30 per Big Gay Ale six-pack sold to the Utah Pride Center.

Mountain West Cider

425 N 400 W, SLC, UT

Ruby’s Gay Hard Cider:
is a crisp, dry and delicious traditional hard apple cider with Red Apple and hints of mild melon with a smooth, honey finish.

Behind the Pride:
Ruby’s Gay Hard Cider is available for the month of June at Mountain West Cider’s bottle shop and Ciderhouse, various bars and restaurants and at Utah State Liquor stores at a 6.5% ABV, selling for $5.29/16 oz. A flamboyant rendition of Mountain West’s flagship cider, Ruby’s new, flashy and bold label was created to help promote Pride month in Utah, and a portion of proceeds sold will be donated to the Utah Pride Center and Equality Utah.

SaltFire Brewing

2199 S W Temple St, South Salt Lake, UT

Kiss Whoever You Want!:
is a juicy, refreshing lager that packs a hoppy punch with notes of mango, passion fruit, pineapple and dark berry. This brew features a smooth bitterness heavy with overripe tropical fruits and edible, pink glitter swirls.

Behind the Pride:
Kiss Whoever You Want! was released May 27 and can be purchased at SaltFire Brewing or by special order through Utah State Liquor stores at a 6.3% ABV, selling at $3.99/16 oz. can. Kiss Whoever You Want! is a collaboration brew designed solely by members of the LGBTQ+ community with donation proceeds dedicated to Project Rainbow.

Shades Brewing

154 W Utopia Ave,
South Salt Lake, UT

Sounds Gay, I’m In:
is a smooth, easy-to-drink libation with a light–medium sourness that is non lip puckering with subtle notes of pear throughout.

Behind the Pride:
Sounds Gay, I’m In was crafted by Shades Brewer Tanya Sapula, who identifies as LGBTQ+ and designed the name, art and tagline for the drink, “Brewed by a Queer.” It was released May 18 and can be found at Shades Brewing, on site at Shades Tap Room and at various bars and restaurants around SLC at a 6.5% ABV, selling for $3.55/12 oz.

Strap Tank Brewery

3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT
596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT

Bi-cycle:
is a blackberry, raspberry fruited sour with added lactose.

Gay Ride:
is a rainbow sherbert sour ale.

Behind the Pride:
Both brews are available the first week of June and until supplies last at the Strap Tank Brewery Lehi and Springville locations at a 5.0% ABV and selling for $6/16 oz on draft, exclusively. Strap Tank created Bi-cycle and Gay Ride to express their support for Utah’s LGBTQ+ communities as well their LGBTQ+ employees.

UTOG Brewery

2331 Grant Ave, Ogden, UT

Love Punch:
is a tropical hefeweizen brewed with pineapples, oranges, peaches and guava, making for light and easy drinkability with a tropical fruit flavor and citrus finish.

Behind the Pride:
Love Punch released May 1 at UTOG and May 3 at select bars, restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores across Ogden and SLC and is available at a 5% ABV. It is sold as a four-pack of 16-oz. cans, and the price varies depending on where you purchase it. UTOG created Love Punch to show support to their LGBTQ+ employees and community, and they donate a portion of the brew’s sales to Project Rainbow. A QR code to Project Rainbow’s website is also available on the can to encourage others to donate, as well!

Read more about Pride-themed brews:
Kiitos Brewing’s Big Gale Ale
Beer of the Month: White Rainbow