SLUG Contributor Limelight
April 5, 2018
Contributor Limelight: Chris & Sylvia Hollands
For almost a year, Chris and Sylvia Hollands have written excellent local-beer coverage for SLUG. The duo pens our “Beer of the Month” column, and in this Beer Issue, they’ve written four features (“Cold Beer to Go,” “Ogden River Brewing,” “Utah Liquor Store Beer Buying Guide,” “UTOG Brewing Co.: Ogden Untapped”). They enjoy getting to know the people behind the scenes of making beer in Utah and beyond. The Hollandses look forward to exploring our inclusion of local distilleries at the upcoming SLUG Mag’s Brewstillery: A Local Beer and Spirits Festival after the success of our all-local beer festival last summer. They reflect SLUG‘s insatiable taste for local beer and assert that we Utahns are “holding down traditional styles while pushing the limits into new brewing techniques,” they say. “We STILL have the best session beer around!” Sylvia and Chris brim with the creativity and quality they value in SLUG, whether it’s “Beer of the Month” or specialized beer features like their Vernal Brewing Co. feature from last year’s Beer Issue. With their love for travel and local brews, we’re continually stoked to feature all their beer knowledge, writing and passion!
Articles by contributor
Beer of the Month: White Rainbow
The bittersweet part about new beers all the time is they’re a one-and-done or a limited-batch run. Luckily, White Rainbow is here to stay. … read more
Breweries: Level Crossing Brewing Co., SaltFire Brewing Co., Shades Brewing
Instead of highlighting one beer, we’re pointing out a cool, quick bike-and-beer path that could easily be accomplished in an afternoon. … read more
Beer Review: RoHa Brewing Project – Transom Dark Pale Ale
Don’t be fooled by the darker color of the Transom; it’s a refreshing beverage that seems to be built for the transition between seasons. … read more
Beer of the Month: Oat Pale Lager
When we heard about Bewilder Brewing Company’s delicious Oat Pale Lager, just the simple name perked our ears. … read more
Beer of the Month: This is the Pilsener
Having won awards at several important beer events, This is the Pilsener has a clean taste with hints of sweet bread alongside floral notes. … read more
Beer of the Month: Carcosa
Once Proper Brewing Co. releases it, Carcosa is a beer you won’t want to miss the experience of tasting throughout the year. … read more
Beer of the Month: Sierra Nevada Narwhal 2020
When it comes to “stout season,” Sierra Nevada’s annual release of their Narwhal imperial stout is something we like to pick up every year. … read more
Beer of the Month: Oh-J
Lone Pine Brewing’s Oh-J pours like a classic New England IPA—murky and unfiltered with a natural haze and a fluffy, white head. … read more
Cider of the Month: Desolation Prickly Pear Hard Cider
This month, Chris and Sylvia Hollands are trading out the classic “Beer of the Month” for a cider: specifically, the Desolation Prickly Pear Hard Cider. … read more
Beer of the Month: Raspberry Gose
The team at Hopkins Brewery is dedicated to creating interesting beer using locally sourced products, such as their fan-favorite the Raspberry Gose. … read more
Beer of the Month: Zólupez IPA
With bits of real lime peel added in, Cerveza Zólupez Beer Company’s Zólupez IPA is much different than your traditional IPA. … read more
Beer of the Month: Honey Cream Ale
Grid City Beer Works’ Honey Cream Ale is an amber-hued, liquefied treat with aromas of citrus, flora, wheat and a solid smell of gourmet, farmers’-market honey sticks. … read more
Beer of the Month: Slipstream India Pale Ale
Salt Flats Brewing Co.’s Slipstream India Pale Ale contains classic hints of pine, bready sweetness and the aroma of an inner peel from a ripened orange. … read more
Beer of the Month: Sir-Veza
In this edition of “Beer of the Month,” Bohemian Brewery serves up the Sir-Veza, a Mexican-style lager in a slick, Day of the Dead–inspired, 12-ounce can. … read more
Grocery-Store Beer Buying Guide
With the 4% to 5% ABV increase in grocery stores, Utah’s beer selection has gotten deliciously deeper. Here’s SLUG’s latest grocery-store beer buying guide. … read more
26 Minutes: The Densest Brewery Path in SLC
Taking a “beercation” is a heck of a lot of fun! We’ve traveled to some of the best areas in the United States for beer, and we know the value of having numerous breweries in a given vicinity. First, who doesn’t love the ability to walk from brewery to brewery? It’s just plain fun to
Beer and Metal: Pairings with the Meista
Beer and music go together, but beer and metal are almost meant to be—and that’s what we’re doing here with the help of The Meista. … read more
Beer of the Month: Dallas Alice
Level Crossing Brewing’s Dallas Alice is a Belgian-style blonde ale is a beer with big flavors. At 6.2% ABV, this is the ultimate springtime refresher. … read more
How Utah Brewers Four-to-Fived Our Beer
There may have been some scary moments while making the transition to 5% ABV, but local brewers were able to turn it into a positive for everybody. … read more
Beer of the Month: Starship IPA
Chris and Sylvia Hollands review Starship IPA, a new brew from from New Belgium Brewing, in this edition of “Beer of the Month.” … read more
Beer of the Month: Piña Colada
“We love Piña Colada anything—this was sure to be a treat,” find SLUG beer writers Chris and Sylvia Hollands in this edition of Beer of the Month. … read more
Beer of the Month: Hazy Nosh IPA
From the Hazy Nosh IPA, fluid layers of flavors like pineapple and citrus emerge along with a surprisingly velvety mouthfeel. … read more
Beer of the Month: Punk as F*ck
The craft beer world is a bit like the punk world. You can start with an idea or a feeling and build on it through hard work and hustle. … read more
Beer of the Month: Quintuple Big Bad Baptist
QBBB has a delicate scent and is guided by a surprisingly smooth and light mouthfeel, distinct flavors of almond, caramel and dark cherrywood shine. … read more
Beer of the Month: Freshies Wet Hopped Extra Pale Ale
Freshies has a clean body made primarily with 2-row malts to showcase the hops. It has all the positive hop characteristics minus the harsh bitterness. … read more
Beer of the Month: Young Bruin
Toasted Barrel Brewery’s Young Bruin is a bit of a twist on a popular style in the barrel-aging world, the Oud Bruin or Flanders Brown. … read more
Beer of the Month: Elephīno
Red Rock Brewing’s Elephīno seems to be a good bridge between the new citrusy beers and the big West Coast IPAs of the past. … read more
Beer of the Month: Pucker Time Sour Ale
With the warmer months in full force, a lighter, easy-drinking beer is on the menu. For this month, we decided to go with the sour ale, Pucker Time Sour Ale. … read more
Beer of the Month: Batsquatch Hazy India Pale Ale
Batsquatch Hazy India Pale Ale pays tribute to Mount St. Helens’ legendary folk tale of a 9-foot undiscovered species resembling Sasquatch. … read more
Beer of the Month: Fisher Brewing’s Hayduke
Walking into Fisher Brewing Company for beer as the doors open on a Saturday morning may be the perfect way to start the weekend. … read more
Level Crossing Brewing Company
Level Crossing Brewing Company seems to be the perfect moniker for one of Utah’s newest craft beer establishments. … read more
Define a Beer Style: Local Brewers Edition
Based on the official Beer Judge Certification Program Style Guidelines, there are over 30 main categories of beer and even more subcategories within each. … read more
Kick Back with Wasatch Brewery’s Nils Imboden
If you ever need a reason to visit Park City, Utah, Wasatch Brewing’s Kick-Back Series might be just the ticket. … read more
Beer of the Month: Tripel Stamp
Proper’s Tripel Stamp is a complex beer designed to take drinkers on a sophisticated journey while consuming the beverage. … read more
Beer of the Month: Hop Rising Tropical
We poured a chilled Hop Rising Tropical from its 12-oz. aluminum can into a Spiegelau IPA glass. The transfer releases full-bodied bubbles of all sizes, commanding the top of the beverage that leaves a sticky, cream-colored foam. … read more
Beer of the Month: BrewSki Mountain Lager
To get the setting right for this beer, we ensured that the 12-ounce, light-blue, snow-glazed aluminum was properly iced before cracking the top. … read more
Beer of the Month: Ferda
A tall 16-oz. aluminum can showcases Ferda’s sleek label design with the classy moniker T. F. Brewing. The proper glassware is a slam dunk. … read more
Beer of the Month: Coffee Cream Ale
Coffee Cream Ale from Kiitos Brewing carried home a gold medal from this year’s Great American Beer Festival. We agree with the judges’ assessment that Coffee Cream Ale is one of the best coffee beers in the land. … read more
Beer of the Month: SeaQuench Ale
SeaQuench Ale seems to represent mature thinking, or a more mainstream approach. This is a beverage that will appease all types of drinkers—not limited just to beer, but wine- and margarita-lovers, too. … read more
Beer of the Month: Dirty Chai Stout
Dirty Chai Stout is made with a local coffee roaster and brewery favorite, Blue Copper Coffee. The combo of Blue Copper and Indian Chai spice might have you thinking that this is just another hipster drink. However, we would urge you to open up your mind and taste buds and give it a try. … read more
Beer of the Month: Chasing Haze
Chasing Haze is the latest NEIPA to make the cut for the brewery’s regular rotation. Adorned with a groovy label, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the 2 Row staples. … read more
Beer of the Month: Salt Flats Hefeweizen
It was time. We gallivanted up the southeast hill in Draper to Garage Grill, showroom of Salt Flats Brewing, where we planned to do something neither of us had done in quite awhile—purposefully order a Hefeweizen with our meal. … read more
Beer of the Month: Moab Pilsner
Moab Brewery’s Pilsner is a fine example of the notable style. Pilsner comes in a bumblebee-jacketed, yellow-and-black, 16-ounce tall-boy can. We poured a cold one into a larger, nonic pint because we needed additional space to accommodate the extra four ounces that Moab graciously provides. … read more
Beer of the Month: RiNo APA
RiNo APA was fashioned to share the spirit of their new neighborhood by being creative and pushing the limits, while still maintaining friendly accessibility for us consumers. The beer has bold, welcoming flavors and is simply beautiful to look at. … read more
Beer of the Month: Adventures in IPA India Pale Ale
Surrounded by myriad outdoor-adventure destinations, Talisman Brewing Company heeds the natural call to provide crisp, refreshing beverages, perfectly paired to aid in your adventure. Recently, they released a new series of brews called Adventures in IPA. … read more
Cold Beer To Go
Fresh, cold beer is nearby and you don’t have to visit a liquor store to find it. Venture out to explore our local breweries, and you’ll find some of the best beer around. Purchasing beer straight from the source eliminates possible hazards when picking it up somewhere else. … read more
UTOG Brewing Co.: Ogden Untapped
UTOG Brewing Co., one of Utah’s newest breweries-to-be in the heart of downtown Ogden, plans to open in July 2018. The historic Thorstensen building, now an empty shell, has huge potential that speaks for itself. … read more
Utah Liquor Store Beer Buying Guide
Another thing to remember is, as neutered as Utah liquor stores may seem, they are not created equal. Many of them have employees who take great care in the display and selection, so venture out. … read more
Ogden River Brewing
Another exciting reason we love craft beer is displayed through the vision of Ogden River Brewing. It brings communities together to share experiences and to build friendships. Winslow’s dream resembles many of our own. … read more
Beer of the Month: The Friesian
Throughout the years, Uinta firmly established itself as a larger brewery that is still willing to take chances, with some brews showcasing trendy yeast strain Brettanomyces, more often described as “Brett.” A Belgian-style dark ale, The Friesian, is one of the many styles they applied this interesting ingredient to. … read more
Beer of the Month: Dangereux Farmhouse Ale
Dangereux is based on the French saison approach but as a loose interpretation. Though historic style similarities are present, 2 Row undoubtedly places an appetizing twist into it using American ingredients and saison yeast. … read more
Beer of the Month: Java Stout
Java Stout is a quality coffee beer marketed at an attractive price point. It’s an easy choice for not only an avid coffee drinker but a newb as well. It could be a good beginner beer to help guide an understanding of dark, roasted-malt flavors. It will satisfy both the coffee and beer sides of anyone. … read more
Beer of the Month: Pale Ale
We enjoyed Kiitos Pale Ale from a nonic pint glass, which did a good job allowing the beer to breathe as well as show off all of its key characteristics. … read more
Beer of the Month: Jalapeño Cream Ale
For us, we could drink Jalapeño Cream Ale nearly every day. The mild heat offers enough interesting sensations while the base beer is supremely refreshing, making it a beverage for all seasons. … read more
Beer of the Month: New England-style IPA – Citralush
Citralush leaves a white collar that sustains atop its clouded, carbonated body. The clean burst of citrus under the nose is where the New England style truly wins over its legions of fanatical followers. … read more
Beer of the Month: Grapefruit Revolution
Shades of Pale hit the right note with Grapefruit Revolution by accurately describing and executing exactly what the consumer wants. … read more
Beer of the Month: Jai Alai
We have now tried Jai Alai in three very different circumstances and settings, each of these with significantly different results. … read more
Vernal Brewing Company: From the Dinosaur Tail to the India...
With delicious brews, a farm-to-table gastropub menu and an excellent team, Owner Ginger Bowden makes clear that Vernal Brewing Company is a must-visit in Vernal, Utah … read more
Articles by contributor
Beer of the Month: White Rainbow
The bittersweet part about new beers all the time is they’re a one-and-done or a limited-batch run. Luckily, White Rainbow is here to stay. … read more
Breweries: Level Crossing Brewing Co., SaltFire Brewing Co., Shades Brewing
Instead of highlighting one beer, we’re pointing out a cool, quick bike-and-beer path that could easily be accomplished in an afternoon. … read more
Beer Review: RoHa Brewing Project – Transom Dark Pale Ale
Don’t be fooled by the darker color of the Transom; it’s a refreshing beverage that seems to be built for the transition between seasons. … read more
Beer of the Month: This is the Pilsener
Having won awards at several important beer events, This is the Pilsener has a clean taste with hints of sweet bread alongside floral notes. … read more
Beer of the Month: Carcosa
Once Proper Brewing Co. releases it, Carcosa is a beer you won’t want to miss the experience of tasting throughout the year. … read more
Beer of the Month: Sierra Nevada Narwhal 2020
When it comes to “stout season,” Sierra Nevada’s annual release of their Narwhal imperial stout is something we like to pick up every year. … read more
Beer of the Month: Oh-J
Lone Pine Brewing’s Oh-J pours like a classic New England IPA—murky and unfiltered with a natural haze and a fluffy, white head. … read more
Cider of the Month: Desolation Prickly Pear Hard Cider
This month, Chris and Sylvia Hollands are trading out the classic “Beer of the Month” for a cider: specifically, the Desolation Prickly Pear Hard Cider. … read more
Beer of the Month: Raspberry Gose
The team at Hopkins Brewery is dedicated to creating interesting beer using locally sourced products, such as their fan-favorite the Raspberry Gose. … read more
Beer of the Month: Zólupez IPA
With bits of real lime peel added in, Cerveza Zólupez Beer Company’s Zólupez IPA is much different than your traditional IPA. … read more
Beer of the Month: Honey Cream Ale
Grid City Beer Works’ Honey Cream Ale is an amber-hued, liquefied treat with aromas of citrus, flora, wheat and a solid smell of gourmet, farmers’-market honey sticks. … read more
Beer of the Month: Sir-Veza
In this edition of “Beer of the Month,” Bohemian Brewery serves up the Sir-Veza, a Mexican-style lager in a slick, Day of the Dead–inspired, 12-ounce can. … read more
Beer of the Month: Dallas Alice
Level Crossing Brewing’s Dallas Alice is a Belgian-style blonde ale is a beer with big flavors. At 6.2% ABV, this is the ultimate springtime refresher. … read more
How Utah Brewers Four-to-Fived Our Beer
There may have been some scary moments while making the transition to 5% ABV, but local brewers were able to turn it into a positive for everybody. … read more
Beer of the Month: Starship IPA
Chris and Sylvia Hollands review Starship IPA, a new brew from from New Belgium Brewing, in this edition of “Beer of the Month.” … read more
Beer of the Month: Piña Colada
“We love Piña Colada anything—this was sure to be a treat,” find SLUG beer writers Chris and Sylvia Hollands in this edition of Beer of the Month. … read more
Beer of the Month: Punk as F*ck
The craft beer world is a bit like the punk world. You can start with an idea or a feeling and build on it through hard work and hustle. … read more
Beer of the Month: Quintuple Big Bad Baptist
QBBB has a delicate scent and is guided by a surprisingly smooth and light mouthfeel, distinct flavors of almond, caramel and dark cherrywood shine. … read more
Beer of the Month: Freshies Wet Hopped Extra Pale Ale
Freshies has a clean body made primarily with 2-row malts to showcase the hops. It has all the positive hop characteristics minus the harsh bitterness. … read more
Beer of the Month: Young Bruin
Toasted Barrel Brewery’s Young Bruin is a bit of a twist on a popular style in the barrel-aging world, the Oud Bruin or Flanders Brown. … read more
Beer of the Month: Elephīno
Red Rock Brewing’s Elephīno seems to be a good bridge between the new citrusy beers and the big West Coast IPAs of the past. … read more
Beer of the Month: Pucker Time Sour Ale
With the warmer months in full force, a lighter, easy-drinking beer is on the menu. For this month, we decided to go with the sour ale, Pucker Time Sour Ale. … read more
Beer of the Month: Fisher Brewing’s Hayduke
Walking into Fisher Brewing Company for beer as the doors open on a Saturday morning may be the perfect way to start the weekend. … read more
Level Crossing Brewing Company
Level Crossing Brewing Company seems to be the perfect moniker for one of Utah’s newest craft beer establishments. … read more
Define a Beer Style: Local Brewers Edition
Based on the official Beer Judge Certification Program Style Guidelines, there are over 30 main categories of beer and even more subcategories within each. … read more
Kick Back with Wasatch Brewery’s Nils Imboden
If you ever need a reason to visit Park City, Utah, Wasatch Brewing’s Kick-Back Series might be just the ticket. … read more
Colby Frazier of Fisher Brewing Company on the Beer Battle
“It is the most progressive liquor-law change proposed or denied since Prohibition ended in the state of Utah,” says Colby Frazier of Fisher Brewing. … read more
Beer of the Month: Hop Rising Tropical
We poured a chilled Hop Rising Tropical from its 12-oz. aluminum can into a Spiegelau IPA glass. The transfer releases full-bodied bubbles of all sizes, commanding the top of the beverage that leaves a sticky, cream-colored foam. … read more
Beer of the Month: BrewSki Mountain Lager
To get the setting right for this beer, we ensured that the 12-ounce, light-blue, snow-glazed aluminum was properly iced before cracking the top. … read more
Beer of the Month: Ferda
A tall 16-oz. aluminum can showcases Ferda’s sleek label design with the classy moniker T. F. Brewing. The proper glassware is a slam dunk. … read more
Beer of the Month: Coffee Cream Ale
Coffee Cream Ale from Kiitos Brewing carried home a gold medal from this year’s Great American Beer Festival. We agree with the judges’ assessment that Coffee Cream Ale is one of the best coffee beers in the land. … read more
Beer of the Month: SeaQuench Ale
SeaQuench Ale seems to represent mature thinking, or a more mainstream approach. This is a beverage that will appease all types of drinkers—not limited just to beer, but wine- and margarita-lovers, too. … read more
Beer of the Month: Dirty Chai Stout
Dirty Chai Stout is made with a local coffee roaster and brewery favorite, Blue Copper Coffee. The combo of Blue Copper and Indian Chai spice might have you thinking that this is just another hipster drink. However, we would urge you to open up your mind and taste buds and give it a try. … read more
Utah Wine Review: Dionysian Cellars
I’ve seen and tasted a few of the local Utah wines at the liquor store, so when I heard that the wine reputation of Dionysian Cellars was one that earned some respect, I happily agreed to sip. … read more
Beer of the Month: Chasing Haze
Chasing Haze is the latest NEIPA to make the cut for the brewery’s regular rotation. Adorned with a groovy label, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the 2 Row staples. … read more
Beer of the Month: Salt Flats Hefeweizen
It was time. We gallivanted up the southeast hill in Draper to Garage Grill, showroom of Salt Flats Brewing, where we planned to do something neither of us had done in quite awhile—purposefully order a Hefeweizen with our meal. … read more
Beer of the Month: Moab Pilsner
Moab Brewery’s Pilsner is a fine example of the notable style. Pilsner comes in a bumblebee-jacketed, yellow-and-black, 16-ounce tall-boy can. We poured a cold one into a larger, nonic pint because we needed additional space to accommodate the extra four ounces that Moab graciously provides. … read more
Beer of the Month: RiNo APA
RiNo APA was fashioned to share the spirit of their new neighborhood by being creative and pushing the limits, while still maintaining friendly accessibility for us consumers. The beer has bold, welcoming flavors and is simply beautiful to look at. … read more
Beer of the Month: Adventures in IPA India Pale Ale
Surrounded by myriad outdoor-adventure destinations, Talisman Brewing Company heeds the natural call to provide crisp, refreshing beverages, perfectly paired to aid in your adventure. Recently, they released a new series of brews called Adventures in IPA. … read more
UTOG Brewing Co.: Ogden Untapped
UTOG Brewing Co., one of Utah’s newest breweries-to-be in the heart of downtown Ogden, plans to open in July 2018. The historic Thorstensen building, now an empty shell, has huge potential that speaks for itself. … read more
Ogden River Brewing
Another exciting reason we love craft beer is displayed through the vision of Ogden River Brewing. It brings communities together to share experiences and to build friendships. Winslow’s dream resembles many of our own. … read more
Beer of the Month: The Friesian
Throughout the years, Uinta firmly established itself as a larger brewery that is still willing to take chances, with some brews showcasing trendy yeast strain Brettanomyces, more often described as “Brett.” A Belgian-style dark ale, The Friesian, is one of the many styles they applied this interesting ingredient to. … read more
Beer of the Month: Java Stout
Java Stout is a quality coffee beer marketed at an attractive price point. It’s an easy choice for not only an avid coffee drinker but a newb as well. It could be a good beginner beer to help guide an understanding of dark, roasted-malt flavors. It will satisfy both the coffee and beer sides of anyone. … read more
Beer of the Month: Pale Ale
We enjoyed Kiitos Pale Ale from a nonic pint glass, which did a good job allowing the beer to breathe as well as show off all of its key characteristics. … read more
Beer of the Month: New England-style IPA – Citralush
Citralush leaves a white collar that sustains atop its clouded, carbonated body. The clean burst of citrus under the nose is where the New England style truly wins over its legions of fanatical followers. … read more
Beer of the Month: Grapefruit Revolution
Shades of Pale hit the right note with Grapefruit Revolution by accurately describing and executing exactly what the consumer wants. … read more
Vernal Brewing Company: From the Dinosaur Tail to the India...
With delicious brews, a farm-to-table gastropub menu and an excellent team, Owner Ginger Bowden makes clear that Vernal Brewing Company is a must-visit in Vernal, Utah … read more