SLUG Contributor Limelight
June 4, 2015
Contributor Limelight: Kyle Trammell, aka Tyler Makmell
About a decade ago, Kyle Trammell, a wide-eyed home brewer from Utah’s suburbs, walked into the SLUG HQ with a mission to write about beer. Utah’s craft beer culture was exploding, and no one was covering it. SLUG accepted Trammell’s’s pitch, and he soon fathered SLUG’s “Beer Reviews” column under the pseudonym Tyler Makmell. Over the years, Makmell became a bastion of beer knowledge, including attaining an official Beer Cicerone certification. Makmell was the catalyst behind SLUG’s annual Beer Issue, this edition being the first without his voice (due to his untimely passing earlier this year). Tyler Makmell, we raise our glasses to you. To friendship and great memories. Cheers!
Articles by contributor
City Weekly Utah Beer Festival 2010
With as fast as the Utah brewing scene has been growing it was only a matter of time before that the zion curtain would see a full, free-pouring beer fest .
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Bohemian Brewery: Bobby Jackson
Bobby Jackson made his way to Salt Lake City from Vermont in September of 2007. Since then, the 23-year-old has been making a name for himself as the youngest head brewer in the state. … read more
Squatters 529: Exclusive Beer Review
This Belgian sour pours with a light crisp head that recedes quickly and leaves some residual lacing behind… … read more
The Sixth Element of Beer: Jenny Talley
Brewing with Salt Lake City’s own Squatter’s Pub for over 17 years, Jenny Talley has literally worked her way from the ground up. … read more
Beer Review: Red Rock
The Red Rock Brewing Co. team hasn’t had a problem gaining national acclaim for their brews. … read more
Beer Reviews – August 2008
When it comes to wit bier, everyone’s first thought is Blue Moon. But, because I have a palate that refuses to digest fecal matter and rotting fruit, I felt the need to produce a line-up of reviews of decent Belgian wits that are locally grown and actually taste like they should. … read more
Beer Reviews – November 2008
The Germans know their shit when it comes to beer. When U.S. brewers make beers styled off of these age-tested brews, it proves their skilled abilities in the art of craft brewing. Lucky for us, we have the best damn brewers in the nation to front this killer German styling. … read more
Beer Reviews – December 2008
SLUG reviews some of this season’s beer offerings. … read more
Beer Reviews – January 2009
Let’s face it, the only way to get through the winter months is to drink profuse amounts of alcohol. So the new line up is going to be anything above your standard percentile of alcohol to keep you warm in the winter months. Hopefully, this will introduce you to new styles, the art of aging beer and hopefully leave you with a killer hangover. With the higher alcohol, please do your best to kick off the new year. And since this is SLUG, we don’t need to tell you to drink responsibly … … read more
Wine Reviews – February 2009
I know this veers away from the typical beer reviews, but after a recent trip to southern Utah, I was reminded of the great job our vintners do here. You may never guess, but the climate of southern Utah is prime for growing fantastic wine. In Moab, of all places, there happen to be a
Beer Reviews – March 2009
Local beer reviews. … read more
Beer Reviews – May 2009
Beer review of the RedRock Rêve, Uinta Monkshine and Squatter’s Hell’s Keep. … read more
Bootlegging Properly
It is damn near impossible to get decent booze in this state. To cope, I’ve been forced into committing the beer, porn and fireworks run. … read more
Homebrew Recipes from Salt Lake’s Finest
Although brewing has now become their career, a decent amount of SLC’s local brewers still brew at home on a weekly basis. … read more
Beer Reviews: Light Beers – July 2009
Beer reviews of the Four + Sum’R, Wasatch Summer Kolsch and Wasatch Summer Brau. … read more
Whiskey Reviews: High West
When someone throws out the word “craft” in the alcohol industry, my first instinct is to assume they are talking about beer. David Perkins (head whiskey-maker at High West) is pioneering professional distillation in Utah and it is looking like that title ought not be reserved for beer alone. … read more
Beer Reviews – September 2009
I have not had a chub for beer like this since they said The Rêve was coming back. Why am I so giddy, you ask? Well, that’s simple–the craft beer scene in Utah has hit an all-time high in my book. We are seeing the release of new styles of beer that years ago were just a dream in a Utah brewer’s recipe book. … read more
Beer Reviews – October 2009
Some of the best drinking holidays happen to occur this month––Oktoberfest and Halloween (pagan version please) being the most noteworthy. So I ask of you, please do your part and make this state all the more intoxicated. … read more
Beer Reviews – November 2009
In honor of the passing of this year’s farmer’s market, I figured I would do some reviews about beers that were brewed fresh, and what style is better than fresh-hopped ales? … read more
Liquor Reviews – December 2009
I’ve lined up some of the newest craft liquors to come out of Utah, because as we all know, the only way to get through the holidays is profuse drinking. … read more
Beer Reviews – January 2010
It’s a new year and the forecast on the local craft beer front could not look any better. Squatters will be releasing an array of Belgians, RedRock will be pumping out more with the help of their new facility, Bohemian brewery is slowly producing more seasonals, Hoppers has got a bottling line and Bud Light Golden Wheat has managed to take a fat hot carl on us all. What a great fuckin’ way to kick off the year. So, in honor of this mass-market piece of shit, I figured I would toss out some wheat reviews. … read more
Beer Reviews – March 2010
“What the fuck is that?” This is the general statement I get if I have some Zion Canyon Brewing Company beer in my fridge. Based out of Springdale, Utah at the mouth of Zion Canyon, Dale Harris (Head Brewer) and his brother Derek opened the brewery in 2005. They have five styles regularly in production (Amber, IPA, ESB, Lager and Stout) and are introducing their newest seasonal in late February. … read more
Beer Reviews – April 2010
In honor of the original brother of the brew, and the holiday he has so pleasantly bestowed upon us, SLUG will be highlighting some black beers this month. If that was too “race”y please feel free to write me—I will put that into the “respond to immediately” folder along with the fan letter I received in ‘08. Hoppers’ Double Black, Squatters’ Outer Darkness and Bohemian’s Chocolate Wheat are reviewed this month. … read more
Beer Reviews – May 2010
For those of you new to the scene, cask beer is unique because it has not undergone the carbonation process via carbon dioxide and is served without any CO2 or Nitrogen. It is served a little flatter and warmer than what the general public is used to, however it lends to the flavor and the aroma what the normal carbonation process could leave out. Luckily for us Utahns, we have a couple places around town that will serve some quality cask beer. … read more
Getting Wood for Utah Beer
The concept of aging beer in oak casks is nothing new to the brewing world. It was how the drink was served and stored at the dawn of the beer age. Hell, even oaking beer with soured bacteria was a well-known craft perfected by the Belgians at the beginning of their artisanship. So why would this have anything to do with Utah? Believe it or not, Utah has been busting out high-quality oak-aged brews for beer festivals since 2005, and the general public since around 2007. … read more
The Real Care Package
Last year, I taught SLUG readers the hypothetical scenario of transporting beer, porn and fireworks (the BPF run) across Utah’s borders. This year, I figure we can teach you about the possibility of shipping beer over state lines. … read more
Beer Reviews – June 2010
If this is the mother fucking beer issue, then why don’t we cover some beer that is EPIC? There is no other brewery in the state of Utah that has a name that warrants that level of urgency, so I’ll be reviewing a few brand new brews from the recently opened Epic Brewing Company. … read more
Beer Reviews – July 2010
Every year, the first weekend in June is signaled by the migration of the Utah beer nerd. Seemingly docile creatures, beer nerds make their way out of hibernation and head north to the magical land of Idaho Falls, where the North American Brewers Awards/Mountain Brewers Beer Festival events are being held. There, brewers from all around the greater western U.S. meet to host one hell of a beer festival. It is also where Utah proves to kick more ass that what we already think we do. … read more
Beer Reviews – August 2010
With all the heat and subsequent profuse drinking, I almost forgot to give my annual review of summer booze to keep you inebriated enough to forget you’ve already worked through the season and you haven’t even peeked out from behind the Zion curtain. More importantly, I hope this will serve as a recommendation guide for this summer’s beer selection. If your current beer of choice seems to be accompanied by a Jimmy Buffet song, you ought to set that piss water down and pick up some of these quality beers. … read more
Beer Reviews – September 2010
With Oktoberfest just around the corner rearing its beautiful German head, there is nothing I want more than to be in a field of lederhosen, beer and drunkards. So, for those of us who are confined by the restraints of reality and really poor budgeting (due to a short visit to some exquisite out-of-state liquor emporiums), here are some beers to sip on while we dream of what could have been… … read more
Beer Reviews – October 2010
While Utah has managed to maintain an archaic bubble that leaves the majority of us dry humping away at sanity, occasionally there is a small glimmer of hope that makes us think there is a chance. Recently, this small glimmer of hope comes in the form of “on-premises bottling for higher gravity beer.” Utah has already seen Epic Brewing open based around this law, and with many local breweries dishing out high point beers, one can only hope it will further the Utah beer scene. … read more
Beer Reviews – November 2010
With Halloween just passed and that neo-fascist holiday of Thanksgiving coming up, I figured why not review some of that crazy spiced, chocolate, pumpkin shit that everyone raves about. I love to see those crazy styles hitting the Utah craft scene, and with other breweries like Dogfish Head, New Belgium and Stone busting out all that funky shit, I say it’s time for Utah breweries to put our state on the map—throw whatever the hell you can into the bunch. … read more
Beer Reviews – December 2010
2010 was a year that the City of Salt saw two new craft breweries, more than enough new seasonals, enough high gravity beer to give you a wedgie, and some damn fine liquor. So for you, we will be highlighting the best of the best that hit market and what I feel best summarized the bad-ass-ness-ocity that is the motherfucking Utah craft scene! … read more
Beer Reviews – January 2011
Another year down, and the prospect of palate-pleasing beer is already rearing its foamy head. Last year saw the rise of strong beer thanks to loopholes in the shaky Utah legislature regarding the brew, and a surprising increase in the demand for craft beer. With December’s issue covering the top-rated brews of the year, this will be a peek of what’s to come and who to look out for. … read more
Beer Reviews – February 2011
The month of February is here—we’ve recovered from the holidays, sent out our apology letters for any drunken mishaps and finally allowed our livers to start that healing process. Then the holiday planning assholes from above take a shit on us by infecting this month with cherub- and chocolate-packed mayhem, which only leads to more heavy drinking and probably some regrettable carnal endeavors. This lineup ought to put you in the mood for candlelit alone time with your lover or the random you picked up at the bar to ease any feelings of loneliness. … read more
Beer Reviews
The month of March is here, and we have already seen too many new labels from our local brewers to keep track of. With all the expansion I see going on here, I really worry most about the brewers. Goddamn, I hope they are finding some time to drink. Raise your glass and enjoy the lineup. We have an Epic Barley Wine, a Golden Ale from RedRock and an oaked brew from the boys of Bohemian. … read more
Beer Reviews
There was a time when I actually had to look around for new beer hitting the market. But with all the options now, it’s pretty fucking hard for me to go out to a pub (Republican excluded) and say, “I’ll have the regular.” With this scatter shot of fantastic new styles hitting streets in SLC, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your beer-battered bukkake of selections. … read more
Beer Reviews
Sometimes it feels like I am beginning to drink earlier and earlier in the day. It’s not a bad thing—it’s just with this arid wasteland of desert we live in and those summer months creeping up on me, I have a problem trying to meet the needs of my drinking regimen—equalizing the demands for light and dark beer in my diet. Luckily, local brewers have cured my woes by creating artistic renditions of the breakfast drink. Here is a divine lineup of brews to enjoy before that bastard sun rises. … read more
Concealed Consumption
I’ve always been an advocate of imbibing throughout the course of the day. However, due to legal limitations imposed by our fine government, I find it rather hard to do so without teetotaling eyes peering down on me. What most people don’t understand is that drinking in public can be a fun and rewarding habit. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve developed to keep myself within my functioning parameters of inebriation through the divine art of concealed consumption in public. … read more
Beer Reviews
Well, folks, it’s another beer issue and another year in the ol’ brew log. In the past year, we’ve seen a startup brewery take the Utah craft scene by storm, local breweries take their craft to more states and local drinkers develop a craving for high-point brews and exotic styles. There is no better testament to the quality that Utah breweries can provide than this lineup here. … read more
Beer Reviews
In these summer months, I have been doing my fair share of beer drinking—so much so that I am willing to imbibe something other than the frothy beverage that I hold oh-so-very dear. As we’ve seen over the years, Salt Lake City is no newcomer when it comes to the craft of distilled spirits. When we hear that there are new whiskeys and even a fucking tequila hitting our liquor stores, we consider that worthy of mentioning. … read more
Beer Reviews
The craft beer scene in Salt Lake has made a significant dent in the big guys and is on the cusp of doing even more damage. Thanks to our Utah brewers for keeping our palates entertained with a selection of styles. Raise your glass to each other and enjoy this high-point lineup for what is left of the summer heat. … read more
Wine Reviews
Sneaking their way into the ranks of those who are doing a damn fine job of making this state a little less dry, Kiler Grove Winegrowers has arrived in Salt Lake City. KGW is a small boutique winery, currently specializing in small-batch reds, red blends and a rare white varietal. These low-yield products have had hands-on attention and care, so I am pleased to offer you the line up. … read more
Beer Reviews
When you have locked yourself away in your beer-drinking bunker and you reach for a brewskie, you’ll be able to take a pick from the newest of local make with this month’s lineup, featuring a new oaked beer that has been jacked up, an Epic beer just back from the Great American Beer Festival and a saison suited for all four seasons. … read more
Beer Reviews
If you have noticed, Uinta has recently undergone an entire design change in honor of their 20th anniversary. If you are the Joe who is saying, “Who gives a shit about how pretty it looks, I want my beer,” then you can easily kiss my design-loving ass and enjoy the bonus of this design change: new beers! Now that our chubs have met in the proverbial middle, allow me to present the reviews. … read more
Beer Reviews
The year 2011 has been a defining time for the craft beer industry in Utah. In the past 12 months, we have seen “exponential” growth in some of our out-of-state distribution, arrived at the mutual understanding that design and beer do meet in the middle and fostered the ever snobbering of your craft beer palates, which keeps our brewers on their toes. … read more
Fluid Art and the Craft @ UMOCA 11.07
A contemporary art museum would be the last place I’d expect to find a decent microbrew, and frankly, I’m a bit burnt out on wine pourings in the back room at an art gallery. The merriment of these two was a great display of what craft beer and art bring to the table. … read more
Booze Reviews – January 2012
It’s a fresh start to a new year, and 2011 is going to be hard to top. We all saw that our brewers/distillers/vintners busted a serious amount of ass to give us the libations we demanded. I’m willing to wager that 2012 will be no different. This month we have a new take on familiar flavors to break your whiny, know-it-all craft palate. … read more
Beer Reviews – February 2012
This month always seems to lead people into the dark side of things. Maybe it’s the shit-filled love fest, maybe it’s the winter gloom, maybe even the financial repercussions of spending all your hard-earned Christmas dough on a couple of assholes in your life that didn’t bother to bring beer back home from out of state. I hope this set of reviews will help you embrace the darker side of things, especially when they hit your palate. At least the booze will soothe the pain until it passes. … read more
Beer Reviews – March 2012
When the word “epic” comes to mind, I generally imagine shooting myself in the head. This is because some verbally oblivious dolt is referring to the color of her new nail polish, or some bro-dude is commenting on what the newest episode of whateverthefuck had to sell. With these painful reservations that I struggle with day to day, I am given reprise. Epic Brewing Co. is restoring my faith in this overly abused word. … read more
Beer Reviews – April 2012
This set of beer reviews is inspired by the idea of keeping your brew brethren in mind. In this small boozing city of ours, we are commonly linked by our enjoyment of finely crafted libations. We need to keep our guards up and fight the evil piss-beer powers that be, and more importantly, promote growth of the industry by sticking together! So with that in mind, it is only appropriate that we talk about collaborative beers that unite both local enthusiasts and out-of-state supporters. … read more
Homebrewed: An Interview with Kincade Bauer
Over the last decade, Salt Lake City has seen exponential growth in the craft beer scene—the sturdy backbone of this movement has been the home brewers. One of these home brew aficionados is Kincade Bauer. Bauer worked closely in Salt Lake City’s music scene as a promoter for years and currently works as a liquor rep and as the Beam Ambassador for Utah. Despite slinging booze in his working life, it has not stopped him from crafting his own libations at home as a hobby. … read more
Beer Reviews – May 2012
Maybe I’m behind on the vernacular at times, but when I overheard one of the brew brethren utter the phrase, “Getting some strange,” I wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but I was positive that it was douchebaggy. Despite my hip-lingo handicap, my beer brain wandered off into thinking, “I could go for some strange brew-drinking tonight.” This lineup covers all of those beers that don’t fall into the norm of your typical drinking night. … read more
Beer Reviews 12/12
When looking back on this year, in regard to Utah beer, I’m glad. We’ve seen new breweries arise, more community involvement with craft brewing and enough high-point beer to ram down the fucking esophagus of that asshole who “only drinks real beer.” If those change-ups weren’t enough to convince you of an impending doom, allow this to be the icing on the cake: This is my last issue. Now, I know my two readers out there are heartbroken. So, Nana and UteBeerFan87, thank you for all your support over the years. … read more
Beer Reviews – June 2012
Summer has set in, and this god-awful, dry-ass heat makes me want to drown myself in an ample amount of booze. That’s where our outstanding Utah brewers come in. This set of beer reviews is a teaser to reflect what we’ve come to expect from our fine local brewers and breweries. Here are some lagers to soothe us in that heat and a hopped-up brew for all those lupulin-crazed assholes out there who haven’t had enough enamel ripped off their teeth. … read more
Beer Reviews – October 2012
Our livers have survived the City Weekly Beer Festival, we’ve avoided a DUI at the Snowbird Oktoberfest and we’ve slowly made the budgetary adjustments to put up with the DABC fuckwits’ newly implemented taxation on high point. With all those things making your beer-damaged bladder quiver, what better month do we have to incite fear than the present? The beers we have are sure to cause a fright––there is a bock back from the dead, and some foreign invaders from Ogden are claiming to make high point beers. … read more
Beer Reviews – November 2012
The year is wrapping up and our brewers have yet to settle on their stock beers. With even more beers on the horizon—and given my current sobriety level—I figured a muddling of selections is in order. We have lined up for you a long overdue addition to RedRock’s bottled series, a twist on a Uinta staple which ought to make you wet and a Pro-Am hopeful that was sent off to the Great American Beer Festival. … read more
Beer Reviews – August 2012
This is a group of limited-run beers that, with a little luck, may still be kicking around when this issue hits the streets. For those of you who are not aware: It is you, the consumer, who decides which beers stick around. If you manage to find a new, local micro beer that you drank enough to pass out, piss yourself, wake up the next morning and keep at it, then write your brewers and tell them that. So, enjoy this beer lineup, and please write in to these guys––otherwise, we’ll riot in the streets. … read more
Booze Reviews
It’s that time of year when beer fests and beer drinking have officially taxed my palate. While some may see that as an opportunity to take a breather and lay off the sauce for a bit, I press on for you, the reader. With that in mind, the most logical step is the highest point of the higher points: craft spirits. This set of reviews includes the local big boys of the distillation game. … read more
Beer Reviews – September 2012
Summer is roaring to an end, and if you’re still reading this, your liver, or at least some motor functions, are still intact. That deserves a “cheers” and probably a slap on the wrist for not drinking hard enough to support our local brewers. Nonetheless, this month we have a stellar lineup of some hop-emphasized beers, and a newer stylization of beer to impress any Belgian connoisseur. So sit back, enjoy, and for god’s sake, please step up your game. … read more
Let’s Just Get Along: Craft Brewery Trademarking
It’s another beer issue, and I have been granted the opportunity to gripe to you readers about some bullshit that is happening within the craft brewing industry that makes me livid: trademarks and bitchy brewers! With over 2,400 active craft breweries operating in the US and another 1,000-plus in the midst of planning and opening, there is bound to be some crossover with brand names and labels. The repercussions of these name changes that fall on the brewery can result in thousands to tens of thousands of dollars spent in re-labeling, product waste, signage reproduction and graphic alterations. … read more