Utah Beer News | September 2018

GABF 2018.

Tim Haran | Utah Beer News This time tomorrow I will be arriving in Denver for my first Great American Beer Festival (GABF).

That's not to boast; I'm actually a little intimidated.

The inaugural event in 1982 featured 24 breweries, 47 beers, and 800 attendees.

Sounds reasonable.

And this year?

60,000+ attendees
800+ breweries (which, incidentally, is only about 13% of all craft breweries in the U.S.)
4,000+ beers

Organizers now say the GABF represents the “largest collection of U.S. beer ever served, in a public tasting event plus a private competition.”

If you’ve been, do you have any pro tips to share? And do you have a favorite out-of-state brewery I should check out? Let me know via email or hit me up on Twitter.

Speaking of Twitter, I hope you’re following @UtahBeerNews. We tweet news and notes pertaining not only to the Utah beer scene, but we also share industry information of interest to the casual craft beer drinker. The more you know...

This month’s dispatch is filled with lots of good stuff. Here are some quick links:

We talked with the executive director of the Utah Brewers Guild.
We picked wild hops that Wasatch Brewing is turning into Clothing Hoptional
We tasted and evaluated several beers perfect for fall
And so much more!

As I write, I’m ushering in autumn by drinking an Oktoberfest from Bohemian Brewery. How about you?

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THANK YOU, as always, for subscribing. It’s greatly appreciated. And welcome to the new subscribers! Our community has grown by nearly 25% since our last beer-fueled dispatch, so thank you for joining us!

Cheers,
Tim

Forward

Fall Beers: From Oktoberfest to Pumpkin Spice

As summer slips into fall, our thoughts turn to football, hoodies, and deliciously malty beers. David Baker returns to the Utah Beer News pages with a timely article featuring several tasty fall beers.

BONUS: Listen to Dave and Tim talk about Oktoberfest and beer — and beer at a couple local Oktoberfest events.

The Utah Brewers Guild is tasked with promoting and protecting the craft beer industry in Utah. Utah Beer News sat down with Nicole Dicou, the Guild’s new executive director, to learn more about this important organization and how everyday craft beer enthusiasts can get involved.

Learn More

Beer News & Notes

Here are a few beer-y links you might find interesting (I did, at least):

Fresh hops, you say? CraftyBeerGirls.com takes you to the source.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan's beer rant has been getting a lot of attention. Thoughts? The Brewers Association responds.
The best "brewery hops" in SLC, according to The Beer Travel Guide.
And you're not still staying at hotels that don't have in-room beer taps, are you?

2 Row Brewing: Donate Food, Get a Deal on Beer

Now through Sept. 22, if you bring three non-perishable food items to 2 Row Brewing in Midvale, you can get a growler filled for a mere $3. The food drive supports the Utah Food Bank. Complete details can be found on the 2 Row Facebook Page.

By the way, our podcast episode featuring Brian Coleman, president of 2 Row Brewing, dropped right after our last email went out. Take a listen (or watch)!

Harvesting Hops: From Bine to Brew Kettle in Hours

Volunteers assembled on a picture-perfect Friday morning to harvest wild hops and transport them to Wasatch Brewery. Brewers then tossed the fresh hops into a batch of Wasatch's soon-to-be Clothing Hoptional golden ale. The anticipated brew, which benefits Summit Land Conservancy, will make its debut at Hoppy Hour 2018 on Sept. 29.

Listen Up!

The Utah Beer News podcast provides another avenue for us to tell stories about the Utah beer community. We'd love for you to subscribe, take a listen, and let us know what you think!

Tastings!

Each week, Utah Beer News shares its thoughts on a particularly tasty beer. Even more, the Tastings posts deliver a snapshot of the brewery behind the beer. We're slowly making our way through each Utah brewery. Who knows where we'll end up or what beer we'll try next!

Thank You! / Your Chance to Win!

Thank you again for subscribing and please let your beer-loving friends know about us (we're also on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter).

Each month I like to reward loyal readers (who make it to the end of the email) with an exclusive giveaway. This time around I'm going to pick up some GABF merchandise for a couple lucky subscribers.

Here's how to enter:

Subscribe to this newsletter (already done, obviously, unless you were forwarded this message).
Follow @UtahBeerNews on Instagram OR Twitter (if you already do, you're golden).
Send me an email by Sept. 25, 2018 to let me know your Instagram/Twitter handles, as well as what you're drinking as we slide into fall.

Two (2) names will be randomly selected from eligible entries and will receive something fun from the Great American Beer Festival. I'll announce the lucky winners on Utah Beer News social media in early October.

Thank you and good luck!