One Year Later.
About this time last year, I began compiling notes for the March 2020 e-newsletter. It brimmed with beer-related events and activities on tap to celebrate the warmer weather, the arrival of spring, and St. Patrick's Day.
 Little did I know, the vast majority of events and activities included in that dispatch would be canceled as Utah took steps to slow the spread of COVID-19.
In fact, the newsletter hit inboxes on a Thursday and by that weekend, schools and ski resorts had closed. Sports came to a standstill. Local officials ordered the shutdown of bars, restaurants, and breweries to dine-in customers.
Utah had 21 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at that time.
Earlier that same month, a buddy and I had finished recording a podcast episode in which we matched up eight beers in a March Madness-style bracket challenge.
Once the initial shutdowns began, and we thought about the episode's release date, he commented: "our bracket will be the only one."
A few days in March ignited an era of uncertainty in Utah. For the hospitality industry, which includes the state's craft breweries, it signaled not only a health crisis, but a potentially devastating financial one as well.
"Brewers in Utah know that you have to be quick on your toes to make it in this industry in Utah on a regular day," the Utah Brewers Guild tweeted on March 15, 2020. "These developments bring new challenges and much uncertainty, but our Utah craft brewers are resilient and capable."
As I've written in this space before, Utah's craft beer industry is definitely a resilient bunch. It's weathered a once-a-century storm and has survived (so far) to tell about it.
Alcohol Legislation
Interestingly, this week marks the end of the 2021 Utah Legislative Session. While Utah's hospitality industry spent the last several months fighting for survival, our elected officials in the last six weeks could have offered a host of lifelines—online alcohol ordering, grocery store curbside pickup, sealed cocktails to go, beer/wine delivery, etc.—to Utah's struggling bars and breweries.
And while legislators drafted a handful of alcohol-related bills, it appears key (and outdated) alcohol regulations will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
The latest episode of Utah Booze News: An Alcohol Policy Podcast (not affiliated with the Utah Beer News Podcast) offers a brief rundown of this year's alcohol-related bills (SB59, SB119, SB137, HB148, HB371, HB432) what they include (or don't include), and their prospects of being passed in the final days of the session. It's worth a listen.
Cheers,
Tim
Currently Drinking: As I write, I'm enjoying a Crowler of Hop Train Pale Ale from Ogden River Brewing. How about you?
Thanks to Earl, Jeremy, and Tyler for letting me know what they were drinking last month. 🍻
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Hello Again & Welcome
If this is your first time receiving this monthly dispatch, welcome! If you're a longtime subscriber, thank you for sticking with it. As always, feel free to drop a line to let me know what you think. Connect with me personally on Untappd.
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An Inside Look at Proper Brewing's Barrel Program
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Utah Beer News visited recently with Jeff Bunk, who is spearheading Proper Brewing's barrel program, as well as Jack Kern, the brewery's head brewer. We teased it in this space last month, and we hope you had a chance to read/listen.
If not, please check out the article in which we take you behind the curtain at Proper's barrel program—a true blending of art and science.
🎙 BONUS: Check out the Utah Beer News Podcast to hear Jeff and Jack explain how Proper approaches its barrel program, learn the backstory for many of the barrel-aged beers, get a behind-the-beer look at Great American Beer Festival gold medal-winning Proper Beer, and more! Tune In!
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Your Voice: 2021 Utah Beer News Survey Results
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We gave subscribers a sneak peek at the 2021 Utah Beer News Survey results last month. And now, we have a full recap (with some analysis and commentary) on the site.
Please take a look to learn what topics are of most interest to the Utah craft beer community, where beer drinkers are getting their news, beer trends you'd like to see continue (and those you wouldn't), and more. Plus, we also have a rundown of survey respondents' favorite beer styles and local breweries.
🎙 BONUS: Since you're a valued subscriber, I'd like to give you early-listening access to a podcast that will be published next week. In it, I talk more about the survey, discuss what I'm working on at Utah Beer News, and talk about the site's most popular articles from 2020. Click to Get Early Access!
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Notable: 2 Utah Beers to Try
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Beer Name/Style: Transom, Dark Pale Ale
Brewery: RoHa Brewing Project
ABV: 5%
Purchased: RoHa Brewing Project
Notes: Released initially last April, Transom didn't get the attention I believe it deserved. Now, RoHa brewed another batch of the dark pale ale. Don't let the color fool you—it's still a lighter-bodied, moderately hoppy, and sessionable pale. Toasted malt blends nicely with piney and citrusy hops notes.
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Beer Name/Style: Eternal Pursuit, Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale
Brewery: Level Crossing Brewing
ABV: 8.8%
Purchased: Level Crossing Brewing
Notes: The latest in Level Crossing's Red Feather Series is a complex sipper. I picked up notes of raisins, toffee, and a touch of molasses. Some dark chocolate bitterness emerges as it warms in the glass. The medium-bodied beer finishes dry. Be sure to read the can copy to get more of the Eternal Pursuit story.
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About Notable Releases: From time to time I'll use the above space to share two beers that I believe are worth seeking out. If you're a brewer or craft beer enthusiast who would like a specific beer to be considered for this feature, please send me an email by March 25 with details about the beer and where to find it. Please note, extremely limited releases likely won't be considered for this feature.
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EVEN MORE BEERS: By the way, here are a few new beers—or returning seasonals—that have been brought to our attention since our last dispatch. Check out the individual social posts for details.
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🎙 Beer News for Your Ears
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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!
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Coming Soon: Our 2nd Annual Beer Bracket Battle
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For the second straight year, we've selected eight local beers to compete in a March Madness-style bracket challenge (relive the magic from a year ago).
Which brew displayed guts and determination, overcame adversity, and outlasted the competitors to taste that oh-so-sweet victory this time around? Visit UtahBeerNews.com on March 15 to find out.
🎙 BONUS: Listen to the play-by-play as Dave Baker, Ben Raskin, and Tim Haran, using their tastebuds as their playbook, whittle the field from eight to one in the latest episode of the Utah Beer News Podcast (available in mid-March).
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 Each month, I gather beer-related news and notes to share with Utah Beer News email subscribers. Much of what's mentioned in this space is obtained from social sites, taproom visits, email newsletters, etc. (and a few are sent directly to me—hint, hint).
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Reminder: It's always best to confirm event dates, times, and locations with the individual organizers.
- Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria in Ogden is hosting a Salt Flats Brewing tap takeover on March 9.
- The 4th West Fest St. Patrick’s Day Party is set for March 13. The 21+ only event (though vendor booths will be open to all ages) takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Garten at Mountain West Hard Cider. Tickets are $5.
- Cedar City’s Policy Kings Brewery is hosting its own St. Patrick’s Day party on March 20.
- Speaking of Policy Kings Brewery, it kicked off a Kickstarter campaign to help increase its reach beyond its Cedar City taproom. Check out the details.
- Jamie Burnham, a well-known figure in the Utah craft beer/alcohol industry, is organizing a homebrew competition. 100% of proceeds benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The deadline is March 31 and the winner will get to brew the beer at Bewilder Brewing. If you’re not a homebrewer, here’s how you can donate directly to Jamie’s fundraiser. By the way, she is also nominated as the Utah Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year!
- Congratulations to Fisher Brewing on celebrating its four-year anniversary on Feb. 25.
- A “gluten-free ale that tastes like beer” is now available at Kiitos Brewing. It’s a 5% ABV Golden Ale brewed with millet, sorghum, and brown rice. It also includes Cascade hops and is available at Kiitos and various grocery stores.
- The Desert Edge Brewery & Pub beer store is now open. I picked up a few cans from the fridge in late February. Grab a beer to go from one of Utah’s oldest modern-day breweries.
- A handy “beer availability” map lets you know where you can find Bewilder Brewing beers around town.
- By the way, sign up for Bewilder Brewing’s e-newsletter to stay in-the-know.
- The Utah chapter of the Pink Boots Society plans to brew this year’s Pink Boots beer on March 8—International Women’s Day—at Roosters Brewing in Ogden.
- Keep up to date on all the RoHa Brewing Project happenings by subscribing to its email list. The latest edition mentions several new (or returning) beers available now at the Salt Lake brewery.
- Speaking of RoHa, read the latest Haas Style Blog entry to find out what’s in the brewer’s fridge at the moment.
- I’ve mentioned it in previous newsletters, but if you’re not reading Rio Connelly’s blog, you really should check it out. His latest post takes a look inside Ogden River Brewing.
- Geeks Who Drink Trivia is back at Level Crossing Brewing. The first trivia night of 2021 is set for March 8 at 6 p.m.
- The Brewers Association released its 2021 Beer Style Guidelines. New recognized categories include Kentucky Common Beer, New Zealand-style Pale Ale and IPA, and Belgian-style Session Ale.
- An interesting look at how homebrewing impacted modern-day craft beer brewing. Legalized at the federal level beginning in 1979, two states didn’t legalize homebrewing until 2013. Surprisingly, Utah wasn’t one of the holdouts (it became legal here in 2009), via Wine Enthusiast.
- Four Peaks Brewing Co., Arizona’s largest brewery, announced that its Kilt Lifter Scottish Amber Ale will be available in Utah. It reformulated the typical 6% ABV recipe down to 5% ABV to conform with Utah’s limits on draft and in grocery and convenience stores.
- Cold IPA is the latest addition into the IPA library, via Washington Beer Blog.
- The 3rd Annual Southern Utah Beer Fest hosted by Policy Kings Brewery is scheduled to take place on July 31 at the Cedar City brewery.
- Not beer-specific, but a “wine warrior” is making a case in his new book, "Mormons, Merlot & the Utah Liquor Monopoly," to privatize liquor sales, via The Salt Lake Tribune (the article is available only to Tribune subscribers).
And finally…
- Got a kick out of this old promotional short from Busch. If you can’t trust Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble when it comes to beer, who can you trust?
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Brewery Folks: Got news, notes, or events to share? Don't count on me to find it on social media. Please send the info to Utah Beer News directly if you'd like me to help spread the word.
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