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.

Skipping Stone
Brewery/Brand: Uinta Brewing Co.
ABV: 4%
Serving: 12 oz Bottle
Description: Skipping Stone pours very light in color with a bright white head that dissipates quickly. The aroma is very clean with hints of citrus, soft hops and a crisp malt backing. The taste is similar to the aroma, with that bright citrus character coming through on each sip and soft hops and malt on the finish.
Overview: Part of Uinta’s April-August release, this summer lager comes just in time. This is a very light, easy-to-drink pale lager that matches up with spicy food, or does just fine as something to swill down out in the heat. If this wasn’t a craft brew, I’d have to say I found a new chugging beer. Its refreshing, light hop character and clean malt leave a little residual flavor on your tongue to keep you wanting more.

Cervesa de Media Noche
Brewery/Brand: Hoppers
ABV: 4%
Serving: On Tap
Description: On tap at the pub, this Latin American lager is served crystal clear in its pint with a deep, brown color and nice, big head. The aromatics open up to caramel, dark fruits and a clean toasted roast. The taste is malty at the beginning, with soft, roasted character carrying you through to a balance of smooth fruitiness.
Overview: Donovan Steele (Brewmaster at Hoppers) has stunned me again. This lager was made using Vienna- and Pilsner-based malts, Chilean chocolate malt, Chilean dark caramel and flaked corn to create an impressively balanced dark lager. This dark lager is smooth and easy to drink, and still puts off a refreshing flavor perfect for beating the heat.

Crest Trail American Pale Ale
Brewery/Brand: Squatters Small Batch Series
ABV: 5.5%
Serving: 750 ml Bottle
Description: The newest from the small batch series pours a clear, yellow/orange hue with a nice, frothy, white head. The aroma has plenty of piney hops with caramel malts and citrus smells coming in near the end. On the palate, the flavors are mellow: sweet malts, floral hops and a nice combination of a lingering malt and dry, pine-hop character on the finish.
Overview: This is one of my all-time favorite drafts to come out of Squatters Pub. Seeing this made me more stoked than I was to see Jason Stock (Squatters Brewmaster) rocking the pants-down look in SLUG’s last Beer Issue. I’m not normally one to say higher point is better, but I was glad to see that this was chosen for their small batch series because it gave the brewers more play with hops and upped their malt content. As we all know, using simple drinker’s math, more hops plus more malt equals bigger beer boner. Unfortunately, by the time you read this, this particular batch will be sold out. Keep your eyes peeled for its next release!