Month: May 2014
Mike Brown’s Ride-a-Long: Viva la Magna!
Oh, the beloved Beer Issue—close to my heart and even closer to my liver. As usual, I get to use the Beer Issue as a chance to twist some tops and bend some elbows on someone else’s dime while pretending to write a serious article, and it’s the one time of year where the SLUG editors can’t give me any shit for writing my column drunk. It’s possible to slur in an article—if you’ve ever read any of my zines, then you already know that. … read more
Aiden Chamberlain: The Northern Light
It happened that I skated with Aiden Chamberlain once before at a spot with rails set against a white-brick building. We skated those for a while until someone decided that we’d check out a hulking rail that was just across the street. Only two of the group of about eight had the guts to huck themselves down the green, daunting monster. One of those kids was Mr. Chamberlain. … read more
The Cold Truth on Warm Beer
Occasionally, we beer drinkers can find ourselves in a bit of a beer bubble. It’s easy to forget that that many of the great beer styles that we enjoy come from regions of the world that are as foreign to us as a BYU singles ward. These beers were not just created to help you “get your sexy on”—they were primarily created to be necessary nutritional staples in the regions from which they hail. Why you’re drinking a beer has as much to do as what kind of beer you’re drinking. Centuries ago, when you were having a beer, it was because the water was bad or because it was a more practical way to stretch your harvest’s yield, and temperature has a lot to do with that. … read more
Chocolate Stout Cake (With a Little Arsenic)
When SLUG offered me the chance to make a goddamn beer cake, I was not about to say no, even if I am about the worst example of domestication I know. I called the Martha Stewart of the metal world, my dear friend Lady Arsenic of local band Arsenic Addiction, and asked if she’d be interested in helping me create this heavenly dessert. To keep chocolate off the camera, my wonderful partner in crime, SLUG photographer Matt Brunk, offered to document the debauchery. … read more
Wild About Sour Beers
Malted barley, hops, water and yeast—if there’s one thing that beer has going for it in the world of fermented beverages, it’s the great diversity of flavors that a brewer can coax out of these four main and important ingredients. For many beer drinkers, when the word “beer” comes to mind, tastes of light-toasted grain and grassy/floral bitterness pops into mind. This is what mainstream beer has been for so many people over the last 120 years, but there is a style of beer that goes back centuries, which owes its existence to necessity and ungovernable factors: the wild ale. … read more
Avenues Proper: Prost To The Proper
I’ve always hurt for that olde-worldy town pub feel in Utah—dimly lit and warm, complete with woodworked furnishings that welcome all walks of life to casually learn about the nearby company—where I can drink something from a house keg and enjoy the finest classic beer food known to man. The ascending Avenues have bolstered Avenues Proper, letting in some natural light, but the concept of a laidback place to sit back and watch the world spin is starting to carry itself out of the Berger Straße and onto the Bonneville benches. … read more
SLUG Holiday Comix – June 2014
Happy Blame Someone Else Day, June 13! … read more
Skate Photo Feature: Colt Bowden
Colt Bowden is always on the lookout for interesting spots. I met up with this former Utah local last month, and he took me down a drainage ditch near his house to this crazy transition. I think it’s a requisite that his spots are hard to skate. … read more
#BeerGeekSocialMedia
Social media has become a huge part of most of our lives. Being a “Beer Gnerd,” I’ve enjoyed getting the opportunity to simply connect and interact with people of like mind through quite a few beer apps out there, designed specifically for the craft beer enthusiast. Many do the same thing—allow the users to share their thoughts on what they’re drinking and where. I’ve highlighted a few beer geek apps to help you stay more easily connected while looking for and enjoying your favorite glass of suds. … 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