Authors: Mike Riedel
Ale Beer Reviews
The holidays are coming, and there’s going to be a lot of liquid cheer coming your way, which is likely going to be big and spicy like the season it represents. It’s truly one of best times of the year for beer. However, we’re only human. … read more
Beer Reviews
As craft beer becomes an even more influential player in the eyes of the state’s alcohol consumers, breweries are looking to set themselves apart to compete in a beer market in which their percentages dwindle due to an increase of outside competition. … read more
Beer Reviews
The Bohemian Brewing Company, located in Midvale, Utah, is one of the state’s most unlikely success stories in Utah’s recent beer history. Founded by Czech immigrant Joe Petras in 2001, Bohemian took a big chance on making old-world craft beer styles when the majority of craft beer drinkers were moving toward more hoppy and modern interpretations on English and Belgian styles. Joe’s philosophy was basically to make four beers, but make them well. … read more
Beer Reviews
At this year’s North American Beer Awards held by the North American Brewers Association, one of Utah’s oldest breweries had an incredible showing. Moab Brewery tends to get overlooked in Salt Lake’s beer scene for the simple fact that it’s located in the desert hundreds of miles away. … read more
Beer Reviews
Normally, for October, I’d be pestering the shit out of all of the local breweries—hitting them up and gathering up all of the pumpkin beers I could find for one massive Utah beer “gourd-gasm.” But let’s be honest—How many damn pumpkin beers can you drink in a month? My money says a handful at best. … read more
Beer Reviews
Now that we’re in the midst of summer’s full heat, it’s time to think about those thirst-quenching beers. Sure, you can visit the occasional double IPA or Belgian golden strong ale but, after mowing the lawn on a 90-degree-plus day, are you seriously going to tell me that you want something sweet with a little bit of alcohol burn? … 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
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
#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
Beer Reviews
I run with a very tough crowd. Most of the guys in my little circle of friends aren’t the ass-kicking, troublemaking type of guys, though. The “tough” that these guys have been honing in their DNA is from years of liver-beating, bottle-crushing and craft beer drinking. … read more