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Craft Lake City Participant Mixer @ Big Cartel 07.21
On July 21 2014, nestled in downtown SLC in an alleyway lot next to Big Cartel, Craft Lake City held their annual mixer to bring local businesses and the arts community together for food, drink, networking and a Q&A panel. … 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
Fluid Art: Bringing Together Art & Ales @ UMOCA 05.31
When your editor calls you up and asks if you want to drink local craft beers and look at contemporary art, the first answer is “hell yes!” immediately followed by the question, “we can do that in Utah?” … 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
#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
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
Beer Reviews
Believe it or not, India pale ales (IPAs) are still a relatively new beer style. Yeah, technically they’ve been around since the 19th century, but the modern incarnation of America’s favorite craft beer style is only about 30 years old. In the old days, IPAs were a necessity, not a style. … read more
Beer and Ballet: A Fun Night with Ballet West and...
Beer and Ballet, a fundraiser for Ballet West, was a magnificent event. Guests enjoyed an elegant gala (with beer!) and a preview of “The Rite of Spring.” Epic Brewing co-hosted the evening, providing bottles of a few of their most popular brews. Mingling in the lobby of the beautiful Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, delectable bites were served by The Annex, Epic’s gastro-pub located in Sugarhouse, in addition to Epic Brewing’s ales and lagers. I happily used my three drink tickets (and one of my husband’s) on the Spiral Jetty IPA. Food and beer lines moved quickly and service was friendly. … read more
Beer Reviews
One of my favorite things about beer is hops. They can transform a sweet soup of malty goodness into a palatable, heavenly dream. Once upon a time, hops were primarily used to balance out the beer’s sweetness and make it a more drinkable experience. Soon thereafter, its preservative qualities made its mark on the culture, adding to the mysterious flower’s importance. … read more