4 New 4 You

There has been a bustle of activity with the breweries in the valley. There are 4 new brews for you to enjoy this holiday season, so get out and support your local brewery and try their new seasonals.

The Bohemian Brewery:
Bohemian's Schwenkelweiss Black Wheat - Just like it sounds. A dark wheat beer, but with a twist. This beer uses nitro for carbonation rather than the standard bubbly.

Red Rock Brewery:
Paardebloem - A blond ale using dandelions instead of hops as a bittering agent. This is a very limited run; 150 bottles.

Squatters Brewery:
Outer Darkness - A very high octane beer at over 10% abv. This is a Imperial Stout that can survive for a long time, so buy a couple and save one for next year.

Hoppers:
Donovan's Irish Breakfast Stout - I heard about this one through UtahBeer. "It combines an Oatmeal Stout with a Sweet 'Milk' Stout that contains unfermentable lactose milk sugars, then they added several pounds Millcreek Guatemalan coffee." I'm excited for this one. Breakfast anyone?

Drink Well!

I have often heard rumors of studies done that show the health benefits of drinking a glass of wine every day, or that there are no ill effects to drinking beer moderately. Evidently there are hundreds of large scale studies that show having 1-3 standard sized drinks of alcohol per day (depending on your size and assuming you have no adverse reaction to alcohol) can be very beneficial to you in a variety of areas in health and wellness.

Wanna reduce your risk of Hypertension; drink a beer. Wanna increase your chances of avoiding Alzheimer’s; drink a beer. Don’t like strokes, heart attacks, and wanna live longer; you guessed it, drink a beer.

I know this will sound outrageous and irresponsible to some people, but don't take my word for it. Here is a link to a site that has citations to 100+ studies showing this to be true.

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/alcoholandhealth.html

Salud!

27% alcohol means 100% tease!

Boston Brew Company, maker of Sam Adams has produced yet another beer that we in Utah cannot enjoy. A “traditionally” brewed beer based on grain fermentation, this new beer is called Utopias. Aged for 15 years in oak barrels much like a distilled liquor this new heavy beer will sell for $150 per bottle, but is banned in 13 states including Utah. Not surprisingly, some states are taking steps to modify law to allow high alcohol beers, as a trend seems to be growing in this market for breweries.

So, if you find yourself on the east coast some time and want to try a beer that I’m sure you won’t soon forget, try Utopias… and let me know how it is.

The Brew for You at the Bayou!

So it has been, and can be, frustrating to sit down at the Bayou for a delicious pint of your favorite brew, only to find out that is is not available at that time. Even worse, you go into panic mode trying to figure out what is your 2nd choice while the waitress is waiting. Well no more need to worry. As stated on the Bayou's Facebook page...

"Due to repeated requests for a more accurate current list of beer offerings at The Bayou I have toiled over the ones and zeros on the web and have accomplished it. Our on-line beer list is now updated every time we receive an order and every night after we close out the restaurant..."

So check out their site: http://www.utahbayou.com/node/6 to see for yourself!

Pub & Grub Plug

I recently started a new job out in the 201/Bangerter area, and in an attempt to find a good place to eat/drink, I stumbled upon Copper Creek Pub & Grub (3451 S 5600 W). This is a great little hole in the wall for a quick drink, or delicious heart-stopping pub food. They have 10+ beers on tap, with more available in bottles and has a nice pub atmosphere that I personally like.

On top of all the beer, they have food items like their signature Chubby Melt: “An unbelievable burger! A ground chuck patty smashed between two grilled cheese sandwiches, smothered in grilled onions, mushrooms and Thousand Island dressing.”

Or, get my favorite; the Santa Fe… you will have to go in and see what it is all about!

http://www.coppercreekpubandgrub.com/index.php

Cheers!

Liquor stores closed on the 11th!

Remember, in honor of Veterans' Day, Utah liquor stores will be closed Wed. November 11th.

Cheers!

Anyone need some hops?

(from Utah Beer: http://utahbeer.blogspot.com/2009/10/bravo-hops-at-ubc.html)
Jon Lee one of the great brewers at the Utah brewers co-op left this message in one of the posts. I moved it here for easier viewing.

Cheers!

"I didn't know where to put this but here at the UBC we have 4 brewers cuts of some Bravo hops. If some of you homebrewers want one they are one per person and first come first serve. They are with the girls in the store.

All whole flower hops above 13.5% alpha. Each weigh maybe 1#"

Beer Pong Can Kill!

College students in New York were infected with the H1N1 virus (swine flu) and are now in isolation rooms at the school’s campus.

As many as 21 cases of swine flu have been reported, and many of them found a common link of playing a game of beer pong. Anyone who has ever played this game is at least somewhat aware of the contamination problems associated with multiple people touching a ping pong ball and bouncing it off of a surface that is anything but sterile into a cup of beer that must be consumed, but this is the price you pay for fun right?

So be careful out there people! Beer Pong is an extreme sport after all!

GABF Update

It seems we (Utah) had a solid showing at the Great American Beer Festival, but unfortunately we didn’t bring home the gold. We did however win four medals. Uinta Brewing won a Silver for their ever popular Cutthroat, and the Utah Brewers Cooperative (Winterfest) and Red Rock Brewing (Organic Zwickel & Blonde Ale) won Bronze.

So, go show support for these representatives of Utah, and buy a pint of one of these nationally recognized brews. Support local, support beer, and support good times.

For more information on winners of the GABF go here:
http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/medals/medalists.aspx

Back To It!

I apologize for the apparent neglect of Tributetobeer.com and The Weekly Brews. I have been steeped in an uphill struggle to get a brick and mortar business launched for the past several months, and while things were looking good, there was a final piece of the puzzle that we couldn't get in place. Although we have not given up on this local beer related enterprize, it seems as though we are in a holding pattern at best, and more realistically have lost our opportunity.

I know this all sounds very vague, but there is no sense giving details about something that may have been.

Long story short; I will be getting back into constant upkeep of this site, and have plans for some additions. So, check back frequently to see what is new!

Thanks!

Beer was there!

What do you serve at the White House when mediating an every-day domestic disturbance issue that gains international attention because of uneasy racial tensions in a country with a relatively week economy?

Beer of course! The great equalizer. Everybody loves a cup of brew! Good thing Mitt wasn't elected.

What were they drinking? Check out NPR for the rundown.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111359273&ft=1&f=1006

Cheers!

1st Annual SLC Bar Crawl

in This Week is a local newspaper (if you didn't already know) that is sponsoring the First Annual SLC Bar Crawl Friday, July 3rd. 1 night, 16 bars.

This is in light of the recent lift on memberships in SLC.
*10 bucks gets you a T-shirt, crawl map, and drink/food specials.

*Walking groups leave from Desert Edge Brewery at 6,7, and 8pm.

*For more info, visit: www.slcbarcrawl.blogspot.com

I hope to see you there.
Cheers!

Has Utah MADD gone mad?

After directly opposing Gov. Huntsman' liquor reform, the Utah chapter of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) was sent a message from the National MADD organization that, “local chapters must adhere to national policies”.

MADD has tried to distance itself from being a prohibitionist movement in recent years, but that is exactly what many beer & liquor advocates in Utah believe MADD to be doing. With many statements and practices within the Utah chapter that suggest that drinking is bad, not drinking and driving, it is easy to discredit the efforts of Utah MADD.

The founder of MADD, Candace Lightner, became disenfranchised after alcohol consumption became the focus of the MADD agenda, rather than reducing drunk driving. And, while it seems the national MADD organization has come around, not surprisingly, the Utah chapter is still focused on a different issue... Maybe they can start their own organization... how about MAID (Mothers Against the Idea of Drinking)?

Becker Backing Booze Businesses

With the recent strides Gov. Huntsman and others have had, normalizing the liquor laws in Utah, it is no surprise that others are jumping on board. Salt Lake City mayor Ralph Becker seems to be trying to lead the pack of liquor advocacy. Two-bar-per-block restriction elimination, and the creation a downtown entertainment district are a couple of ideas that Becker has in mind. I'm just happy that people are trying to change things while the "changing" is good.

Don't forget about the change tributetobeer.com would like to see: Refrigeration units in the liquor stores. To sign the petition go to http://www.gopetition.com/online/19931.html

For more information on Becker's initiative go here:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11953282

St. Patty's Day Parade - Saturday

Tributetobeer.com will be participating in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday the 14th.

Come down and enjoy the festivities at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City! The parade starts at 10:00, but get there early for good seats. You will see many beer related floats and entries, Irish dancers, the Shriners, Bagpipes, and most importantly - tributetobeer.com. Nothing too impressive, as this is our first year, but there nonetheless.

http://www.st-patricks-day.com/st_patricks_day_parades_united_states_utah.asp

Cheers!

To Brew or Not to Brew?

Rep. Christine Johnson's bill to make home brewing legal as cleared the House, cleared the Senate Business and Labor Committee, and is now sent to the Senate. Although this has lots of support, it seemed to languish last year regardless. So, let's hope the senate has "time" to get to it this year, and get it passed.

Just think of all the prison space we will have once we kick out all the beer brewers. We will finally have room for the J-walkers.

I'm never in the right place at the right time.

On February 17 a tractor-trailer full of Fat Tire Beer lost control due to snowy conditions, flipped over, and spilled the contents of the truck out on to the freeway. The driver was uninjured.

Now why couldn’t I have been a first responder to that accident? Nobody injured, and all the free beer you can get away with... Dang!

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11721590?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

From the 19th century - to the 22nd

Even after the “OK” from every side of the issue, even the LDS church, the Utah legislature has to try to muck things up. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that there could be a different solution to the ridiculous membership fees for entry into Utah’s “private” clubs, a rule that makes Utah the laughing stock of the tourism industry. The solution; an inexpensive scanner to confirm the authenticity of personal IDs. While still a little over-the-top for me, a step in the right direction to be sure.

Could Utah start shedding it’s stigma to tourists, that it is a Church-run State with backward ways and intrusive devises to discourage imbibing? With the backing of Governor John Huntsman, it would seem like it is only a matter of time.

The ball is rolling, everyone seems to be on board, and the $6 billion dollar Utah Tourism industry has everything to gain, so what could get in the way? Enter the Utah Legislature. Now there seems to be a move to require bar & club establishments to forward the information gathered from the scanners to a government data base. Yep, see you later constitution, hello big brother.

If this sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, you are right. Giving up freedoms and privacy for a small measure of (alleged) safety is something, especially when combined with technology, that sci-fi writers have been reworking since the beginning of the genre.

So, if this new measure is allowed, Utah deserves the criticism, drop in taxable liquor sales, and loss of any credibility it may still have as a tourist destination. And, just remember the LDS church wasn’t a part of this ridiculous decision, it was our elected officials… theoretically, the “people” of Utah.



1. ftp://ftp.xmission.com/pub/users/u/uttour/outgoing/TourismReport2k8v1r2_print.pdf
2. Illustration by Pat Bagley at the Salt Lake Tribune.

New York Times Article on Utah Breweries

Check out the article here:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/travel/25journeys.html?ref=travel

Legalize home breweries in Utah!

Utah house bill HB51 (http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2009/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0051.htm) would allow Utah residents to brew up to 100 gallons of beer or wine per person at home without having to obtain a license from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Households would be limited to 200 gallons a year.
Brewing would be limited to personal or family use, or to be judged for quality in a competition.

I found out too late about the public hearing on Tuesday January 27, but it is not too late to contact the House Business and Labor Committee and politely urge the matter.

Rep. James A. Dunnigan, Chair, jdunnigan@utah.gov; Work Phone: 801-840-1800

Rep. Patrick Painter, Vice Chair, ppainter@utah.gov; Work Phone: 435-623-0687 Cell Phone: 435-660-1147

Rep. Jackie Biskupski, jbiskupski@utah.gov; Home Phone: 801-484-8369

Rep. Stephen D. Clark, sclark@utah.gov; Work Phone: 801-863-7289

Rep. Susan Duckworth, sduckworth@utah.gov; Home Phone: 801-250-0728

Rep. Gage Froerer, gfroerer@utah.gov; Work Phone: 801-621-0505 Cell Phone: 801-391-4233

Rep. Kevin S. Garn, kgarn@utah.gov; Work Phone: 801-776-0232

Rep. Francis D. Gibson, fgibson@utah.gov; Home Phone: 801-491-3763

Rep. Neil A. Hansen, neilhansen@utah.gov; Cell Phone: 801-564-0862

Rep. Brian S. King, briansking@utah.gov; Work Phone: 801-532-1739 Cell Phone: 801-560-0769

Rep. Todd E. Kiser, toddkiser@utah.gov; Work Phone: 801-266-6800

Rep. Michael T. Morley, mikemorley@utah.gov; Cell Phone: 801-636-0296

Rep. C. Brent Wallis, bwallis@utah.gov; Cell Phone: 801-452-3217

Rep. R. Curt Webb, curtwebb@utah.gov; Work Phone: 435-753-2467

Thank you for your efforts in helping to make home brewing legal in Utah!

No private clubs? Yea! Scanning IDs Boo!

The LDS Church officials told Republican leaders they would be amenable to a Utah hospitality industry alternative.

Utah bar owners would use electronic scanners to fight under age drinking, which would take place of the blanket private club law.

Why the need to get the LDS Church’s opinion, and why scanning an ID digitally would be more effective than scanning it with human eyes, are both items of this story I don’t quite understand, but if it wasn’t convoluted and borderline unconstitutional, it wouldn’t be Utah liquor.

Read more here:
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11522479?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

Port O' Call I hardly new thee!

While Port O' Call has known their fate for a while now, the date wasn't solidified until recently. Port O' Call must close its doors by March 15 to make way for a new federal courthouse. Just two days before St. Patty's Day, this must be a disappointment to the establishment. Nobody likes Imminent Domain, but to not allow a final hurrah on one of the biggest days of the year is a travesty. I know the line has to be drawn, but it's a bar, and its St. Patty's Day... It's a shame!

Read more here:
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11438359?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

Even Beer is Feeling the Pinch!

As this recession rages on, few industries seem to come away unscathed. The beer industry is no exception it seems, as the large brewery conglomerates are starting to see a downturn in profits. Usually economic slow downs drive up the sales of alcoholic beverages, as people look for ways to drowned out their sorrows. However this time things seem to be different.

So, save the economy and spend your money, and since you are spending it, spend it on beer... And remember, buy local first!

Can you find answers at the bottom of a pint glass? I did, but results may vary.

Read more:
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11462209?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

Beer sandwich with Gay and Polygamist bread?

A story as convoluted as it sounds! A beer bar focused on gay patrons trying to sell liquor. They must be granted a zoning amendment, but they have some unique opposition… Polygamists surround the bar, and feel that a bar serving liquor would be a danger to the hundreds of children close by.

ONLY in UTAH!

Read more!
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11424417?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

Have your beer, and drink it too!

Missouri College student Cary Silverman has developed "Pub Corn", an alcohol flavored popcorn.

The popcorn comes in flavors such as beer, pina colada and Irish cream. The best part; no hangover!

God bless America, and its collegiate institutions!

www.pub-corn.com