Level Crossing Brewing occupies a rare spot in Utah craft beer history. It opened on March 30, 2019, and survived the struggle that accompanies any new business during its first year.
“It’s been, for all of us, a pretty big challenge,” says Level Crossing Founder Mark Medura. “The first year of just getting open, even going back further than that first year. Building the place out, that’s kind of the easy part. Then you have to get open and that’s a challenge in and of itself. Trying to build a brand, getting a name built for yourself. You’re literally starting from scratch.”
And then, just as it neared its one-year anniversary, the universe dealt the South Salt Lake brewery — and the rest of the world — a once-in-a-century gut punch.
“The pandemic hit and, quite frankly, those first couple of months of the pandemic, nobody knew, I didn’t know if we were going to make it or not,” Medura says. “It was a very challenging, stressful time for a lot of people globally.”
Now, as Level Crossing embarks on the early stages of Year 3, the brewery’s founder is optimistic that it’s weathered the worst of it.
“I’m very proud and excited to say we have made it and will continue moving forward,” he says, acknowledging that he always saw Level Crossing as producing upwards of 15,000 barrels per year. “All the trends and trajectory are certainly pointing in that direction.”
🎙 Listen: Level Crossing Brewing
BONUS: Subscribe to the Utah Beer News Podcast and listen to our interview with Level Crossing Founder Mark Medura and Head Brewer Chris Detrick. Get a behind-the-beer look at Level Crossing’s Red Feather Small-Batch Series. Plus, learn more about how the brewery is making a name for itself in the Utah craft beer world.
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“My grandmother would leave an empty place setting at the dinner table. As kids, we’d always ask, ‘Who’s coming to dinner?’ She would say, ‘It’s for Red Feather.’ It was a tradition to symbolize you’re always welcome at the table. If a long-lost relative shows up or a weary traveler, you’re always welcome to join us for a meal.”
MARK MEDURA, FOUNDER
LEVEL CROSSING BREWING COMPANY
As you’ll hear in the podcast, an interesting backstory accompanies many of the beers in the Red Feather Small-Batch series. Listen as Level Crossing Head Brewer Chris Detrick offers insight into the beers.
Red Feather Small-Batch: The Beers
Level Crossing released six of the limited-edition beers in 2020 and plans to double that (with new beers or re-releases) in 2021. Below are the current offerings, with the release dates in parentheses and quotes from Detrick.
- Space Oddity Hazy Double IPA (March 2020, March 2021): “It encompasses everything I want in a big Double IPA with orange blossom honey and space-themed hops. This is my desert island beer.”
- The Black Album Imperial Black Rye IPA (May 2020, January 2021)
- Cosmic Saunter Hazy Double IPA (July 2020): “While it doesn’t have all space-themed hops, the visuals of the Space Oddity label are so fantastic, we thought it would be fun to keep the space-themed label design similar for all the Hazy Double IPAs in the Red Feather series.”
- Astro Shake Milkshake Double IPA (October 2020)
- Red Sea Rift Imperial Coffee Stout (November 2020): “When I was introduced to Jack Mormon Coffee, I was finally able to make the coffee stout beers I had always wanted.”
- XII XI XIII American Barleywine (December 2020): “When my son was born (in 2013), I made a big, American, aggressive Barleywine. The intention was to save at least a couple of six-packs for 21 years so we could share it on his 21st birthday.”
- Eternal Pursuit Belgian Dark Strong Ale (February 2021): “About 10 years ago we took a brothers’ trip to Belgium. We spent two weeks traveling around from town to town sampling some of the best beers in the world. (Eternal Pursuit is) taken from a lot of those beers we had on that trip.”
- White Salamander Fruited Hazy Double IPA (May 2021): The latest release, which we teased in our podcast episode, and was announced by Level Crossing on May 21.
Red Feather Small-Batch: Space Oddity, Virtual Taproom
Medura joined Utah Beer News in its virtual taproom on March 30, 2021, to celebrate Level Crossing’s two-year anniversary. In the episode, we talked about Space Oddity Hazy Double IPA, which is part of the Red Feather Small-Batch series. It plans to re-release the beer on its anniversary each year.
About Level Crossing Brewing
To learn more about the beginnings of Level Crossing Brewing, please visit the following Utah Beer News resources:
- All Aboard! Level Crossing Brewing Rolls into South Salt Lake (Feb. 4, 2019)
- Level Crossing Brewing Podcast (Feb. 4, 2019)
- A Utah Six Pack: Local Brewers Win at GABF (Oct. 5, 2019)
- The Black Album from Level Crossing Brewing (May 30, 2020)
- Rising Hope IPA to Benefit Children Battling Cancer (Oct. 12, 2020)
- Level Crossing Virtual Taproom for 2-Year Anniversary (March 30, 2021)
Level Crossing Brewing opened to the public on March 30, 2019. The 10,000-square-foot building features a 7,000-square-foot brewing facility, which includes a 2,500-square-foot taproom. It’s located in South Salt Lake, next to the city’s iconic water tower on West Temple.
- Founded: March 30, 2019
- Address: 2496 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
- Notable: Level Crossing earned a bronze medal at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival for its Suss it Out Rye IPA. … A 1946 Chevy farm truck — named Dallas Alice, from a Little Feat song — is positioned in the northeast corner of the taproom. It will serve as a stage for live music, cowboy poetry, and other entertainment. The cinderblock wall behind the truck features a mural painted by famed artist Jann Haworth. She and Peter Blake designed The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover (and won a Grammy for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts in 1967).
- Website: https://levelcrossingbrewing.com/
- Social Media: Facebook, Instagram
