Episode 45 of the Utah Beer News Podcast strays from its typical format. As listeners of the podcast know, generally, I like to sit down with brewers and let them share their stories. But for this episode, it’s just me. I don’t have a guest, but I hope you’ll give it a listen.

Episode 45: Diving Into Survey Results, Highlighting Top Posts

Here’s what you can expect in the podcast episode (approximate timestamps in parentheses):

• Utah Beer News Survey: Results and Analysis (1:36 – 18:24)
  • More than 300 craft beer drinkers responded to our annual survey in January. You can read about some of the key findings, but I go into additional detail in the podcast episode.
  • Learn how COVID-19 impacted drinking routines
  • Get the complete rundown of favorite beer styles and favorite local breweries
  • Gather insight into a few trends people are stoked about — and several trends they wish would disappear
  • Listen to me answer some constructive feedback I received as part of the survey
• Recent & Upcoming on the Site (18:25 – 21:37)
  • If you’re an infrequent visitor to utahbeernews.com, here’s what you may have missed (and what you can look forward to)
• Most-Read Articles of 2020 (21:38 – 24:07)
  • A snapshot of the five most-read articles on utahbeernews.com in 2020
• Thoughts on 2020 (24:08 – 27:42) 
  • A brief essay on craft beer in Utah following a challenging year.

Thank You

Thank you for supporting Utah Beer News. It’s still a passion project that I do as part of my consulting business — Tim Haran Digital.

Utah Beer News is nearly three years old now. I truly hope you consider it to be a valuable resource as you continue to explore Utah’s vibrant craft beer scene. My hope is that through articles, podcast episodes, and other digital means, Utah Beer News serves as a “publication of record” for Utah beer.

A little more than a year ago, Utah beer drinkers were basking in the glow of higher-alcohol beer becoming available in grocery and convenience stores (and on draft) throughout the state.

Fast forward four months and worries about Big Beer siphoning shelf space didn’t seem to matter as much (or maybe it mattered even more). Small businesses, breweries included, were tossed about and thrown for a major loop — unlike anything they’d experienced before.

Since the COVID-19 shutdowns a year ago, breweries struggled to stay afloat. To help weather the storm, some limited hours and laid off or furloughed employees.

Many reconfigured their business models to better capitalize on curbside culture. All became well-versed in public health safety and COVID-19-era sanitation practices.

And several got creative. Not for fun, but out of necessity.

They turned parking lots into patios, figured out ways to package products to-go, ramped up social media promotion, and worked to create socially distant events.

All this while adhering to Utah’s strict alcohol regulations (some of which were temporarily eased during the pandemic).

As far as I know, no local breweries have had to close permanently. In fact, two new breweries opened during the pandemic (Grid City Beer Works and Ogden River Brewing), and Squatters/Wasatch and Uinta Brewing have opened additional locations.

It’s a testament, I believe, to Utah’s strong craft beer culture.

Stay in Touch

As always, if you have questions, comments, or concerns, I invite you to email me directly.

Thank you again for your support and I sincerely appreciate you helping to spread the word about Utah Beer News.