Stories of Utah Craft Beer

Brewery profiles, beer tasting notes, event coverage, video interviews, and more. Utah Beer News features news and notes, as well as in-depth conversations with brewers and everyday imbibers.

Welcome. Utah Beer News began in 2018 to share stories about and to raise a glass to all who care about Utah craft beer. Even though publishing is paused, more than 250 articles and 70 podcast episodes live on.

Collectively, they provide a snapshot of an important era in Utah craft beer (2018-22), which included weathering the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please, sit down with your favorite beverage and explore the site.

Featured Articles

A New Era for Utah Beer — 5% Brews Hit Tap Handles, Grocery Store Shelves

Shelves of 4% craft beer at Harmons grocery store in October 2019. A new law went into effect on Nov. 1, 2019, that allows for Utah retailers to sell beer containing up to 5% alcohol by volume. — Shelves of 4% craft beer at Harmons grocery store in October 2019. A new law went into effect on Nov. 1, 2019, that allows Utah retailers to sell beer containing up to 5% alcohol by volume.

The biggest Utah beer-related news story in years came in October 2019, when the longstanding so-called “3.2 Law” was repealed.

The Kveik Stuff — Shades Brewing Finds Success with Ancient Yeast

Shades Brewing - Kveik - Featured — Shades Brewing President and Founder Trent Fargher, left, and Head Brewer Marcio Buffolo.

In one of the first in-depth features on Utah Beer News, we visited with Shades Brewing to talk about its new—but actually very old—yeast that revolutionized the brewery’s offerings for a time.

Utah BJCP Beer Judge — Student-Turned-Teacher

Jae Vanderwerf - BCJP Certified Judge - Featured — Jae Vanderwerf, one of the relatively few BJCP-certified beer judges in Utah, enjoys a pint at Bewilder Brewing in Salt Lake City. Photo Credit: Utah Beer News

Jae Vanderwerf visited with Utah Beer News in 2020 to shed light on what it takes to be a trained beer taster and educator.

Building a Bridge Between Brewer and Beer Drinker

Rebecca Cardaccio, sales director for Proper Brewing Co. in Salt Lake City, serves a beer at the Utah Beer Festival in 2019. The Certified Cicerone helps build a bridge between brewers and beer drinkers.

Rebecca Cardaccio sat down with Utah Beer News in 2019 to discuss the importance of sales, marketing, and branding to build a bridge between brewer and consumer.

A Glimpse at Utah Beer During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Utah Beer News drafted a series of articles to keep consumers informed about the happenings at their favorite breweries. Take a trip in time to see how Utah breweries innovated to stay afloat.

Hopkins Brewing — Homegrown Brewer Living His Dream

Chad Hopkins, brewer at Hopkins Brewing Co. in Sugar House.

It’s still a popular spot among Utah beer drinkers, and Chad Hopkins is one of the industry’s leading figures.

Explore all articles.

Podcast Picks

Templin Family Brewing

When Kevin Templin is asked to describe who he is, he starts with dad. Then brother. Then son. And finally, “brewer, I guess.” Not to take anything away from the first three identifiers, but Templin is most definitely a brewer—and an extremely successful one at that.

Utah Beer News

Your Guide to Utah Beer & Breweries