This is a post about something I did last March, pre COVID-19 outbreak. I will be focusing on looking back a lot over the course of this outbreak until we can resume normal trips.
Last March, I had to attend a training at Salt Lake City International Airport for work and I was anxious to be able to explore in what little free-time that I had. My main mission, besides training of course, was to check out the beer scene in Salt Lake City. I didn’t have much time to really be able to explore and the weather forecast was less than stellar for my day and a half there. For that reason, beer had to be the focus!
Now, before we get in to the beer scene and a bit about my trip, we will have to discuss liquor laws in Utah and what makes the beer scene here so unique.
In the past, Utah had lagged behind a lot of the country when it came to alcohol and liquor laws (though it is still light years ahead of other areas of the country still). I am going to discuss what the laws were when I visited in March of 2019. Some new laws were put into effect on November 1st, 2019 and I will discuss what changed at that time.
-First, just like the rest of the United States, you have to be 21 years of age to consume alcoholic beverages (that’s no surprise, right?)
-Adults of legal age can order and consume alcohol at a variety of establishments throughout the state now. Previously, a “private club membership” was required to enter bars. Thankfully, this requirement is no longer around.
-While some establishments may open earlier, alcohol can only be served between the hours of 11:30 AM and 1 AM.
-Mixed drinks & wine may be ordered, but it is required that food is ordered. Some restaurants still require that food be ordered with beer as well. However, breweries do not face this requirement (only with beer though, they still have to comply if liquor is served).
-Several different venues (from golf courses to bowling centers, to nightclubs, taverns and breweries) can sell beer between 11:30 AM and 1 AM as stated above on draft, in bottles or in cans. Beer sales “to go” are also allowed, but not in open containers (not much different than most states).
Now, this is where things really look different (besides the food law, of course).
-Packaged beer is available at grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores. However, the beer must not be more than 4% ABV (alcohol by volume). Beer heavier than that (up to 12%) as well as packaged liquor and wine are sold at State Liquor Stores. Just note that those stores are closed on Sundays and holidays.
-Beer on draft at bars must be 4% ABV or less. You can consume heavier alcohol at some establishments (up to 12%) or buy some “to go”, but they must be in cans or bottles.
Now, that last point above may make people go “that must suppress the microbrewery industry in Utah and Salt Lake City”, but that is simply not true! The Salt Lake City microbrew scene is vibrant and thriving, and I absolutely love it! All the beer I had while there was not only great, but when you figure that they plan to keep what they know they’ll be selling on draft below 4%, it proves that these breweries know what they are doing. They can make terrific tasting beer while keeping it 4% ABV or lower. That takes skill.
Note: Starting November 1st of 2019, the requirement has been upped to 5% now. 5% beers can be sold in stores and on draft. Anything between 5% and 12% must still be bought at State Liquor Stores or in bottles & cans at restaurants/breweries.
Now, back to the report.
I had flown out of Minneapolis to Salt Lake City and got in around 1 PM. I was able to check in at the Holiday Inn & Suites early. I headed upstairs and was planning to possibly go check out some areas around town. Unfortunately, I decided to lay down and, of course, this lead to me falling asleep. After a nice two hour nap, I got up and got ready for my training. I went downstairs to the WingTips Bistro & Bar for dinner. I wasn’t super hungry but figured an appetizer would be fine to get me through training. I decided to order some chicken tenders and boy was it quite a bit of food (super good tenders though). I had to, unfortunately, skip the beer at this point in time. Seeing as I would be in the cockpit of an aircraft and going through checklists, beer definitely should not be in my system. I finished my meal and caught the shuttle to the airport.
Once I returned, I had this elaborate plan of going swimming and then working out before hitting up the hotel bar. By the time I got settled, this had turned in to “I’ll work out and swim tomorrow morning, I need beer now!” (also, spoiler alert, I did not work out or swim the next morning either…priorities, I guess…). I headed back downstairs to the WingTips Bistro & Bar, sat at the bar, and the fun began!
Now, of course, they had some mass produced beer and even some microbrews that we could get in Michigan. But I didn’t venture to Utah to get something I could get at home. I happened to glance at the specials board and there it slapped me in the face! No, the board didn’t fall over or anything, but the Chocolate Coffee Blonde Ale from Wasatch Brewery (right there in SLC) was only $3.00. So, I just had to have it!
Chocolate Coffee Blonde Ale (Wasatch Brewery): My Untappd check-in just simply said “This one really hits the spot” and that was the simplest way to explain it! I can see how this beer may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or pour of a pint) but it is right up my alley of what I like in a beer. Now, despite being a 4% beer, this one did come in a can. But the bartender gave me an ice cold glass to pour it in to. As you can tell by the pour in my photo, it pours with a nice medium, white head. The beer has a somewhat hazy appearance with a golden color. The smell of the beer definitely fits the name, it smells like cold-brewed coffee but with a bit of a sweet scent. The drink itself tastes a bit like a wheat blonde beer should taste (with a slight hint of lemon and a bready flavor) plus a bit of mild bitterness. The coffee taste is there in the background as is the chocolate, which really helps round out the beer. Overall, I gave the beer a 4.5 out of 5 and I really enjoyed it. While I would recommend that you give this beer a shot, it unfortunately is no longer in production. I am glad I got to give it a shot before it disappeared. (4.5/5.0)
I wasn’t feeling particularly tired yet, despite traveling out to SLC that day and dealing with work that evening. So, naturally, I decided to have another beer!
Golden Spike Hefeweizen (Uinta Brewing Company): My next choice was from another Salt Lake City brewery (I thought “I’m here, lets keep it local!”). This was the Golden Spike Hefeweizen from Uinta Brewing Company. Now, I do enjoy Hefeweizens, but some are hit or miss to me. That’s something that you need to know before heading into this. I did say in my Untappd check-in that this was “Not bad”. I gave it a 3.5 out of 5. Now note, this is not a bad rating at all. 3.5 is still above average in my terms of rating and I really did like this beer. It just didn’t stand out as much as the beer I had right beforehand. I do recommend trying this beer however, because it is a good hefeweizen (and it is only available in Utah, so if you’re ever in the state…drink it!). Now, note, when I had this beer, I got it on-tap and it was still a 4% beer. It is now a 5% (and Uinta Brewing Company’s website plus Untappd now reflect that. However, Beer Advocate does state that it was a 4% beer). As you can tell, it poured with a medium-to-thin head and it has a gold yellow color. The beer definitely smells like a hefeweizen (a nice mix of that banana smell plus a large wheat/malt smell as a secondary. However, it does also have a citrus smell to it). Now, the taste is pretty good. It doesn’t stick out as a true hefeweizen in taste, but you can still tell that that’s what kind of beer it is. It does, however, come across as a sweet wheat beer that does sort of have a kick to it (between a tangy lemon/orange taste) It feels like a light and sweet session beer, which is not a complaint at all. It definitely is a different hefeweizen that I recommend if you ever visit Utah. (3.5/5.0)
After I finished the hefeweizen, it was time to head back to the room. I was ready to call it a day at this point. Time to just watch some TV and fall asleep.
Overall, WingTips Bistro & Bar is a terrific hotel bar. I enjoyed the food there and the bartender, as well as the servers, were extremely friendly. If you’re ever in the area and staying nearby, come on out to this hotel and have a meal and a good brew. With that said, the Holiday Inn & Suites at Salt Lake City Airport is a great hotel overall, and WingTips just helps secure its spot as a great place to stay. Thank you to the staff that made my quick visit wonderful.
In the next post (Part II), we will venture to Downtown Salt Lake City to Red Rock Brewing Co., which quickly became one of my favorite breweries after just one visit. Make sure you subscribe to make sure you don’t miss this part.
Until next time, bon voyage & cheers!
Adventure Brett
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