I recently attended Utah Beer Fest, a great local event that invites brewers from many different states and has a great number of new beverages for anyone with a ticket to try.
Described as:
Utah's premier beer event. In the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Sip over 100 different beers from all over the country, plus all your local favorites!
Salt Lake City Weekly & The Humane Society of Utah are excited to announce that the 5th annual Utah Beer Festival will take place on Saturday, August 16 on the east side of Washington Square in downtown SLC! The festival will feature over 100 local, regional brews and international beers, live music, karaoke stage, food, & more!
From the Facebook Event page
Tickets to the event being sold separately from the actual drink tickets, attendees must choose how many $1 drink tickets they would like to purchase and then how to spend those on the various choices of beer, ranging from 1-4 tickets for 5 ounce samples, depending on the brew.
Here are some images and video clips I casually captured from the day and I decided to highlight a few beers that I tried for the first time.
First off, unless you bought an "Early Beer Drinker" ticket, you were stuck in a line that quickly grew past the city block. Here is a short clip to and from this line on my way to get into the event.
Once getting into the gates, I was still surprised at the amount of limited early ticket holders there were.
The first beer I tried, upon a positive recommendation from my cousin and fellow beer drinker.
A really nice, different kind of drink, brewed with salt water apparently. Ready Set Gose (1 ticket), Bottled by Uinta Brewing and to me, tasted like a tart, sharp unfiltered hefeweizen with a smooth finish.
A fine brew that I would definitely try again.
We talk, we walk a little to get a view of the area. Soon the need for more beer arrives. I try one from Pelican Brewing Company. The Kiwanda Cream Ale (4 tickets!).
Overall I really enjoyed this beer, really tasty, really smooth and a bit cream/cream soda-ish at the end. Yes enjoyed... But not so much for $4 for 5oz.
Then onto a brewer I had tried before. Spoetzel Brewery from Shiner, TX, serves up a familar taste (wasn't the Shiner Bock, but it was tasty) .
One thing that can be both a positive and negative at any event. The lines...
But, it is ok. There are people like this...
The next glass was filled with a very tart, stronger unfiltered hefeweizen, while good, it was probably best I had a 5 0z taster. (2 tickets).
Also at this event, just past the City Weekly tent and along the walkway with the food vendors. The Humane Society has some friendly faces that you can pet, walk and adopt!
Some of these furry friends were already spoken for not even halfway through the day.
The thing I kept thinking during the visits with the pups. That this was a very cool thing to have, and that the pets themselves are probably being tortured by the food and especially meats being served a mere 15 feet from the tent.
Then came time for some cider. Trying a flavor of Hornsby's Cider I have never tried before. The Crisp Apple (2 tickets) was all so familiar and very refreshing.
Following the sweeter taste in the pallet, Strongbow Cider provided a sweet, Red Berries Cider (2 tickets).
Some ice cream being sold next to the stage area, and people gabbing about, standing in all the lines around the parameter of the fest.
I tried the White Witch (2 tickets), an IPA from Black Diamond Brewery . Not being a huge IPA guy myself, I did find myself enjoying the first sip or two, but quickly succumbing to the inevitable thought, "this is too hoppy".
To each their own.
Another tent, another trek through the crowds, I wind up at Payette Brewing. Trying their pale ale (1 ticket), cannot go wrong with a good pale ale, which was another hit for the day.
With company and myself getting a little too much sun and in need of some water and a sit, we fin the only shaded area on the street and join others in resting for a minute.
I also got a sweet temp tattoo from Uinta that may or may not have been forced upon me.
The last beer of the day I got to try was a selection from Utah Brewer, Roosters.
With a lighter, refreshing, citrus tasting beer it is a very welcome take on pilsner.
With that, the evening starts to come to a close as company leaves one by one and I feel the need for more selections of food than is provided at the festival.
I take a few more shots and then I make my way to the exit.
