Salt Lake City breweries?

[ArizonaGoalie]

Hey craft beer friends,

I am headed to Salt Lake City later this month. Can anyone in that area give me the skinny on the breweries, crazy rules, best bets, etc? I am staying near the airport and my tentative plan is to hit Uinta's store (heard their brewery is closed for remodel) for a six or 12 pack to go, then to Epic's Annex for a sandwich and a few pints.

Salt Lake City residents - help?!?!

 

[microbusbrewery]

Nothing on tap over 4% ABV, but in the bottle you'll find lots of options over 4%. If you go to a restaurant, you have to order food. They don't have private clubs anymore, so you won't have to deal with that BS.

I haven't been inside Uinta lately but I know there is construction going on.
Red Rock is one of my favs. They have a couple pub locations plus their beer store.
Epic's brewery is at 825 S. State St. They sell beer from the cold cases and also have a sandwich shop.
Epic's Annex is at 1048 E 2100 S. They have their own line of Annex beers that are 4% max plus Epics full strength beers in bottles. It's more of a gastro-pub kind of thing.
Squatters is real popular, but not my fav. It's in downtown.
Bohemian is in Midvale near State and 70th South.
Desert Edge is a brew pub near downtown.
That's most of them in the SLC area. One of the guys in my brew club is opening a new brewery in Midvale (2 Row Brewing) but I think they're still getting things up and running so they may not be selling anything yet.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Wasatch brewing has brewpubs in both SLC & Park City. Never been to their brewpubs, but their Devastator Doppelbock is quite tasty, so is their blonde ale. Here's some info:

WASATCH BREW PUB (SUGARHOUSE)
2110 South Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84106

http://www.wasatchbeers.com/

You can get Wasatch beers in the bar at the airport too. That's all I got, Hope you have a great time!
Regards, GF.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Wasatch brewing has brewpubs in both SLC & Park City. Never been to their brewpubs, but their Devastator Doppelbock is quite tasty, so is their blonde ale. Here's some info:

WASATCH BREW PUB (SUGARHOUSE)
2110 South Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84106

http://www.wasatchbeers.com/

You can get Wasatch beers in the bar at the airport too. That's all I got, Hope you have a great time!
Regards, GF.

Dang it, I knew I forgot one.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Forgot more, Avenues Proper Restaurant and Publick House in the avenues near the capital. Hoppers in the Fort Union area.

 

[fimpster]

Hey craft beer friends,

I am headed to Salt Lake City later this month. Can anyone in that area give me the skinny on the breweries, crazy rules, best bets, etc? I am staying near the airport and my tentative plan is to hit Uinta's store (heard their brewery is closed for remodel) for a six or 12 pack to go, then to Epic's Annex for a sandwich and a few pints.

Salt Lake City residents - help?!?!

Nothing on tap over 4% ABV, but in the bottle you'll find lots of options over 4%. If you go to a restaurant, you have to order food. They don't have private clubs anymore, so you won't have to deal with that BS.

I don't know if I'm too late to help, but I just wanted to expand on what Microbus said. He is correct about everything he said; 4% max for draft, everything stronger is bottle only, if you go to a "restaurant" you do have to order food, there is no more "private club", however there are still "club" licenses available to establishments which allows them to sell liquor and "strong beer" without your having to order food.

The Bayou and The Beer Bar are both such places near downtown, and those two have the best selection of craft beers in the state (and they both do have good food, especially the Bayou). There are plenty of establishments that have the club license including the previously mentioned Squatters, Red Rock, and Wasatch. The Beer Hive, in the heart of downtown, is probably in third place for craft beer selection, but it has the regular "restaurant" licence, so you'd have to order some food, which can be as simple as an order of fries or a side salad.

You mentioned the Annex which is in Sugarhouse (the best neighborhood outside of downtown SLC ), and within 3 minutes walking there are a bunch of great places including Wasatch, Sugarhouse Pub, Fiddler's Elbow, The Campfire Lounge, Fats Grill, and The Bar in Sugarhouse, all of which you can grab a drink without food. There are another two dozen or so restaurants in the area some of which do have decent beer and cocktail selections.

Yeah, we're behind the curve, but it's really not as hard to get a drink here as most people think.

Cheers, welcome to Salt Lake!