Proper Brewing Co. | Whispers of the Primordial Sea Smoked Helles with Pineapple

March 31, 2022 | Tim Haran

Perhaps nothing makes brewers beam more than when one of their beer babies—and a lager at that—becomes a commercial success. For Jeff Bunk, director of operations for Proper Brewing Co., that’s the story of Whispers of the Primordial Sea.

He’d had his recipe for the smoked Helles with pineapple tucked away since his days working at a cidery in Oregon. Then, in late 2020, Proper put the beer on draft as a one-off. And in mid-2021 Whispers of the Primordial Sea hit the Utah market in 16-ounce cans. It became an instant hit.
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Shades Brewing | Kveik 1 American-Style Golden Sour Ale

January 3, 2022 | Tim Haran

It’s not a stretch to say yeast helped Shades Brewing make its mark. Specifically, the South Salt Lake, UT brewery utilized a strain of kveik — an ancient Norwegian farmhouse brewing yeast — to cement its place in craft beer.

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Squatters Craft Beers | 147 West Broadway Hop IPA

October 29, 2021 | Tim Haran

Picture it: Salt Lake City, September 1989. The lights of Utah’s Broadway just got a whole lot brighter. On Sept. 5 of that year, Squatters Craft Beers opened its doors at 147 W. Broadway to become the capital city’s first brewpub. More than three decades later, the pub that ignited Salt Lake’s craft beer revolution is reflecting on its roots.

147 West Broadway Hop, a West Coast-style IPA, is the first in Squatters’ new series of rotating IPAs designed to celebrate the city’s now-booming beer community.

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Toasted Barrel Brewery | Barrel Aged Flanders Red

November 27, 2019 | Christopher Hilliard

This past summer a trip ended with good luck and bad. The good started with a layover in Las Vegas. You can probably guess we met success at the airport slots. Not a jackpot, mind you, but enough to cover dinner and drinks! The bad luck started at our destination, Salt Lake City. Because our schedule was full with stuff like ziplining and hot air balloon launches, we had enough time to visit just one brewery. One. Read More

Shades of Pale Brewing | Saint Blackout

April 8, 2016 | Chris & Sylvia Hollands

ABV: 8.6% | IBU: 85

Hey friends! Its springtime and we are looking forward to beautiful weather, outdoor adventures and excellent beers. We recently attended the ReAle Homebrew competition, a tailgate-style … Read More

Bohemian Brewery | Czech Pilsner

February 9, 2015 | Colin Clancy

ABV: 4.0%

Among the numerous reasons that I enjoy writing for PorchDrinking.com is that it allows me to drink beer at the laundromat. Now, I’d typically shy away from popping the top on some suds in a place such as this, and surely there’s some legality issues at play (or at least some questions of decorum, especially here in Salt Lake City). But I feel that writing for a reputable, national beer blog like PD brings to my drinking some professional perspective, thus justifying this laundromat imbibing; I have a beer showcase due tomorrow, and I’ve been going commando, as they say, for damned near a week now.

For this public showcase I went with a beer from Midvale, Utah’s Bohemian Brewery. I chose their 1842 Czech Pilsner. Why? Because I enjoy this light-bodied golden lager? Yes. But also because the silver can, in the right light, looks like it could be full of off-brand soda, or as we call it in my home state of Michigan, pop. Read More

Wasatch Brewery | Polygamy Porter

December 1, 2014 | Colin Clancy

Owning a mountaintop cabin would be sweet, but having friends who own a mountaintop cabin is a whole lot cheaper. My friends who share their cabin also share their beer, and I’m happy that brew happens to be Wasatch Brewery’s Polygamy Porter. Nah, I’ll pass on multiple wives, but I could definitely enjoy a few of these beers. Brewed in Salt Lake City, Polygamy Porter is exceptionally smooth, with a nice malty bite, and a roasty, toasty finish. Read More