![]() ![]() Our trip ended back in Salt Lake City, where we visited the Wasatch Brewpub (part of the Utah Brewers Cooperative along with Squatters) in the Sugarhouse neighborhood. Or, in south-central Utah’s case, having just one brewery would be a good start. If the ratio of breweries per capita in 1873 were the same as today, we’d have 30,000 breweries. In other words, the saturation point is a long way away, and many places around America are ripe for having more breweries. What it means to be a brewery is shifting, back toward an era when breweries were largely local, and operated as a neighborhood bar or restaurant.” -Bart Watson, chief economist for the BA “Most of the new entrants continue to be small and local, operating in neighborhoods or towns. When you read all the stories about the exponentially increasing number of breweries opening up across the country, most of these new breweries are small and local, so there’s plenty of room for more. cities with populations of more than 10,000 that still do not have any breweries, and I think I traveled through at least a dozen of them. can surely sustain many more breweries - especially in areas that are completely devoid of breweries.Īccording to the BA, there are nearly 1,000 U.S. It also supports the argument that the U.S. Although, many still seemed vapid, thin and watery.Īs we explored the region, I was constantly reminded of how good we have it in Bellingham, beer-wise, and the Northwest in general. On the upside, I found lots of new beers to try, and I quickly learned to focus on the lighter styles, such as kolsch, session IPA, hefeweizen and light lager, because these styles better “fit” the low-ABV restriction. Some gas stations offered decent selections, but it was all 3.2 beer. Not surprisingly, the full-strength beer selection in these places was pathetic. In many of the towns we passed through, liquor stores were afterthoughts inside gift shops and hotel lobbies, and most were no larger than closets. Sadly, liquor stores are far and few between in south-central Utah, and they all have limited hours. So, relegated to our hotel room in a small, one-restaurant town, we spent our first couple days doing more beer sampling than hiking, which caused us to quickly deplete our supply. Unfortunately, it rained the first two days of our trip, which, in the Southwest, often results in flash floods and washed-out roads. But I always seek out new beers to try and breweries to visit wherever we travel, and nothing beats a good beer after a long day of hiking. It was to visit National Parks, hike desert trails and do slot canyons. Of course, the main purpose of our trip wasn’t for beer. In short, all draft beer cannot be stronger than 4% ABV, equal to 3.2% ABW, and grocery stores and convenience stores are not allowed to sell heavy beer. Utah is one of the five states with ridiculous “3.2 beer” laws. Before leaving Salt Lake City, we made sure to stock up on beer at a state-run liquor store – the only type of store in Utah where you can buy full-strength / “heavy” beer. It was a disconcerting feeling, but we were prepared. Full-strength or “heavy” beer at a state-run liquor store is always sold warm. ![]()
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