Uinta Brewing is one of Utah’s largest and most popular beer makers, a Salt Lake City favorite just west of downtown. The scope of Uinta’s offerings, 15+ year-round beers, seasonal releases, small-batch releases and more, is driving business into the colder days of fall and winter.

Uinta’s package store is open, offering cans, bottles and merchandise to go. The brewery is planning to return to in-person service soon.  

“We are currently revamping our taproom and patio space with a goal of opening later this fall,” said Leonard Gath, Uinta Brewing’s field marketing manager. 

The many reasons to visit Uinta include Hazy Nosh, a 5.0 percent ABV brew with mango and pineapple notes, and 801 Pilsner, a 5.0 percent ABV craft pilsner with citrus and floral flavors. Both beers are best sellers this year. 

“Hazy Nosh is a relatively new beer to the market... pulling in sales with that new-beer allure and low price point. 801 Pilsner has been around for closer to five years. (It’s) firmly propped in the German-style pilsner category,” said Lauren Lerch, Uinta’s brewing supervisor. 

Lerch said fall also brings Uinta’s malt-forward lagers back into play.

Winter warmers are sweet, strong brews meant to carry you through the dark months of the year. These beers are excellent complements to seasonal delicacies like holiday roasts, spiced cakes and caramelized root vegetables. While most winter warmers have an ABV between 5.5 and 8.9 percent, a few have an ABV of 10 percent or more. These beers range in color from dark red to deep black. They can be made with a wide variety of spices, including vanilla, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Malts are the key to creating a winter warmer. A winter warmer requires far fewer hops than an IPA. This type of beer also requires a good balance of malt and hops. Winter warmers are viscous, feature a full mouthfeel and have a medium body. They’re the opposite of crisp, bitter summer beers. The range of winter warmers varies considerably, but most are close in type to an English Strong Ale.

Winter warmers are not Christmas beers and wassail ales, but they are cousins. The winter warmer “relatives” began as wassail beer alcoholic punches in medieval England. With warm apples and ginger mixed in, they fortified holiday carolers traveling in groups on cold winter nights.

If you’re a fan of breweries such as Russian River, Allagash or Jester King, you may have heard mention of a brewing device called a coolship. Allagash, in fact, has an entire line of beers with “coolship” in its name. But what exactly is a coolship? What is it used for? Why is it called that? And is it any different from a koelschip?

To answer, a little background in modern brewing techniques is needed.

The fascinating microscopic organism that is yeast provides a tremendous impact on beer and brewing. Yeast plays a key role in creating the distinctive aroma and flavor components that make up an impressive variety of beer styles. Without the metabolism of yeast cells, the traditional production of alcoholic beverages would not be possible.

Understanding Yeast: The Basics

Yeasts are single-celled organisms with a nucleus that belong to the fungus kingdom. Unlike plant cells, yeast requires no sunlight, and the organism has been the catalyst used in baking and the creation of alcoholic beverages for thousands of years. During fermentation, the primary beer yeast species, known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, produces energy for its cellular metabolism by converting certain sugars into carbon dioxide, alcohols and fermentation by-products.

Brewers in the middle ages had no idea about the presence of yeast and the role it plays in beer production. These rustic brewers would often stir a new vat of wort with a "magic" wooden paddle inoculated with yeast cells from previous batches. Fermentation would kick in within a few hours. Thankfully, modern brewers possess an intimate scientific knowledge of yeast types, metabolism, reproduction and flavor-production characteristics.

We spoke with Monday Night Brewing Brewmaster Peter Kiley about Here Comes the Sun.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did along with head brewer Ryan Cooley.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I think the aroma is so exciting because of the different hops we used. Then again, the body is just beautiful. There’s enough bitterness to make you think it's an IPA, but it's creamy, smooth and bursting with tropical and fruity notes.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
It's a famous Beatles song. Our Hop Hut series is inspired by the music we’re listening to at the time we’re producing our beers. “Here Comes The Sun” was a song that I had on repeat during the beginning of COVID-19. It was a tough time for everyone, and we all needed some hope that things would get better.  

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
It’s a delicious NEIPA that’ll get you through tough times. 

Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, Colorado has announced the release of a new variety pack featuring three nitrogenated speakeasy-era cocktails. Full details are below from the brewery.

Breckenridge Brewery is now announcing its all-new Velvet Variety Pack. This 12-pack includes three completely original malt beverages that were inspired by classic egg white cocktails - Pink Velvet, Purple Velvet and Golden Velvet.

You can now enjoy the elevated cocktail experience right at home - no bartender necessary - by cracking open a can and experiencing the soft, smooth texture of this nitro beverage. Not too sweet and lending itself to an elevated drinking experience, these unique new malt beverages each have a thick, velvety white head, derived from the smooth nitrogen pour. No egg whites required! This beverage truly is the bee’s knees.

Cape May Brewing Co. in Cape May, New Jersey has announced the third year of its collaboration with Double Nickel Brewing Co. and multiple other breweries on a "potluck-style" IPA. Full details are below.

A “potluck-style IPA” called Friends Giving, the initiative has raised more than $200,000 over the past two years.

“Friends Giving is our way of turning a little creativity, camaraderie, community, and collaboration into support for families struggling to put food on the table,” says John Dalsey, Marketing Director at Double Nickel. 

Originally conceived and founded by Double Nickel Brewing Company of Pennsauken, NJ, in 2018, the original breweries of Cape May Brewing Company (Cape May, NJ), Tonewood Brewing Company (Oaklyn, NJ), and Urban Village Brewing Company (Philadelphia, PA) are joined in this annual initiative by newly added Source Farmhouse Brewery (Colts Neck, NJ), as well as four Northern Virginia breweries: Solace Brewing Company (Sterling, VA), Ocelot Brewing Company (Dulles, VA), Old Ox Brewery (Ashburn, VA), and Crooked Run Brewing (Sterling, VA).

Considering the current global pandemic, the original breweries had been concerned that they may not have been able to undertake the annual initiative this year. However, they quickly realized that the current situation made it that much more important.