Best Local Breweries In Salt Lake Valley

[Gameface]

This thread is intended to highlight locally owned and operated small breweries in the Salt Lake Valley. I considered making it Utah wide, but then too much of the ratings would be based on second hand experiences.

The primary consideration is going to be beer. Some of these venues offer their own food, some usually have food trucks outside and some kind of don't. Food will be a factor if they offer it. The final evaluation will be based on their facility, it's location, parking, staff, etc.

These guys are hurting right now. If possible, please support our small local breweries. Thanks!

So here we go...

Quick list (Please let me know if I missed something):

2 Row - (post #2) To-Go Only. Parking Available.
Bewilder - (post #3) Tap room. 5%abv and below. Food menu. Private parking. Growler fills, including personal growlers. Crowlers.
Bohemian - (post #4) Primarily a restaurant. Full range of ABV%. Private parking.
Boneville
Desert Edge
Fisher - (post #5) Currently to-go only, sold in pre-filled 32oz crowlers. Entry not required or permitted, they will take your order from the sidewalk.
Grid City Beerworks - (post #10) 5% and below. Full menu. Tap Room. Parking.
Hopkins
Kiitos - (post #7) 12oz and 16oz Cans to go in a full range of ABV%, Food menu provided by RICO foods. No growler fills. Tap Room. Food trucks. Parking.
Level Crossing - (post #6) Tap room. Full range of ABV%. Limited spirits available. Food menu, currently only pizza. 16oz cans to-go.
Park City
Roha
Saltfire
Salt Flats
Shades
TF - (post #8) 16oz cans to-go in full range of ABV%. Limited food menu. Food trucks. Tap room. Parking very limited.
Toasted Barrel

Intentionally not included:
Epic
Hoppers
Proper
Red Rock
Squatters
Wasatch
Uintah

In general the ones not included either have national distribution, are not what I consider small local independently owned and or they specifically campaigned against their customers by aggressively fighting to keep the 4%abv definition of "heavy beer."

I will create a "key" that I will place next to the names above to indicate what they offer, such as a tap room, tasting room only, in-house food, food truck, growler/crowler fills, low point only, parking, etc. I will also be doing a full post on each one, eventually. I haven't been to all of them and it's been a while since I've been to a few, so this is going to be something that develops over several months. I'll have an evolving personal ranking as I go.

 

[Gameface]

2 Row Brewing
6856 S 300 W Midvale UT 84047
(801) 987-8663

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This is a wonderful local brewery. They offer a wide variety of beers. What really sets them apart is their ability to make so many beers that are exceptionally well executed on a technical and stylistic level while avoiding having a distinct "house flavor." They make at least 7 different IPAs as part of their standard line-up and manage to make them all stand alone with very distinct personality and characteristics. From their Accelerator IPA, a standard IPA with 7%abv, to their Feeling Hazy NEIPA with 9%abv, and so much more in their IPA line-up alone.

They also have a crazy Imperial Stout, Dark Alley, that has 15%abv in the standard version and often even more when they release their special Barrel Aged Dark Alley Imperial Stout periodically throughout the year.

24k Golden Ale is a Belgian beer that really shines. Dangereux Farmhouse Ale is a very unique offering as you'd be hard pressed to find a Farmhouse Ale as a standard offering from many local breweries. They also usually have a few special releases that are often sour beers.

The range of their line-up is crazy. Matched with their solid quality 2 Row is one of my favorite breweries.

They have some limited distribution to local grocery stores and the liquor stores for a few of their "heavy" beers. Their brewery doesn't have a tap house or tasting room, unfortunately. They simply have a small beer store at the entrance to their brewery. In the beer store you can buy bottles, pre-filled growlers (including growlers filled with >5%abv beers) or have your own growler filled (even during COVID-19 restrictions). Other than their growlers everything they make is packaged in 12oz glass bottles. Besides some merch their store doesn't have a lot else to offer. I have asked if they are going to get a tap room and they say "soon" but I imagine if they did have such plans those have been put on hold.

They are located in a light industrial area. Their storefront is easy to miss. Best idea is to keep an eye out for the 2 Row van parked out front, they are on the west side of the street. They have parking but beware, there is an uneven gutter that runs along the street that lower clearance vehicles might struggle with.

If you haven't tried them I'd suggest putting them on the top of your list!

Oh! I've saved one of the best parts for last. For the last several months they have been filling growlers with their 5%abv beer for $4. Yeah, that's right, you can get a growler filled with excellent craft beer for just $4. Their availability for draft beer has varied and as of this writing they only have Extra Lager, which is really good, but you can find what is on offer at any given time on their website, listed below.

https://2rowbrewing.com/whatsinstock <-- their currently available beers.
https://2rowbrewing.com/home <-- their home page.

 

[Gameface]

Bewilder Brewing
445 S 400 W Salt Lake City UT 84101
(385) 528-3840

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A fairly new brewery, Bewilder didn't start pouring beer until late December 2019 and didn't start pouring their own beer until well into January 2020. Might seem like a bit of a discrepancy but Bewilder was able to work with several other local breweries to do Beer Collaborations that they were able to serve before they were legally able to sell their own beer brewed on premises (cumbersome licensing stuff). A big reason they were able to get their competitors to help them open up is because these guys have been a huge part of local beer in Utah for more than a decade. They are the owners of Salt City Brew Supply and Ogden City Brew Supply. They are also active in the Beehive Brew Off, even though it is organized by a competing home brew supplier, The Beer Nut. They've organized their own home brew competition, Lagerpalooza that is a lager only competition that they host at Bohemian Brewery. They helped found Utah's largest and most awarded home brew club the Lauter Day Brewers. A lot of our local breweries came out of that brew club, one way or another.

So they've been hit as hard as anyone on this list by the COVID-19 restrictions. They were gearing up for a huge St Paddy's Day weekend with 3 special beers ready to go and were not able to serve any of it. They have been fighting to get back into a groove, but it is obvious this has taken a toll on their business.

Despite the challenges they are making a lot of really good beer. So far they are 5%abv and below, serve everything on draft with no packaging capability other than a crowler machine in their tap room. They have a strong focus on traditional styles. I'm going to list everything they currently have on tap, with a brief impression. You can find their current offering on the app Digital Pour.

Irish Lager -- An amber colored lager that has a very nice caramel note but otherwise crisp clean flavors much like lighter colored lagers.
Fresh Sesh IPA -- This is a 5% "session" IPA. Very nice with Citra and Mosaic hops. A nice easy drinking IPA.
English Brown -- A very true to its roots English Brown Ale.
Citra Pale Ale -- This one is a very nice citra hops based Pale Ale. Slightly less bitter than the Fresh Sesh, and this one is Gluten Reduced.
El Guapo Vienna Lager -- A Vienna Lager with Sugar House Distillery Soaked King's Peak Coffee Beans. Not as easy drinking as your typical Vienna Lager, but done really well and definitely worth adding to a flight of samples.
Mexican Lager -- A very pale lager with mostly neutral flavors, but a slight bite on the back end.
Irish Dry Stout-Nitro -- If you're a fan of Guinness and want to try something similar from a local brewery, on Nitro to boot, this is for you.
Bewilder ESB -- I'm holding my opinion on this latest batch. The first one was very good, but I think this one might need a little age to hit its peak.
Irish Red Ale -- A very nice caramel malt flavored Red Ale.
Kolsch -- Very light, very easy drinking with a bit of a fruity note.

So despite their struggles they put a lot of really good beer out there.

Their Tap Room, I'm just going to say it, is fairly basic bitch standard craft brewery. I know that they have plans that have been slowed down by all of this, so maybe someday they'll have a really distinct personality, but as of right now they just don't. They have a lot of space and before the shutdown they went from 2 dart boards to 4 and I think it was becoming a spot for that. But that got squashed.

Their food has been a bit of a miss, tbpfhwy. Not a flop by any stretch, just not living up to the potential. They make their own sausages in house, and they have all been really good sausages. The issue has been in how they compose their dishes and to a lesser degree the presentation. They have a Brat sandwich that has been really solid, and probably the safest bet if you like that sort of thing. They also have a Spicy Italian, which is an amazing sausage, but they originally served it on a bun with grilled red pepper and onion. They've changed it to sort of like a meatball sub with a yummy sausage instead of meatballs, so it has a marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese on it now. Probably easier to not mess up, but I would have really liked just a better put together sandwich that still let the sausage shine. I think they are improving their food, but it's been a bit of a slow process.

Their location is in a part of town that makes some people nervous. I grew up almost exactly 1 mile due west from them, so I take a little offense to that. But despite their location they have their own parking that is surrounded by a fence and feels pretty secure to me. They've also opened up some outside seating that is fully covered and although I haven't sat there, it looks like a great place to chill on a nice evening.

They fill personal growlers and crowlers. Their staff is casual but very welcoming and professional.

 

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Bohemian Brewery
94 W Fort Union Blvd. Midvale UT 84047
(801) 566-5474

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So I'm not sure these guys really fit my description. Mostly because they were bought out after the original owner's death by a group that has purchased several local restaurants that found themselves in a transitional period and ultimately decided to sell. The locations this group operates include The Porcupine, The Dodo, Rio Grande Cafe and Bohemian. So not really independent, but this is my list and I really like this place so here we are.

The good news is that not much has changed. The biggest casualty I've noticed is that they no longer offer complimentary bread with their flavored butter. Other than that I think the change has brought some improvements. One of the biggest improvements has been that they wait staff is extremely professional. I'm not saying they were bad before, but it was hit and miss before and now it's nothing but solid all the time. Another bonus has been that before they only made traditional German beers. With this change and with their owners wanting to have their own beers offered at Porcupine, The Dodo and especially Rio Grande Cafe they have expanded their offerings.

So this place is 85% restaurant. They have bar seating, I've never sat there, but they do offer a full bar besides their beers. Their beers are very good, primarily traditional German Lagers but now with a few more choices, although they focus heavily on lagers as opposed to ales.

Their food is very good. From the Goulash to the Schweinshaxen I recommend the more traditional "old world" dishes. But they do a fine steak, just be sure to order the New York vs the Pub Steak, as the Pub Steak is several smaller pieces of steak and not a single large cut as I would bet most people are expecting when they order it.

 

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A. Fisher Brewing Co.
320 W 800 S Salt Lake City UT 84101
(801) 487-2337

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I love this place but I do need to disclose that this is not one of my primary spots for local craft beer. It is a spot and I've enjoyed beers here a few times and in recent months I've stopped by and purchased crowlers that they sell outside. The beer is solid. They seem to rotate through a lot of recipes and when I have been inside (currently not open) they seem to be busy all the time. It's a popular spot and they've gotten in there at the right time and filled a niche in the local craft beer consumer space before other breweries could. Their tap room, since I called Bewilder's "basic bitch craft brewery" then I have to hang that designation on them as well. Although, I do think their location is a HUGE advantage for them and they offer a lot of merch, including really embracing LGBTQ+ Pride stuff. They seem to have created a unique identity and crafted a brewery personality that has resonated with the local community.

This is a 5%abv only place for the most part, but they have offered limited edition crowlers full of higher ABV beers a couple times. Before COVID-19 they were all about tap room sales and it was working for them. I'm not going to comment on specific beers too much as this hasn't been one of my main spots, but everything I've had from them has been pretty damn good. My biggest disappointment was picking up a couple of their special edition Fisher Lagers at 6%abv. The taste was a little "mushy" and the beer was hazy. I know hazy is in right now, but I don't think hazy lager should be a thing.

They don't have food in-house, but they almost always have a food truck out front (usually where that VW Bus is in the picture). There are some good ones that frequent them. Humm... Maybe I should do a food truck thread... You can enjoy the food inside and they have an outdoor area for smokers. One time I was there I guess it was pipe tobacco night out or whatever, as pipe tobacco smokers were crowded in the outside area. I want to say I've seen dogs out there as well.

If I get a chance I'll have a beer here again when they open their tap room again and do a better write-up. But for now grabbing a few crowlers from them has been nice and I've enjoyed everything I've had.

There is no parking lot. It's all park on the street in the surrounding area. Pre-COVID that could get challenging.

Bonus: Ruby Snap is right around the corner.

 

[Gameface]

Level Crossing Brewing Company
2496 S West Temple South Salt Lake UT 84115
(385) 270-5752

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So I want to say Level Crossing has done an above average job establishing an identity in our local craft beer market. They are focused on offering live music in their tap room and creating several music themed beers. This place is about 1.5 years old but feels like it's been around much longer than that.

They have several ~5% beers on draft in the tap room. They list pretty much the entire ingredient list for their on-tap beers. That's not very common, much like their You-Tah Uncommon which is based on the Kentucky Common beer style. One thing I really love is that they extensively use grain from Solstice Malt, Utah's only maltster and the only one we've had in about 70 years. Level Crossing has fully embraced the local beer community. Besides their ~5% offerings they have a number of 16oz cans that come in a wider range of abv. Their Soul Rex Double IPA is one example at 8.4%abv, Suss It Out Rye IPA is another at 6.9%. They have some playful names as well, like their Look Up Amber Ale that encourages their customers to notice the South Salt Lake water tower that looms over their brewery (I'll admit, I didn't realize it was there until they released that beer).

They save themselves from the "basic bitch craft brewery" tap room with some amazing artwork on their walls and an old truck that has been converted into a stage for their live music at one end. But even without that they have a semi-circular bar that frames out their wood fired brick pizza oven and an outdoor space to play some corn hole or to just sit and relax.

They had a more extensive menu, including some salads and several very good sandwiches before COVID-19 restrictions, but they've trimmed back and currently only offer their pizzas. They make several very good pizzas and I think they did well enough on take-out orders to keep their heads above water during the most restrictive phase.

They have converted much of their limited parking to an outdoor seating area, so you'll most likely have to park on the street.

I talked a little about their beer, but I think I need to address an issue that has a relatively easy solution, but only if you know it exists. When you buy their cans they will typically pour hazy. But they don't have to. When I think of a hazy beer I think of a beer that has a stable hazy character. Their beer is actually clear, but at the bottom of the can there is sediment that if you aggressively pour into a glass will result in a significantly hazy beer (I will be updating with pics and maybe a little video). You can avoid the sediment if desired by storing the cans upright and keeping them still before pouring and then pouring just to the shoulder (or just pour slowly and carefully until you see the first hint of sediment, then stop). It's disappointing, in my opinion. I'm not sure if it is intentional and I plan to contact them directly for clarification. Hazy beers are in right now, but dumping sediment into an otherwise clear beer is not my idea of a hazy beer.

 

[Gameface]

Kiitos Brewing
608 W 700 S Salt Lake City UT 84104
(801) 215-9165

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Kiitos is an interesting little brewery. I'll give them points for being creative and colorful. They make a wide range of beers, but unlike what I said about 2 Row avoiding a "house flavor" over the span of their portfolio I feel like Kiitos definitely has a strong house flavor, even going from a Pale Ale to a Coconut Stout to a Coffee Cream Ale. This may be a result of using the same yeast strain for everything, or almost everything, they make? Maybe they have a certain base recipe they build most their beers off of? It also might partially be a result of their high efficiency mash system with is quite unique. I was able to tour their brewery before they officially opened and Kiitos owners found a crazy good deal on a strange piece of brewing apparatus, a high efficiency mash system.

Instead of a traditional Mash Tank this system uses a series of alternating bags (for lack of a better term), every other one is filled with grain and water. Then when it is time to extract the sugars and liquid from the grain the whole things gets compressed and then the other set of bags is filled with water to push even harder and extract every last little bit of sugar and water from the grain. I'd say it's a safe bet that Kiitos is the only local brewery using such a system. I have always at least partially attributed their unique "house flavor" to the use of this method.

I like Kiitos just fine, but they are not my favorite. The aforementioned "house flavor" puts me off a little. I'm also not a huge fan of their use of flavorings that I assume are added post mash and in many cases post boil, in the fermenter. It feels to me that they make the same beer and then add flavorings to it and suddenly it's a Coffee Cream Ale, or add a different flavoring and it's a Coconut Stout. I know it's not exactly that simple, as the grain recipe would have to be at least a little different to make a Stout vs a Cream Ale, but could be just a substitution of a single grain in an otherwise identical grain bill. Okay, well, enough of the petty complaining. Their beer is not bad at all and I know that Kiitos has many fans around the valley.

Their tap room is a bit funky. The bar seating is cramped and only has 4-5 chairs. On the opposite side they have several pinball machines if you're looking for something to do while you drink your beers. Overall it's a small-ish tap room with a sort of divey feel. They do offer parking. They are in an odd spot, while it's a downtown address, they are in a little industrial area and there isn't much around them other than a derelict railroad track that runs down the adjacent street and can make for a bumpy ride in and out.

Something Kiitos does that's good for keeping things fresh and bringing people in for the experience is they offer a special firkin one day a week, looks like on Mondays. I think they also do a randall on occasion as well.

For as small as they are they have done well with local distribution in cans. Their can art is bright and festive but simple. You can find them in several local grocery stores, especially in Harmons and Smith's.

I'm not 100% sure on this but I think they now offer a sort of in-house menu that is provided by Rico Foods, which is located just a block or two up the street from them. They also have food trucks several days, usually Thurs-Sat.

They previously offered growler fills but I think personal growler fills are on hold. They have a store where you can buy 12oz cans of 5%abv beers and 16oz cans of higher than 5%abv beers. They have merch and are very supportive of Utah's Pride center with rainbow themed merch and a special release beer during pride month that they call "Big Gay Ale."

 

[Gameface]

Templin Family Brewing
936 S 300 W Salt Lake City UT 84101
(385) 270-5972

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This is a relatively new brewery but with a lot of local brewing experience under their belt. The head brewer, owner and operator of T.F. Brewing was the former head brewer of Red Rock and is responsible for pretty much all of their best beers. He headed out on his own to open a family brewery and this is the very exciting result.

This brewery has a pretty solid focus on traditional beer styles and so far they have executed them very well. They have a nice mix of 5%abv and greater than 5%abv beers. They even offer spirits and wine in their taproom. The tap room itself is very nice, there is a variety of seating, from several long tables next to the bar, a counter along the wall opposite the bar, some round tables closer to the entrance then some couches and coffee tables along the back wall. Should be easy to find a comfy spot to relax with friends. While the tap room is very nice it is stark, even somewhat sterile in style. Hard straight lines with grey and black dominating. They do have a very nice outdoor area with deck chairs and fire pits.

I believe they offer a Beltex Meats Meat and Cheese Plate, just skip that. I've seen it sadly hanging out in their fridge. They pretty much always have a food truck out front. When they first opened the food truck was able to pull into their outdoor area in the back, but I think that wasn't up to Utah standards in regard to keeping kids out, so now their food trucks take up several spots in their small and always full parking lot. There is some street parking and a little more parking around the corner, but parking here is generally a bit frustrating.

Templin Family Brewery offers a unique type of pour for a reduced price, a schnitt is a way to pour the beer where they set the glass flat on the counter and open the tap and let the beer pour in. This beer has a MUCH larger head on it than a standard pour, but in my experience, this is the best bang for your buck on their draft beer.

They sell their packaged beer in 16oz cans available just inside the entrance.

Templin Family Brewery Should be on your short list of places to try in the SLC area. I recommend checking their food truck for the night and planning to enjoy some beer in their tap room.

 

[Ron Mexico]

These reviews are making me miss breweries there. Beijing has some decent places but they are so new to craft beer it's just not quite the same. Bars are relatively new thing here in China.

 

[Gameface]

Grid City Beer Works
333 W 2100 S Salt Lake City UT 84115
(801) 906-8390

This is the newest brewery in SLC. They were set to open I believe in March and then, well, we know what happened. So their opening was delayed but they have made it and after a few weeks offering beer to-go only their taproom is fully open.

There are a few things about this place that are unique and amazing and earn these guys massive bonus points in my book. The first is that they serve three different ales, a Brown Ale, a Pale Ale and a Cream Ale, three different ways. You can get any of those beers served as your standard forced CO2 beer that is what you will see on almost all commercial beer, draught or packaged. You can also get all three of them served on Nitro. Now the science behind Nitro beer is largely misunderstood, but regardless Nitro beers have a tighter, creamier head and that tends to carry through on the mouthfeel of the beer. Finally you can get them in traditional Cask Conditioned form. Cask Conditioning is the most traditional way to serve English beers. This requires a special skill in the brewery called cellarmanship. You must keep a close eye on the fermentation progress of the beer and then transfer it to a cask before it has fully fermented so that it can complete that last phase of fermentation in the serving vessel, which happens to be a cask. This carbonates the beer with its own naturally produced CO2 and doesn't require an external source of CO2 to force carbonate the beer with. This beer is also served at cellar temps, which is considerably warmer than most Americans are used to drinking beer, around 50f to 55f. You can get a flight of beers that are the same style but come in these three distinct methods of presentation.

Okay, so then they go even further and offer their lagers in three different types of pours. You can get the same beer poured either as Milk, Smooth or Crisp. The Milk pour will be a beer that is mostly foam. The Smooth is about half foam half beer. The Crisp is the more standard presentation that is mostly beer with a small tight head on top.

So that's a lot to take in. Visit their website for a more visual demonstration of what I'm talking about.

Besides their beer they do have in house food. The server explained to my wife and me that they have a vegan first, then plant based, then meat philosophy to their menu. So while they do offer plenty of meat options they are definitely trying to appeal to vegans and vegetarians. I got a burger. While the description of my food sounded amazing, the result was not as impressive. Every last thing we had was under seasoned. I've had this experience at other vegan friendly restaurants and I just don't understand. If I was a vegan I'd want to be seasoning my food well and spicing it up as much as possible, but I guess being a vegan is some sort of self imposed punishment that is about not enjoying food? Or maybe vegans didn't enjoy food in the first place so they decided they might as well be vegan. I don't know and because of COVID-19 there was not salt and pepper on the table so it was disappointing.

They don't have a huge space and they have sort of gone for a 8-bit industrial look, if that makes sense to anybody. There is a good amount of parking and they are right on 21st South. Their staff was over the top enthusiastic about the concept and the offerings and, well everything. That was nice.

This place is worth checking out for their amazing and educational beer flights if nothing else.

 

[Gameface]

These reviews are making me miss breweries there. Beijing has some decent places but they are so new to craft beer it's just not quite the same. Bars are relatively new thing here in China.

Thanks man! I've been off work and using this to kill time. I felt like it was good but almost no reaction to it so far. I'm going to keep going either way.

 

[Ron Mexico]

Thanks man! I've been off work and using this to kill time. I felt like it was good but almost no reaction to it so far. I'm going to keep going either way.

I've enjoyed reading them! I look forward to the rest.

I've been to all of them except the one new one. I generally agree with your assessment. I've been ranking the breweries here based on similar things. Decent beer isn't too hard to find. But fit me having a variety of quality beer, a good ambiance, nice staff, and the location is important.

Fisher for example isnt the best beer (still pretty good) but the staff is very nice and the crowd is usually pretty fun. But that's before the virus stuff. I also like proper but that's because I know most of the employees. 1/2 their staff came from Brewvies or legends and I knew them well since it's across from my friends house.

Here in Beijing they have old streets in the middle of town that are called the Hutongs. They are small random alleys with super old buildings. So the breweries that set up there are always much cooler to me. But a lot of them don't really know much about good beer. It's crazy to be me how many places just decided they liked beer so they opened up a brewery and the bought a beer making system that came with lessons.