One of life's more fruitless tasks is trying to find new and interesting beers at an airport. Amid the Bud, Bud Lite, Coors, Coors Light strangle hood the big boys have on most cramped airport bars, usually something Sam Adam's Boston Lager or Widmer Hefeweizen can usually be found on tap somewhere. And as a fellow Bay Area blogger found, it's hard to find an IPA in an airport, even when it's located in a city with a great craft brewing community.So it was no small thrill when I discovered a great Double IPA last week awaiting my flight back home. And at what airport could one discover a great Double IPA? Would you believe Salt Lake City's?
Yep, smack dab in the middle of one of the most alcohol adverse states of of the Union is a Squatter's Brewpub at Salt Lake's Airport, and I was fortunate to find their excellent Hop Rising Double IPA there. There's lots of big floral and citrus hop flavors, with a dominant note tangerine in this one. The malt side of the brew held it's own, with a slight caramelly character to it, and at 9% abv, this is an intensely flavorful brew, that isn't overly aggressive or downright assaulting, like too many Double IPA's I've tried.
Don't let anyone tell you there's no good beer to be found in Utah, or in an airport for that matter, either.
Nice find. Interesting that they aren't subject to the 3.2% ABW (4% ABV) law.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the actual 3.2% abw law in Utah is, but apparently, it's a little complicated. From what I gather, grocery stores can sell six-picks and 22 ounce and larger bottles. Individual bottles, wine, and distilled spirits at higher abv must be sold in state liquor stores.
ReplyDeleteAnd so this regulation means you can go into a grocery store and buy a 40 ouncer of Schlitz Malt Liquor, but if you want to get 12 ounce bottle of a Belgian import, you must go to a Utah State Liquor Store.