THE 8TH ANNUAL June 2015 • Volume 26 • Issue 318 UNSACRED RIMANDO’S WIT BOHEMIAN 1842 CZECH PILSENER UINTA CUTTHROAT PALE ALE PALE YELLOW YELLOW AMBER RED ROCK ELEPHINO DOUBLE IPA WASATCH APRICOT HEFEWEIZEN EPIC LIL’ BRAINLESS RASPBERRIES ORANGE APRICOT FUCHSIA BONNEVILLE REDLINE IRISH RED MOAB SCOTCH ALE SQUATTERS OUTER DARKNESS RED BROWN BLACK SLUGMAG.COM • ALWAYS FREE slugmag.com 1 2 SaltLakeUnderGround slugmag.com 3 SaltLakeUnderGround • Vol. 26 • Issue #318 • June 2015 • slugmag.com Publisher: Eighteen Percent Gray Ben Melini, Bob Plumb, Chad Brian Kubarycz, Brinley Froelich, CONTRIBUTOR LIMELIGHT: Editor: Angela H. Brown Kirkland, Chris Gariety, Chris Bryer Wharton, Christian Schultz, Managing Editor: Kiernan, Gilbert Cisneros, Gilbert Cody Kirkland, Dean O Hillis, Gavin Kyle Trammell Alexander Ortega Garcia, Jake Vivori, John Barkiple, Hoffman, Gavin Sheehan, Henry aka Tyler Makmell Junior Editor: Christian Schultz Johnny Cowan, Logan Sorenson, Glasheen, James Bennett, James Senior Staff Writer Office Coordinator: Martín Rivero, Matt Brunk, Matthew Orme, Jimmy Martin, John Ford, Jordan Gavin Sheehan Windsor, Megan Kennedy, Melissa Deveraux, Julia Sachs, Justin Gallegos, Digital Content Coordinator: Cohn, Michael Lehmann, Michael Kia McGinnis, Lauren Ashley, Mariah Henry Glasheen Portanda, Russel Daniels, Scott Mann Mellus, Megan Kennedy, Mike Fact Checker: Nic Smith Frederick, Talyn Sherer, Brown, Mike Riedel, Peter Fryer, Ricky Copy Editing Team: Alex Cragun, Weston Colton Vigil, Ryan Hall, Scott Farley, Sean Alexander Ortega, Allison Shephard, Videographers: Zimmerman-Wall, Shawn Mayer, Christian Schultz, Henry Glasheen, Andrew Schummer, Brock Grossl, Stakerized!, Steve Goemaat, John Ford, Jordan Deveraux, Candida Duran, Lexie Floor, Perry Steve Richardson, Thomas Winkley, Julia Sachs, Kathy Zhou, Laikwan Layne Decker-Tate, Ryan Dearth, Tyler Makmell Waigwa-Stone, Maria Valenzuela, Slugger Monkeys with Computers: Mary E. Duncan, Nic Smith, Nick Community Development Adam Fratto, Alex Coulombe, Alex Kuzmack, Shawn Soward, Executives/Advertising Sales: Cragun, Alex Gilvarry, Ali Shimkus, Traci Grant John Ford: [email protected] Allison Shephard, Andrea Silva, Ashley Editorial Intern: Kathy Zhou Angela H. Brown: Lippert, Ben Tilton, Blake Leszczynski, About a decade ago, Kyle Trammell, a wide- Digital Interns: Davis Pope, [email protected] Brian Udall, Carl Acheson, CJ Morgan, eyed home brewer from Utah’s suburbs, walked Dylan EvansJulia Sachs, SLUG HQ: 801.487.9221 Connor Brady, Dan Vesper, Darcy into the SLUG HQ with a mission to write about Nick Kuzmack Marketing Interns: Ben Juell, Wouters-Russell, Davis Pope, Dylan beer. Utah’s craft beer culture was exploding, Content Consultants: Rosemary Saycich, Paige Emond Evans, Eric U. Norris, Erin Moore, and no one was covering it. SLUG accepted Jon Christiansen, Matt Hoenes Marketing Team: Gregory Gerulat, Jamie Stott, Jeanine Trammell’s’s pitch, and he soon fathered SLUG’s Cover Design: Alex Topolewski, Ashley Kinser, Carmichael, Jeremy Cardenas, Jesse “Beer Reviews” column under the pseudonym Ben Juell, Carl Acheson, Cassandra Hawlish, Kamryn Feigel, Kathy Zhou, Joshua Joye Tyler Makmell. Over the years, Makmell became Loveless, Cassie Anderson, Janie Kendal Gillett, Kenny Tadrzynski, Kristal Lead Graphic Designer: a bastion of beer knowledge, including attaining Greenberg, Jono Martinez, Kolton Starr, Kristyn Porter, LeAundra Jeffs, Lizz Joshua Joye an official Beer Cicerone certification. Makmell Graphic Design Team: Smith, Lindsay Clark, Paige Emond, Corrigan, Madi Smith, Mame Wallace, was the catalyst behind SLUG’s annual Beer Chad Pinckney, Nick Ketterer, Rachel Roller, Rosemary Saycich, Matt Brunk, Michael Sanchez, Nancy Issue, this edition being the first without his Paul Mason Sabi Lowder, Skye Galley, Zac Perkins, Nate Housley, Nic Smith, voice (due to his untimely passing earlier this Ad Designers: Brad Barker, Freeman Nick Kuzmack, Nicole Stephenson, year). Tyler Makmell, we raise our glasses to Brighton Metz, Christian Broadbent, Social Media Coordinator: Rachel Jensen, Randy Dankievitch, Devin Wakefield, Dianna Totland, KJ Catie Weimer RGB Robb, Rheanna Sonnichsen, Ryan you. To friendship and great memories. Cheers! Jackett, Maggie Zukowski, Nicholas Distribution Manager: Michael Painter, Sara Bezdjian, Seeth Eric Granato McGavien, Some Cop Dude, Taylor Dowd, Nick Ketterer, Sumerset Bivens ABOUT THE COVER: The visual palette of Website Developer: Kate Colgan Distro: Andrea Silva, Daniel Hoffman, Timo H., Trevor Hale, Trey beer ranges from sunny yellows to profound Illustrators: Brighton Metz, Alexander, Davis Pope, Eric Granato, Sanders, Tyson Call, Xkot Toxsik blacks, as does Utah’s robust craft beer cul- Brooklyn Ottens, D. Bradford Eric Norris, Jesse Hawlish, John SLUG Magazine’s Official ture. For SLUG’s eighth annual Beer Issue, SLUG Gambles, Eleora Nelson, Lenny Ford, Julia Sachs, Maria Valenzuela, Podcast: Joshua Joye Riccardi, Maggie Zukowski, Manuel Megan Kennedy, Michael Sanchez, SLUG Soundwaves Lead Designer matched Pantone Aguilar, Natalie Edwards, Paul Nancy Burkhart, Nancy Perkins, Producer: Gavin Sheehan hues respective to nine beers from nine different Frame, Phil Cannon, Robin Banks, Steve Goemaat, Tommy Dolph, Tony Executive Producer: brands of Utah beer. Pour yourself a local brew Ryan Perkins, Sean Hennefer, Steve Bassett, Wesley Peterson, Xkot Toxsik Angela H. Brown and read on for the latest in Utah beer. ¡Salud! Senior Staff Writers: Associate Producers: Thueson, Timm Paxton DISCLAIMER: SLUG Magazine does not Alex Springer, Alexander Ortega, Alexander Ortega, Christian Schultz, Photographers: Andy Fitzgerrell, necessarily maintain the same opinions as Amanda Rock, Ben Trentelman, Henry Glasheen, John Ford those found in our content. Content is property youtube.com/user/SLUGMagazine of SLUG Magazine—please do not use without @SLUGMag written permission. 4 SaltLakeUnderGround slugmag.com 5 Gastropub Perfection By Amanda Rock • [email protected] theannexbyepicbrewing.com Mon. – Tue., 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. 1048 E. 2100 S., Ste. 110 Wed. – Thu., 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Salt Lake City, Utah 84106 Fri. – Sat., 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. T. 801.742.5490 Sun., 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ugarhouse is unrecognizable to those with The Annex’s brunch dishes. of us who hung out there in the ’90s S and early 2000s. The funky, bohemian The Pastrami-cured Salmon ($9) is more like neighborhood with coffee shops, record stores a painting than an entrée, with vibrant peach and used book stores where I started reading petals of salmon, pink pickled radish, dabs of SLUG Magazine are long gone. In their place, crème fraîche and a layer of bright-green pea trendy restaurants, shops and condos fill the shoots decorating the plate with three slices of streets. While this gentrification is hard to housemade lavash bread. Each bite was heav- swallow, there have been huge improvements enly—the salmon was peppery and flavorful, to the culinary landscape. One of those im- complemented by the mellow crème fraîche, tart provements is The Annex, a gastro-pub by Epic pickled veggies and fresh-tasting pea shoots. Brewery, which opened a few years ago. A more hearty brunch option is the Maple- Serving every single beer brewed by Epic Brined Ham Biscuit ($10) with layers of melt- alongside a menu of intriguing dishes, the res- in-your-mouth, sweet ham from Christiansen’s taurant, surprisingly, received so-so reviews. Farm, tangy Beehive Cheddar Cheese and The imagination was there, but something was a fried egg between two scrumptious home- missing in the execution, leaving diners under- made biscuits. Served with breakfast potatoes, whelmed. The arrival of Chef Craig Gerome it’s a filling dish, perfect to nurse a hangover from San Francisco this year, however, has or begin a busy day. rocked this gastropub. The Annex is now more like a fancy restaurant with lots of great beer. Moving on to lunch and dinner, there are many delicious options for appetizers and Selecting from the 39-plus beer options is the small plates. The Deviled Eggs ($4) are a tasty most challenging (and fun!) part of your meal way to begin a meal. Hardboiled eggs have at The Annex. Beers are organized in Classics never been so tempting—each half is filled (think basic, good beer like Spiral Jetty IPA), with a velvety yolk mixture and topped with Sherer Photos: Talyn Elevated (fancier beers that show off their tal- fresh tarragon and smoked paprika. These are ent, like the deliciously dark 825 State Stout) not Grandma’s deviled eggs—they are fresh and Exponential (for true beer enthusiasts, like and bursting with flavor. The most impres- the Double Skull Dopplebock, a rich and filling sive small plate I’ve enjoyed is the Steamed (Top–bottom): The Annex’s Deviled Eggs, beer). Prices range from $1 for a taste, $5–$7 Mussels ($9 for a half order, $17 for a full Pastrami-cured Salmon and Steamed Mussels for a pint, and $7–$12 for a 22-oz. bottle. Your order). Bouchot mussels are grown on a rope, (paired with a Berliner Weisse) exhibit the server is more than happy to suggest pairings resulting in more tender meat and less grit. gastropub’s expertise in contemporary food. with your meal, but don’t be afraid to experi- Not fishy at all, the mussels are briny like the ment—you can try up to two samples at a time. ocean. The presentation is alluring—a layer of thin, crunchy, golden fried potatoes top the My favorite beers are those that have been dish. Steamed with beer, butter and parsley, and yams were unexpected and made the dish luscious. During that same aged in barrels. Both Brainless on Peaches the flavor is out of this world. meal, I enjoyed vibrantly flavored Brussels sprouts dressed with lemon, and Brainless on Raspberries are delicious, garlic, capers and parsley. I’ve eaten Brussels sprouts all over this town, made with real fruit and aged in French Char- I could not keep my fork away from my hus- and these were the best. If they’re on the menu, be sure to order them. donnay casks, giving them a taste reminiscent band’s entrée, The Bavette Steak ($18): Thick of wine. If you don’t want fruit in your beer, steak fries topped with slices of tender, me- Dessert options change from time to time.