Utah’s history of liquor is intertwined with the rules of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. It wasn’t until 1884 that the first brewery was opened in the state for a short time, and Utah’s 3.2% ABV beer law didn’t meet its demise until 2019. Today, fellow beer lovers in Park City, Heber Valley and the Beehive State in general are working hard to share their love of ale, whether through breweries, festivals or experiences.
Places to Sip Suds
The first post-Prohibition brewery in Utah is located at the top of Park City Main Street. Formerly known as Wasatch Brew Pub and Wasatch Brewery but currently Top of Main Brew Pub, this historic location played a major role in bringing beer to the state. In 1986, Greg Schirf moved from Wisconsin to Utah with the vision of bringing ale to the state. After presenting to the Utah State Legislature and garnering support, the brew pub was allowed to open.
“There were a few changes in ownership over the years, and ultimately a name change in 2024,” says Rick Seven, marketing lead of Salt Lake Brewing Company, which owns Top of Main Brew Pub. “It is both the newest and oldest brewery in Park City and the state of Utah.”
The staff today carries on the tradition of Schirf and his team back in the eighties. While the brewery is creating and crafting the beer, the brew pub serves a broad menu of food items, beer, wine and cocktails made with locally distilled spirits. “We try to pay homage to the great tradition by continuing the popular local flavors and naming the brews after things that are Park City related,” says Seven. “For example, Coalition Hellfire pays homage to a coalition mining building in Park City that previously burned down.”
If the top of Main Street is too steep a hike, make a stop at Offset Bier in the Prospector neighborhood. Owned by Conor Brown, this brewery delivers a sense of community. “I wanted to create a brand in something that I felt this town needed,” says Brown. “Offset is a place people can gather after a day of skiing, biking, working or anything in between.” In fact, Offset offers a ski club in the winter and a running club year-round.
Offset is named for its quirky approach to brewing beer. For example, the logo is never in the same place on any two cans. Combined with exercise groups hosted at the brewery, Brown is “offsetting” the negative side effects of alcohol to encourage both mental and physical health.
Greg Poirier and Clint Jones, co-founders of Heber Valley Brewing Company in Heber City, had a chance to travel the world together as an Olympic ski coach and Olympian. Now, they’ve brought back those worldly flavors to Utah and specialize in Belgian-style ale.
“We’ve created a business with a great social scene here,” Poirier says. “Not only is the beer phenomenal, but the social scene is too. The people are a special part of our brewery.”
If you prefer darker stouts, fear not. Bohemian Brewery in Salt Lake City brings the authenticity of darker, European-style lagers to the American West. Founded in 2001, Joe Petras and his family moved to Utah from the Czech Republic, conveniently the origin of the worldwide famous Czech pilsner.
“Our specialty is that Old World, traditional European lager beer,” says Marketing Director Kelly Schaefer. “Dating back to the 1300s, we follow a central-European method to ensure a beer is not made with anything besides the core four ingredients of water, hops, yeast and malt.”
Even the food menu is still 100% traditional, with dishes such as goulash, perogi and bratwurst. “We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary next year and continuing to grow and pass down our story to future generations,” Schaefer says.
Beer-licious Experiences
Not only is Utah leaning into local breweries, but beer-based experiences as well. Stein Ericksen Lodge Deer Valley is gearing up for nearly 10 years of Hops on the Hill, an event filled with beer, music, food and good times.
“This option allows for people to come up and spend some time on our decks in the summer months with live music,” says Jeannie Lambert, corporate director of marketing. “Because we partner with local breweries anyway in our restaurants, this event always felt like a good fit.”
Although attendees can come in off the mountain and buy a ticket at the door, most tickets are sold in advance. “What makes this event most special is the pairings,” Lambert says. “It’s a different take on the common wine tasting. Our chefs figure out what breweries they’re going to feature, then they pair the food offerings to best match the beer tastings. When you come to a station, they recommend a beer that accents the flavor of that dish.”
Also in Deer Valley, the Deer Valley Beer Festival in September delivers chairlift access, outdoor dining, live music and a weekend of tasting. Though beer is only offered for those 21 and up, there are family-friendly activities available. If you’re looking to sample beer, there are different flavors and styles available, including numerous Utah brews as well as ciders.
Tickets range in price from $15 to $135, depending on the age and drinking package you’re looking for. If you want to make a weekend out of the experience, discounted lodging is available.
If you’re looking to expand your horizons even more, make a plan to take part in the Utah Ale Trail, an immersive, self-guided tour of the breweries across the state of Utah. “The Utah scene is not as big as other states, but it’s very engaged,” says Troy Mumm, founder of the Utah Ale Trail. “The breweries in the state all work together well. Most are very small and have limited marketing, so we wanted to create a guide for locals and visitors to navigate the breweries wherever they happen to be.”
Exercise and Tours
Tour de Suds is a 7-mile mountain bike climb and costume party hosted by Mountain Trails Foundation. Though beer is involved, this grassroots event is open to participants of all ages, centered around City Park and pays homage to the history of a community rooted in mountain biking.
“The best part of this annual event is a combination of the people, the party vibe and, when the event is over, the way it leaves the Mountain Trails Foundation crew with a ton of super positive energy,” says Lora Anthony, executive director of the foundation. Tour de Suds sells out every year so don’t wait too long to sign up.
“Nothing about it is run-of-the-mill; it’s all-out fun and silliness,” Anthony says. “Although some people take it seriously and race to the top, most people cruise it with friends or family.”
Also in Park City, Old Town Bike Garage offers an E-Bike Brewery Tour of Park City. Though the mountains of Park City are beautiful, they can be hard to navigate, especially for families or people of different abilities. From this realization, the idea of e-bike brewery tours was born.
“Everyone can do an e-bike, and everyone likes to eat and drink,” says co-owner Grady Gill. “We take a scenic ride through town, starting from our location in Old Town. We highlight the history of Park City, landmarks and facts about the town before hitting our lunchtime destination of Park City Brewery and turning around and coming back. The whole experience is about three hours, give or take.”
Gill says each tour is very personal. If a family or group wants to stop and spend more time in one place or enjoy Park City Brewery a bit longer, that’s an option. There is no time limit to the ride, as it is intended to be an outing that all ages can do and enjoy.
“We’re a small, local business, so I really like to focus on customer experiences,” Gill says. “This is the best job I’ve ever had. It’s super rewarding running a small business, working with my best friend and catering to all ages to share the story of Park City through biking and beer.”
