Do any of you fellow northern Utahns ever make the drive to Evanston, Pocatello or Wendover (or similar distance) to get higher abv craftbeer on tap? If so, what bars do you visit, and what brews are available? I've used all the beer finders I could find (Oskar Blues, Stone, Odell, etc) but they are so unreliable. I made the drive to Pocatello for the latest Enjoy By and neither Grapevine nor Marigolds had it, and they said they never did. So since the beer finders on brewer's sites are so unreliable, I'm hoping people with personal experience can help.
I have family in Utah. I feel for your sadness, living in that ridiculous state. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to lunch at a beer bar where I can have ANYTHING MY HEART DESIRES. Bwaaahahahaha.
There's no real town adjacent to Utah's northern borders that has a "beer geek's" tap selection. If your going to do some bottle shopping? try Evanston, Wy - Pocatello or if your up for a full day trip, Grand Junction, Co. I know that's probably not much help. Good luck, let us know if you come up with something.
I just relocated to SLC from Wisconsin a few months ago. I can only depend on my connections in WI for good beer. Other than that I really do enjoy Uinta and Epic. Looking forward to the Big Bad Baptist release. Next month I'm heading to Nevada, hoping to hit a small jackpot with beer selections.
Thanks, all. Big bummer. I think if someone could open a taproom in either Evanston or Pocatello/Malad, it could be a huge hit. I have a trip to Portland, OR planned for next year. Can't wait to go craft crazy while I'm there.
I love the local breweries, don't get me wrong. I've just tried everything there is to try. Gonna hit the l-stores in Evanston soon. Grapevine in Pocatello had an awesome bottle selection including Stone, Odell, Oskar Blues, and others not available anywhere else near Utah. Just for anyone searching threads like this in the future.
This might be seriously out of date, but based on my residence in UT, I'd continue a little further north to Idaho Falls and check out Marcellar's. Besides the bottles, there was a small bar where you could drink some pretty good stuff. The highlight for me was that multiple vintages of Alaskan Smoked Porter were often available. Grapevine in Pocatello had some good stuff but seriously overpriced.
Orrrr you could go to Jackson, WY. Closer than Grand Junction at a little over four and a half hours away, and you can visit the Snake River and Melvin/Thai Me Up breweries (amazing hoppy goodness on tap there). We visited a store aptly named The Liquor Store while in town, and while we weren't blown away by the selection, they still had Odell, Oskar Blues, and Avery available, and you could get growler fills of a variety of brews there as well. Plus it's beautiful up there! Just another thought .
