There is a certain instinctive skill that develops when you make something your passion and life’s work. Utah homebrewers are lucky that a particularly skilled journeyman in the craft of homebrewing hangs his hat in Salt Lake.

Art’s Brewing Supply is the oldest, and considered by many to be the best, brewing supply store in Salt Lake. Opening his doors in 1987 to the homebrewing community of  Utah, he started with one goal in mind: to operate the best brewing supply shop in the state. “I thought I could do it better. I didn’t like the advice I was being given at the shop I was going to, so I opened my own.”

Today, Art’s Brewing Supply boasts the largest selection of grain and the best, albeit sometime unconventional, advice you’re likely to find anywhere.“The advice I give isn’t in a lot of books, and some might disagree with it.” But many swear by his advice. Despite (or perhaps because of) the unconventional advice to local beer and wine makers Art’s has a loyal and fiercely devoted client base.

Art doesn’t brew much anymore these days, though he still sometimes sneaks a taste of a customer’s homebrew. “Most of it’s awful” he laughs. “People bring in their ‘mistakes’ and have me try it to help them pinpoint where they went wrong. Folks are more willing to share that then the good batches”. It says a lot about the man who in his life has sampled more than his fair share of bad beer,  yet still harbors a passion for teaching homebrewers how to perfect their technique.

“I love teaching people how to make a better beer than they can buy,” he says, adding, “Homebrewers are the ones who started all these microbreweries and brewpubs; they’ve changed how America drinks beer. Now, that’s an amazing hobby! It just goes to show, you can make better beer than what’s available in stores.” That being the case, beer lovers owe men like Art a long overdue ‘thank you.’

Art’s Brewing Supplies

642 Washington Street, SLC

Tues-Sat 12 pm-6 pm