March is an exciting time at the Squatters and Wasatch brewery. Both brands debut new beers, and a refreshed packaging look for all labels will begin rolling off the lines. In addition, To get a personal introduction to the changes, the brewery is now offering tours Monday through Wednesdays at 3 pm.
Look for the Squatter’s labeled Squasatch to rock and roll off the shelves when it drops in stores in short order. The name is, of course, a co-mingling of the two brewery names and has been an often-used nickname for nearly a decade. Officially called Squasatch HoppyPils, the beer represents a European pilsner with hopped up American influences.
Brew master Jon Lee explains, “The craft drinker is showing a lot of love for pilsner beers so we felt that this is really good timing for it. The image is fantastic and the beer that’s backing it up is phenomenal.” Represented on the label image is Douglass “Chopper” Styer, a brewery employee and noted musician in Salt Lake’s music scene. “Because of his involvement in the music industry here in the valley, you’ll see a lot of people who will be really happy to see him on the label,” continues Lee. “He’s perfect for it.”
In the Wasatch line up, expect Snap Down to fly off the shelves in a monstrous way in early summer when it makes it debut in cans. With it’s distinctive dragon label, the India Pale lager is medium-bodied with a hoppy nose and malt character. “Lager beers tend to be a little bit smoother, more easier drinking,” says Lee. “We’ve take American hops and gone into something that’s a European-type of base beer—so it’s a hybridized style—and made it our own.”
Snap Down will sport the newly refreshed Wasatch artwork with a black background but much bolder colors and larger illustrations—designed to help distinguish the various beers on the shelf. Adam Curfew, director of production for Wasatch and Squatters Beers, says of the new look, “It’s more of our personality that you see in these. The black can was cool but it didn’t have that feeling that we have. We rock a little harder than that. It will look really good on the shelf.” Squatters has also modified its labeling with color band differentiation for each brew.
Both lines will move to their respective fresh looks as inventory of the current labels and cans are depleted.
Finally, brewery lovers should keep their eyes peeled as construction of a tasting room and tavern begins at the brewery with a projected opening date of early summer.
