You can find Uinta beers in 34 states, giving the rest of the county a taste of Utah’s craft beer scene. “We’ve been around since ‘93. We’ve helped forge and define what Utah craft beer is.” explains Steve Mills, Uinta Brewing’s new CEO. “It’s both a privilege and responsibility.” A transport from Kansas City, Mills seems happy in his new position and home. His passion for beer is obvious.
Keeping up with the awards that Uinta wins is an overwhelming task. Cutthroat alone has won 30 different awards. “We’ve had a lot of awards this year!” exclaims Mills. The most recent awards came from the European Beer Star, one of the most important beer competitions. Silver medals were awarded to the three beers they entered: Baba, Cutthroat and Detour. “We’re really proud of that.”
Uinta’s growth over the past few years has been impressive. “In the last 18 months we’ve doubled the number of employees. And we’re planning on adding another 30% this year.” says Mills. As for the beer that we’ll be enjoying soon, Mills was thrilled to talk about the 2016 lineup. “I love every single one of them.” he acknowledged. “The Ready Set Gosa is beautiful. It’s a little bit tart and brewed with salt.” After the interview I got to hang out in the employee lounge and sample the Ready Set Gosa. My prediction is that it will be THE beer of Summer 2016. It’s slightly bitter and you can almost taste the salt. It’s refreshing and thirst quenching – everything I expect from Uinta.
Mills said, “We are seekers of flavor. We’ll do anything we can to impart flavor. We’ll use spices, herbs, flowers or even wood.” he added. “It’s in our DNA.”
I couldn’t resist asking about his favorite beer. “I don’t have favorites!” he laughed. “I have beers of the moment,” he deflected, eyeing my glass of Baba (my personal favorite). “This week I’ve been drinking Baba and Cutthroat. It’s a wonderful beer. My wife mentioned that I’ve been gravitating to 801 a lot lately, which is a really beautiful pilsner.” His affinity towards 801, Uinta’s community builder that supports Utah charities is fitting with Mills’ dedication to both Uinta and his new home.
