Epic Brewery saw a breakout with their Mexican inspired, sea salt and lime flavored lagers, Tart ‘n Juicy Sour IPA and Los Locos. With continued demand in 2016, Epic produced 12,000 barrels out of its Salt Lake City brewery, with an additional 10,000 barrels from its Denver branch. This is up from a combined 18,000 in 2015. “We now employ close to 40 people in Salt Lake City. A little over half are on the brewing side,” says Epic Communications Director, Matthew Allred.

Epic Brewery is in the middle of launching its Son of a Baptist coffee stout, a novel project that partners with local coffee roasters around the county. The drink is then sent back to the roaster’s home market where both the beer and coffee can be enjoyed together. Salt Lake City, for example, partnered with Blue Copper Coffee Room to feature 22-ounce bombers, with  12-ounce cans available in liquor stores in March; and this spring, Epic plans to can their Utah Session Series beers, which will be available in grocery and convenience stores.

The brewmasters at Epic are encouraged to bring in home brews or their favorites to spark new ideas for specialty beers. This recently resulted in exploration of a hazy New England-Style IPA. “We brewed these beers to be enjoyed alongside Utah’s natural beauty and can’t wait to hit the trails, rivers, concerts, and BBQ this summer,” says Allred.

“I think it’s apparent that craft beer is going to continue to grow in Utah as it has across the US, and aligning legislation to support local businesses and promote tourism is going to be key to a healthy local economy,” says Allred.