Epic Brewing Returns to Salt Lake: Bold New Beers, Bolder Vision

Epic Brewing has been a mainstay in Utah’s craft beer scene since opening in 2009. 🍺 Epic burst onto the Utah craft beer scene with incredible high-point beers immediately loved by Utah craft beer fans. Initially, Epic could not keep up with the demand for their beer for their first two years of operation: founders, David Cole and Peter Ericson, along with brewmaster Kevin Crompton, struck paydirt with a simple formula — beers with more than 3.2% ABV that tasted fantastic, offering a massive variety of beers along with standard offerings.

By 2012 Epic had outgrown their humble State Street facility in just a few years of operation and looked to expand. They decided to join Denver’s massive craft beer scene in the River North or RiNo District. Epic thrived for a long time in RiNo. They expanded to more markets throughout the U.S. But after a decade the craft beer market began shifting dramatically. The biggest shifts were away from beer and towards seltzers and canned cocktails. What created this shift is hard to pinpoint. However, consumers turning away from microbreweries might have something to do with how so many were being bought out by private equity. Utah's most renowned brands such as Wasatch, Squatters, and Uinta took venture capital deals that would pump money into these big brands to increase their visibility and market share and take advantage of greater distribution channels and economies of scale. Epic kept plugging away making great beers and chose not to cash out.

How does Epic compete in today's craft beer scene? Ryan Kluh and Clay Turnbow sat down with us on the Utah Stories podcast to explain how Epic has found a new niche in the craft beer world. Epic has consolidated its brewing operations, closing its River North facility in Denver Colorado focusing just on the Utah market. Epic's line-up of beers changes seasonally. Turnbow let us sample the beers that they are most proud of at the moment. The one I found the most surprising was their "Pineapple Express." Which requires a huge amount of pineapple juice to create each barrel. It tastes how it sounds, it's fruity, sweet and it's like drinking a tropical drink on this snowy afternoon. They also brought their big double IPA called Chasing Ghosts. It's a hoppy, traditional IPA that offers a high-gravity beer more accustomed to Epic's initial claim to fame. And of course their "Big-Bad Baptist". The beer that made them famous. It contains chocolate, and coffee and is aged in whiskey barrels. This is a beer to be slowly sipped to be properly enjoyed. I liken it to drinking a bourbon. Like the badness on the label, it is rich and big. Kluh and Turnbow are having a great time doing what Epic has always been great a doing: brewing a massive assortment of craft beers that Utah consumers enjoy. Their success in their State Street facility is due to its remaining local and true to the spirit of what makes craft beer beloved by Salt Lakers: you can see the brewers working; fans get a constant update on beer offerings, and the proof is in the sampling of their products: they are unique and delicious!

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