Apr 19, 2021
A recession and a hops shortage didn’t dissuade a trio of beer-loving visionaries from opening a brewery in the heart of craft beer country.
Upslope Brewing sold its first beers in 2008 in Boulder, Colo. It’s now Colorado’s fourth-largest independent craft brewery in a state that boasts more than 400.
Upslope distributes to a handful of states where it strives to be the après everything beer. One of those states is Utah. In fact, in 2016, Upslope developed a beer brewed specifically for Utah — a Belgian Style Blonde Ale brewed with guava that catered to the state’s then-4% ABV limitations for beer sold in grocery and convenience stores.
Since then — the brewery that seems to zig when others zag — has staked its claim to being a business for good that makes even better beer.
Marketing Director Katie Hill and Regional Market Manager Antal Maurer visited with Utah Beer News to talk about what sets Upslope apart. Plus, we were joined by Katie Flanagan, a veteran of Utah’s hospitality industry, who recently finished her first year as Upslope’s Utah market manager.
During our conversation we discussed:
- Why Upslope is so invested in and excited about the Utah market
- What craft beer drinkers — and hard seltzer drinkers — can expect from the Boulder-based brewery in the Beehive State
- How Upslope became a Certified B Corporation — and what that entails in terms of corporate social and environmental responsibility
- And we get to hear some fun stories involving the 13-year-old Upslope brand — including why it took so long to brew a Hazy IPA
Thank you to Katie, Katie, and Antal for taking the time to talk with Utah Beer News. And thank you for listening. I hope you enjoy hearing more about Upslope Brewing. If you enjoy this type of storytelling, I’d really appreciate if you could please leave a review on your podcast platform of choice.
And now, let’s jump in to learn more about Upslope Brewing.
For an accompanying article, please visit UtahBeerNews.com.
Enjoy the episode!
Episode 51 | April 19, 2021