It’s a beer, it’s a coffee – it’s new Suped Up, from Athletic Brewing Co.

It’s a beer, it’s a coffee – it’s new Suped Up, from Athletic Brewing Co.

Suped Up

Athletic Brewing Company has introduced a new coffee-infused brew called Suped Up. Pam LeBlanc photo

​Coffee? Beer? Energy drink?

I’m seriously confused over the latest liquid offering from Athletic Brewing Company, which makes an array of non-alcoholic beer and markets it to folks who would rather work out than skip a swim, bike, or run because of a hangover.

Read more: Can a non-alcoholic beer stand up to regular craft brew?

A six-pack of a coffee-infused, extra dark brew called Suped Up arrived on my doorstep this week. The drink, a collaboration with Super Coffee, which makes keto-friendly coffee drinks without added sugar, has 5g of protein. Athletic Brewing Company is pushing it as a pre-workout swig.

Maybe it’s because I’m not a big coffee drinker – I prefer hot tea – but this just seems weird to me. I’d much rather enjoy a cold one after a good hard bike ride than beforehand.

Suped Up is made with water, malted barley, barley rice protein, coffee, oats, wheat, hops, yeast, and coffee flavoring. I know it’s not real beer, but even the thought of beer makes me feel a little bloated, so the idea of drinking it before a run makes me want to burp.

Giving Suped Up a try

Anyway, I cracked into one last night, during my regularly programmed evening neighborhood stroll. I didn’t want a cocktail, which is what I sometimes carry as I walk, and I thought maybe this would hit the spot.

I popped the top. It looked roughly like Diet Coke – fairly dark, not sugary, and with the vague aroma of the coffee maker my husband uses.

It tasted neither like beer, nor coffee, nor soda. I can only describe it as a fizzy and earthly, almost like a strange new twist on kombucha.

Not for me. But congrats, Athletic Brewing Company, I salute your spirit.

Interestingly, you can get a shirt to match the drink. Suped Up comes in a brown and yellow can, and the Athletic Brewing Company website sells a long-sleeved flannel shirt that matches for $60. I’ve already got one of those, but thanks.

Suped up sells for $14.99 here.

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A hiking trail – and goats! – at Jester King Brewery

A hiking trail – and goats! – at Jester King Brewery

 

Visitors hike the new nature trail at Jester King Brewery west of Austin. Photo courtesy Jester King Brewery

Two known cures – at least in my books – for the Covid blues? Nature walks and goats.

Jester King Brewery, located on 165 acres of rolling Hill Country land west of Austin, just announced the opening of a 2-mile nature trail, which loops past the brewery’s goat barn, home to a herd of happy Nigerian dwarf goats. Those who don’t want to walk so far can take a shorter, half-mile farm loop trail.

I love Jester King’s goats. Their herder, Sean Peppy Meyer, invited me out two years ago to go for a mile-long goat run, and we rambled up and down hills and through patches of cactus with the bleating group of animals. (Read the resulting article at https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20191004/now-you-can-run-with-goats-at-jester-king.)

A herd of Nigerian dwarf goats resides at Jester King Brewery. Pam LeBlanc photo

These days, just getting out and walking someplace other than from the bedroom to the kitchen and back is cause for celebration. We’ve all had to spend a lot of time penned up at home, and getting out and moving is one way to lift the fog that has settled around us.

Turns out the beer’s pretty good, too. The brewery sells beer, pizza and smoked meats, which make for a nice post-hike snack.

To reserve a spot, go to https://jesterkingbrewery.com/reservations. (Walk-ups are allowed, but reservations are encouraged.) Facemasks are required, and visitors should maintain a 6-foot physical distance from staff and other guests.

Visitors need a reservation to visit the brewery. Masks must be worn. Photo courtesy Jester King Brewery

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My assignment: Taste test a dozen Utah craft beers

My assignment: Taste test a dozen Utah craft beers

Since I can’t travel to Utah right now, I sampled 12 Utah-brewed beers. Pam LeBlanc photo

I’m been making good use of my pandemic-induced time at home by educating myself through online classes here at home.
So far I’ve studied chocolate, whiskey and cheese. Most recently, I dug into beer.
Besides learning that beer is best tasted in tulip-shaped glasses, because the tapered shape traps the aroma, and hence some of the flavor, I discovered that a lot of the fruit flavors that you taste in beer actually come from the hops or other non-fruity ingredients. Also, it turns out that I like hoppy beer more than I thought I did.
I eagerly ripped into my class materials – a carton containing 12 different craft-made beers brewed in Utah. I found a giant gold can, some big glass bottles, a pink can decorated with a volcano and a flamingo, and lots more.
Per the instructions in my class prospectus, I prepared for the evening session by chilling my beer, setting out some palate-cleansing snacks, and gathering a collection of tapered glasses. (Pint glasses trace their roots to England, and became popular because they’re durable, cheap and stack well.)
Beer professor Rio Connelly, who helped open Epic Brewery in Utah and then built up the Proper brand, guided us through a sampling of five of the beers. The others we’d try on our own, later.
Tasting, he told us via a Zoom call, is all about appreciation. It should also be done, generally, from least impact (like a lager or light beer) to most impact (like a stout.)
More than 8,000 breweries now operate in Utah.
With that, in mind we set out to pour and appreciate some of our stash.

FISHER: The big gold can with a red label reminded me of the Schlitz my dad drank when I was a kid. A label on the back read “Sparkle brewed to the altitude.” When I poured it into a glass, it looked like champagne. Think of Fisher as the craft beer version of a domestic lager, with an extra poof of flavor. It’s crisp, clean and somewhat boring – but also something of a religion in Utah, where you’re likely to spot folks walking around in Fisher hats and Tshirts.
“It makes me want to mow the grass,” my husband Chris said. (Yes, I shared.)

UINTA CUT THROAT PALE ALE: Uinta is the largest brewery in Utah, and this pale ale is packaged in an amber-colored glass bottle. (The stigma of cans is largely gone; today you can buy most craft beer in cans.) When I poured it into a clear glass, I discovered it’s the color of the grass in my front lawn in August. It tastes vaguely like caramel and toasted bread, with a slap of pine trees and herbs. Nice. Locals call it simply “Cutty,” and subscribe to the motto “Forget the map, pack the Uinta.” It gets its name from the Bonneville cutthroat trout, the state fish of Utah. I’d definitely drink this while fishing.

UTAH SAGE SAISON: Now we’re talking. I love Belgian-style beer, and this 7.3-percent alcohol version from Epic Brewing wowed my taste buds with hints of mint and eucalyptus. I liked the cooling effect. “Saison” refers to a subset of yeast pioneered in Belgium and northern France. It’s more rustic and flavorful than other yeasts, with herbs like sage, thyme and rosemary. I could sit in a barn all afternoon and sip the stuff.

LEI EFFECT BY PROPER: A wayward flamingo nicknamed Pink Floyd that lived for a decade near Salt Lake City inspired the design on the pink can. When we opened it, Chris noted that it “smells like a fart.” That’s from the Sulphur, and don’t worry, it fades pretty quickly. What’s left is a slightly tropical-flavored gose ale (a wheat beer that’s high in salinity) made with real passionfruit and guava, plus pink salt mined locally in Utah. Let’s go bird watching!

FEELIN’ HAZY BY 2 ROW BREWERY: I generally steer clear of double India pale ales, which tend to taste harsh to me, but this one was delicious! The not-at-all bitter brew went down smooth and citrusy, with a waft of (weirdly) bananas. It tastes juicy, but there’s no fruit in it, just grain and hops. Pour me another, please. This was my favorite.

That’s instructor Rio Connelly, who led an online class on Utah craft beer. Pam LeBlanc photo

That’s all we tasted in class, but for homework over the next week or two, Chris and I sampled the others. Here are some thoughts:

FROLICH PILSNER FROM RED ROCK BREWERY: Hoppy but balanced; inspired by German pilsners.

HELLES BOCK FROM BOHEMIAN BREWERY: Stronger and malt-forward; a traditional, full-bodied, lightly sweet beer.

PROPER BEER FROM PROPER BREWING CO.: This is Proper’s flagship brew. Easy drinking and middle of the road – not too malty, not to hoppy, not too sweet, not too bitter.

ROCKET BIKE LAGER FROM MOAB BREWERY: An example of a “steam” beer, an American style that started during the California gold rush because the refrigeration required to brew traditional lager beer was readily available.

COFFEE CREAM ALE FROM KITOS BREWING: Made with local coffee blended into a light cream ale. Not as heavy as it sounds.

ESCAPE TO COLORADO IPA FROM EPIC: The name pokes fun at the brewery’s decision to open another brewery in Denver to escape some of Utah’s regulations. Fresh, with hints of citrus, pine and stone fruit.

DELMAR FROM TEMPLIN FAMILY BREWING: This Imperial stout gets super high marks from Connelly, who describes it as “one of the best stouts he’s ever tasted. At 11.5 percent alcohol, it packs a punch.

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Can a non-alcoholic beer stand up to regular craft brew?

Can a non-alcoholic beer stand up to regular craft brew?

Athletic Brewing Co. makes craft-style non-alcoholic beer. Pam LeBlanc photo

At the time Jeff Wueste quit drinking booze more than three decades ago, beer lovers didn’t have a ton of options from which to choose.
Beer was basically beer until the rise of microbreweries in the 1990s, and by that time, Wueste had switched to non-alcoholic brews. He decided O’Doul’s worked for him, and that’s what he drank.
So when a shipment of beer from Athletic Brewing Company showed up on my doorstep, I figured Wueste could serve as my guinea pig. I gave him some of the beer to test, and asked him to share his thoughts.
But before we get to that, some background.
Bill Shufelt used to drink beer, but decided he could live without the side effects the alcohol gave him – dehydration, sleeplessness and hangovers. And while the beer scene had exploded with an array of offerings from hoppy IPAs to fruit-spiked wheats and sours, he noticed that the non-alcoholic market had stagnated for years. Shufelt saw a void, and teamed with Santa Fe craft brewer John Walker. Their mission? To take an artisanal approach to whipping up non-boozy brews, and put more variety in the NA beer world.
Athletic Brewing Co. was born.
“Athletic beers are for weeknights when you want to be ready for work the next morning, for the athlete who is training for the 10k, the half or more; for the parent who has children in tow; or when you want to have good times with friends and family but feel good doing so and the next day,” he says in a press release that arrived with two six-packs.
If you live in Stratford, Conn., you can drop by the brewery to pick up containers of any of the brewery’s current lineup of nine types of non-alcoholic beer. The menu includes Free Way Double Hop IPA, All Out Stout, Graham Cracker Brown Ale, Summer Splash IPA, Closer by the Mile NEIPA, and Coconut Brown. The mail-order offerings are limited to three – Run Wild IPA, Upside Dawn Golden Ale, and Cerveza Atletica.

Jeff Wueste and Sheila Reiter taste tested the beer the company sent me. Pam LeBlanc photo


The company shipped me the Run Wild and the Upside Dawn. I was curious what Wueste would think.
Wueste, an endurance paddler, liked both varieties he tasted. So did his girlfriend, Sheila Reiter, an endurance cyclist and paddler who usually prefers wine or margaritas over beer.
“This one’s a little lighter,” Wueste said of the Upside Dawn, packaged in a bright yellow can. “It tastes grapefruity. I like it.”
Those are exciting words, compared to his description of his usual O’Doul’s, which goes like this: “A very standard, basic beer. There’s really no flavor to O’Doul’s.”
The Run Wild was hoppier and slightly bitter, without the hint of citrus. It had just 70 calories per can.
Wueste says that Athletic’s beer provides a way for him to socialize with his friends, and get a little taste of the changes that have taken place in the beer world since he cut alcohol out of his diet. He plans to buy some.
“Mainly I like to sit with my peeps, and when everybody else is going to have a drink, it makes me feel like I’m having a drink with them,” he says.
Athletic Brewing Co.’s beer is available at Austin retailers including Specs Wine, Liquor & Beer, Total Wine & More, Trader Joe’s, Wiggy’s, Quickie Pickie, Whole Foods and Twin Liquors. You can also buy it online for $12.99 a six-pack, plus shipping.
Through the company’s Two for the Trails program, 2 percent of overall sales is donated to an Athletic cause, on a rotating basis. Right now, the proceeds benefit the Appalachian Trail.

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An online cheese and beer tasting: Can it get any better when you’re stuck at home?

An online cheese and beer tasting: Can it get any better when you’re stuck at home?

I taste tested three cheeses from Beehive Cheese Company in Utah. Pam LeBlanc photo


I love cheese. And beer’s pretty good, too.
So when a box of artisan wedges from Beehive Cheese Company arrived, I was stoked. And the shipment of craft beers from Roosters Brewing Company that followed made me swoon.
Both were supplies for an online course I took recently titled “The Birds and the Bees,” featuring Utah-made products.
Two things before we begin. One of my favorite sayings is, “A day without cheese is like a day without sunshine.” Also, I’m always eager to hone up on my knowledge about “The Birds and the Bees.”
On the designated evening, I brought out the cheese and the beer, fired up my computer, and tuned in to a Zoom conference call. Jacquie King, head brewer at Roosters Brewing in Ogden, and Katie Schall, a marketing representative for nearby Beehive, led us through a taste test of three cheeses, each paired with two beers.
Before we dove in, she gave us some suggestions. When you eat cheese, smell it, crack it open and look at the curd structure first. Nibble it, chewing slowly as it gets more and more buttery in your mouth.
As for the beer, pour it, let bubbles form as it opens up, then sniff it, sip it, and sip it again with a little cheese in your mouth.
“I think it elevates the beer and the cheese, and brings out the taste of the Utah desert,” King says.
I’ll agree with that.

We tried two beers with each cheese.


Pairing 1:
Beehive’s Promontory cheese, a creamy, slightly sweet cheddar that tastes vaguely like buttered toast, won my vote for best cheese of the night. It’s made with cows’ milk – half Holstein and half jersey – and aged 6 months, and named after Promontory Point, where the golden spike was pounded in when the Transcontinental Railroad was finished. It had those amazing little crystals that give it a slight crunch with every nibble.
We tasted it with two beers …
High Desert Hazy – I’m not usually a fan of super hoppy beer, but I loved this session IPA. Smooth, not edgy, and juicy. This was my favorite of the night.
Rooster Tail Hazy – I tasted hints of blueberry and strawberry in this one, even though there’s not blueberry or strawberry actually in it. Whatever.

Pairing 2:
For round two, we unwrapped Beehive’s Big John’s Cajun, another cheddar, but this one features a rind rubbed with Cajun spice. Since my husband’s Cajun, I figured I’d like it. And I did, but the spice overpowered the beautiful cheese a bit. I’ll stick with Promontory.
We tasted it with two beers …
Bees Knees honey wheat – I’ve always loved wheat beer, and this golden-colored ale had a crisp, balanced flavor with a zap of honey at the end. It muted the heat of the Cajun cheese nicely and even made me notice some subtle herb flavors.
Patio Pilsner – This dry-hopped pale blonde has a strong malt flavor. I’m not a big pilsner fan, so this one got lower marks from me.

I’ve been taking a lot of fun online classes with Utah distilleries, creameries and breweries.


Pairing 3:
The third time around, we went all out, sampling Beehive’s Barely Buzzed cheddar. The cheesemakers apparently got a wild hair one day and rubbed the rind of a baby wheel of cheddar with espresso and lavender. It tastes like toast sprinkled with flower petals, and works best as a dessert.
We tasted it with two beers …
Rude Ram Red – Going along with the dessert theme, this one tasted like an adult chocolate malt, with notes of caramel and a swirl of hops.
Ninerbock Doppelbock – More dessert in a glass, this time with toffee and caramel flavors, and not a lot of bitterness. (It’d be good in barbecue sauce.)

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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