Grand Teton Brewing Company - Sweetgrass American Pale Ale

This 2009 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winner cuts a very fine figure in the glass, with an attractive copper hue and a very persistent cap of off-white foam that drops plenty of lace as you go. Expect a complex aroma profile presenting a sweetly floral and pungently herbal, almost minty, character, with touches of pine, earth, and citrus. Bolstering the hops is a solid malt core offering some caramel and bready notes. Wow, there’s lots going on in the aroma department, but with copious amounts of four American hops contributing to this brew, we’re not exactly surprised. On the palate, it’s quite herbal and earthy with touches of grapefruit juice and resinous pine. The malts do a great job of providing a smooth, flavorful backbone to this brew while keeping those big hops front and center. In fact, at 60 IBU, this APA is easily into IPA territory and we’re lovin’ it. Try it with spicy Southeast Asian fare, like pork with chilies & Thai basil. Enjoy!

Charlie Otto was a well-respected area homebrewer when demand for his hand-crafted beers quickly grew to the point where he began thinking about starting his own commercial enterprise. But because Wyoming did not issue licenses to homebrewers, Charlie had to challenge the law. Through an ambitious effort, he ultimately helped get a bill passed which would allow him to start selling his beer commercially. In 1988, he secured the first malt beverage manufacturer’s permit issued in the state in over 35 years. Along with his brother Ernie, the pair founded the Otto Brothers' Brewing Company, officially the first modern microbrewery in Wyoming.

So, have you ever been to a local brewery or brewpub and had a “growler” filled with beer to take home? Thank these guys for that experience. In 1989 they rediscovered a long-forgotten container, a European, lidded tin pail originally used to transport beer from the tavern at which it was purchased. The Otto Brothers' Brewing Company reintroduced it in a modern, 64-ounce glass jug version.
These trailblazers then took on the law again to bring about the legalization of brewpubs in the Cowboy State in 1992, opening Wyoming's first brewpub. It brought a surge in popularity to the Otto Brothers' beer lineup, leading the brothers Otto to build their current brewery at the base of Teton Pass in Victor, Idaho, in 1998. The move prompted renaming it the Grand Teton Brewing Company. The site was chosen for its proximity to locally-grown barleys and Northwestern hops, as well as nearby Teton Glacier water.

Given the natural beauty of the region, it makes sense that the brewery went “green” in 2005; everything from the heat that fires their brew kettles, to their hot water, to their building heat comes from use of biodiesel. They’ve kept with their vision of creating beers as majestic and beautiful as the National Parks that they celebrate. Seriously, these are magnificently crafted beers; we just love everything that this brewery does. For more information about the brewery or scheduled tours, call 888-899-1656, or visit their website at www.GrandTetonBrewing.com.