Salt Flats Brewing Company - Top Gear

This big imperial pils presents a radiant, rich golden hue in the glass, capped by a prominent head of off-white foam. On the nose, we get a nice balance between some lightly crackery-bready pils malt undertones with brighter hop notes offering touches of herbal spice and soft citrus flesh. Look for things to amp up considerably on the palate. We found this a boldly flavorful brew that offers a big central malt character that’s much fuller than a standard pilsner, delivering a richly bready profile that’s also lightly honeyed with a dash of creamy vanilla and a bit of residual sweetness. The New Zealand and German hop varieties come through with nice balance here too, offering a moderate drying bitterness and a fruity-herbal profile in concert with a touch of spicy booziness to counterpunch the sweeter malts at the center and keep us coming back sip after sip. This is a delightfully substantial beer that’s satisfyingly round and smooth on the palate, and we’d be happy to enjoy this all by itself; but, food pairing options abound. Richly flavored grilled or barbecued meats – including game – will stand up nicely to this big brew, as will fattier dishes like roasted chicken thighs or pork belly. Spicy Mexican or curried dishes sound good too, as does a snack of rich cheddar, glouchester, or blue cheeses. Cheers!

Salt Flats got its start back in 2016 when the Garage Grill in Draper, UT began brewing under the name RPM Brewery on a tiny 15-gallon system. Originally, the beer was produced just to serve the restaurant’s taps, but the dream soon expanded to the goal of building an actual regional brewery. In 2017, Scott Parker joined RPM as brewmaster after eight years with California’s Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Being used to a 250-barrel brewhouse, Parker helped the RPM team scale up their operations from that original 1/2-barrel system to a new 10-barrel system. In March of 2018, the decision was made to rebrand the brewery to the new Salt Flats name, which better represented their region while retaining the motorsports theme.

Motorsports is everywhere at Salt Flats Brewing Company. Besides the brewery and beer names, the brewery itself is located within what used to be a professional race team building. Owner Steve Pruitt is the team principal of Corsa Motorsports and has a lifetime of experience in motor racing stretching all the way back to 1975 and his stockholder interest in the Long Beach Grand Prix. The Garage Grill locations in Draper and Herriman are equal parts restaurant and museum, featuring incredible arrays of racing memorabilia and actual exotic sports cars and NASCAR, IndyCar, and F1 racecars, among others. Want to have a brew at the bar next to a 2007 McLaren-Mercedes F1 car mounted to the wall, or dine directly underneath a Ferrari 360? You can do that. For racing fans visiting the Salt Lake area, it’s a must-try experience.

Currently, Salt Flats produces over a dozen beers, all with automotive or motorcycle themed names. They also produce an award-winning line of spirits including whiskey, vodka, and gin, plus canned premixed cocktails. Additionally, in 2023, Salt Flats took home awards for Brewery of the Year and Beer of the Year, among others, at the USA Beer Ratings in San Francisco. For more info on their brewery and their restaurant locations, visit saltflatsbeer.com.