Utah – Food & Liquor in the Land of Purity

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Parent Category: Travel Over There
Category: 2014 - Gap Year
Created: Wednesday, 22 October 2014 16:02

Fire and smoke roll across my tongue, the warmth and aroma filling my head before cardamom and nutmeg blossom over my tastebuds, sweetening the palate to a light toffee finish. High West DistilleryFire and smoke roll across my tongue, the warmth and aroma filling my head before cardamom and nutmeg blossom over my tastebuds, sweetening the palate to a light toffee finish. The High West Distillery’s Campfire Whiskey is an excellent example of blended malt scotch, Rye Bourbon and Whiskeys…

Utah is widely known as a Mormon state and being that Mormons aren’t supposed to drink alcohol, the legislature has installed various quirks over the years but are slowly being reformed since the 2002 Winter Olympics. There are the usual limits with regard to age (21) and the hours of service but before 2009 if you wanted to go to a bar you had to pay a cover charge or be a member. There is also the ‘Line of Zion’, a demarcation in liquor establishments, for example if you are at a winery for a tasting, the line is located between the tasting area and the retail area. You cannot buy your wine from where you are tasting it. If you go to a tasting, you can have a maximum of two glasses in front of you. These quirks actually work in favour of enjoying the experience, enhancing through rarity and ritual.

Kiler Grove WinesOne of the first things we did in SLC was visit Kiler Grove Winegrowers. Kiler Grove is owned and operated by winemaker Michael Knight and his wife Elva, they source their grapes from California but produces thee wine here, and they are passionate about it.

A things I love about wine, which entices me to taste more, is how the environment changes the grape’s flavours and what winemakers create with those grapes. In the USA I found that the wine is more often than not sweeter than I am used to, but still enjoyable.

Kiler Grove offer a small selection of wines, in the Rhone style and staying on the appropriate side of the ‘line of Zion’, I tasted their wares: Riesling, Petite Syrah (very soft and smooth), Grenache, and Zinfandel (beautifully fruity with a lasting pepper taste), as well as a range of blended wines utilising those same grapes.

The Knights are great hosts willing to share with you their experiences and their wine, enhancing the tasting. We bought a bottle of the Interpretation (blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Syrah, and Zinfandel) for a dinner later in the week as well as a Late Harvest Zinfandel (a semi-fortified after dinner wine that is excellent with dark chocolate).

We also dined at a bar called the Garage, located in the industrial area the Garage looks like a rough and tumble saloon that should be filled with bikers. The menu is what I assume is traditional American – onion rings, chicken wings, various types of potatoes, cheese steak, burgers, fried chicken and the like. I felt compelled to try the Chicken Waffles, which turned out to be 3 pieces of deep fried chicken served atop a waffle. The chicken was good although the seasoning could have had more spice to it, and a waffle covered in syrup is always a good way to end a meal. While at the Garage we also drank pitchers of Utah produced beer.

The Garage, Salt Lake City, UtahChicken Waffles, Traditional American Cuisine

High West Distillery, Park City, UtahWe visited a saloon bar in Park City after spending a couple of hours wandering the Kimball Arts festival. Established in 2007, High West wants to honour the tradition and history of the American West but also bring something new into the world. The bar is classically designed but with appropriately modern. The bar staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their whiskeys and wares, and don’t mind having a conversation about it either. I ordered their High West Reserve Flight for $14, a selection of four whiskeys to try (of which you can only have two in front of you at any time due to Utah’s liquor laws):

Rendezvous Rye– a blend of 2 Rye Whiskies, 1 16y/o and a 6y/o, it is lightly spiced with a smooth finish improving with each sip.

A Midwinter Night’s Dram– another blend of two rye whiskies, a 6y/o and a 16y/o, but finished in Port and French Oak Barrels. The Dram is rich, dark and creamy with a sweet caramel like finish. The Dram was made for cold weather and would make a great introductory whiskey for new enthusiasts to learn from

American Prairie Reserve– This limited whiskey is actually the Rendezvous Rye aged in Port and lightly charred French Oak barrels. It is lighter that the Rendezvous and has hints of cinnamon on the finish. While tasting this I thought that this would complement wonderfully with a Syrah Poached Pear

Campfire– This is the whiskey to try if you enjoy the Single Malts Scotches. Another blend, this time a straight 6y/o Bourbon, a 5y/o Rye Whiskey, with an 8y/o Scotch. The Campfire is an excellent blend and highlights the skill and passion of the whiskeymaker.

The High West Distillery and Saloon in Park City is a great destination for the whiskey enthusiast, offering a range of whiskeys and bourbon from their own distillery and America and some very choice selections from the world.

Micro brewing has grown in popularity everywhere, including Utah and they have managed to produce some good beers with great names. I would heartily recommend that any beer aficionado try a few of the local brews and see for themselves what they are accomplishing.

Wasatch is the oldest brewery in Utah, opening in 1986 when the owner, Greg Schrif, arrived here from Milwaukee to find an absence of local beer. Schrif also opened the first brew pub in Utah. Wasatch has since been joined by other breweries and brew pubs and is part of a vibrant and thriving industry.

Polygamy Porter, Wasatch Brewery, UtahOne beer that is worth trying is Wasatch’s Polygamy Porter, if for nothing else aside from the name. The Polygamy is a low alcohol porter 4% and is very easy to drink. The darkness of the liquid when you pour, belies the medium body, with it quickly settling to a deep red/orange. It has a slight sourness and low hop for a porter and is very easy to drink.

Another is from Uinta brew company that I tried only for the name: Hoodoo Kölsch Style Ale. I found this as I was heading to Bryce Canyon to see the Hoodoos and thought that it was fortune that put it in front of me. A golden style of ale, it is slightly bitter and quite effervescent, filling the mouth with a smooth hoppy aroma.

There was more of a variety of local brews, whiskeys and wines than I was expecting here (I was expecting none at all) that I was pleasantly surprised. The variety is enough that you will be able to have quite the adventure finding the drink that you enjoy the most, or just trying to taste them all. Utah may be primarily for Mormons and outdoor enthusiasts, but a gastronomical adventure is also possible.

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Parent Category: Travel Over There
Category: 2014 - Gap Year
Created: Wednesday, 22 October 2014 14:10

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Bryce Canyon, UtahBryce Canyon is not a canyon, canyons are carved by rivers over aeons. Bryce is actually an eroding plateau headwall, caused by frost wedging, mass wasting and chemical weathering through fractured surfaces. This erosion is what creates the Hoodoos, former cliff edges that are eroded into fins, then further eroded to sometimes include a window, then at last finally to stand alone as a pillar waiting for the final erosion.

Bryce has two campgrounds and a lodge for accommodation. The North Campground can be booked in advance, while the South is first come first serve, both are $15. There are other options for accommodation in the surrounding towns. There are ample facilities for people plus a coin operated shower and laundry at the general store.

15 trails are listed in the guide and the trailheads can be reached by private vehicle or shuttle. Bryce canyon offers a treasure hunt throughout the park with 9 special interpretive signs with hoodoo medallions on them for people to take a pencil rubbing or photo with, to qualify you need 3 medallions and to have walked 5kms.

Bryce Canyon, UtahAs we were only staying for one night here, we chose to catch the shuttle to Bryce Point and walk the Rim trail to Sunrise point into the Queens garden and out via the Navajo loop to Sunset Point (12.5kms). To say that Bryce was stunning is an understatement. As you walk the rim trail the sea of hoodoos never dulls, whether it is with the rim as a backdrop or the Grand Staircase Escalante, the colours and formations make this extraordinary. I can’t remember the last time I took as many photos of a singular place. The hoodoos from above is great but the Queens garden takes you into them where you take a trail that weaves through the hoodoos giving you a completely different appreciation of the formation.

Hoodoos, Bryce Canyon, UtahHoodoos, Bryce Canyon, UtahHoodoos, Bryce Canyon, Utah

Several Hoodoo formations have names such as Queen Victoria and Thor’s Hammer, which means you can play the Cloud game as you wander and see what other shapes you can find and name.

Hoodoos, Bryce Canyon, UtahHoodoos, Bryce Canyon, UtahHoodoos, Bryce Canyon, Utah

After our nice hike we retired to the camp for a rest before heading out to a rangers lecture called “Strange Universe”. Ranger Geoff Goins offers a brief overview of the formation of the park and how the physics work before delving into some of the weirder physics of the universe. It was a great show at the end of which we went to the lodge to view some stars with volunteers and their telescopes. They have several setup that are specifically targeted at objects in the sky such as Saturn, star clusters, and more. Ranger Goins also offers another talk on the night sky pointing out various stars, planets and constellations to finish off the evening.

Hoodoos, Bryce Canyon, Utah

Goblin Valley State Parkis an interesting park in the middle of the desert. Once the shores of an inland sea, the entrada stone has been eroded away over millions of years. Driving to the Goblins the view is of a great plain with the occasional mesa and in the distance, mountains or hills. It is not until you are almost standing on them that you see the Goblins; a surreal landscape that is surely the inspiration for an artist or two.

Goblin Valley, Utah

There are thousands of goblins, some smooth others textured, some standing five or six metres high, while most are two to three, and from a distance look like every forgotten piece of clay from an art class. There is no singular path to follow through the goblins, you choose your own adventure weaving in and out, up and down, letting your mind and body wander this melting playground. As you walk, you can see three distinct layers of stone, and the Goblins formed from the lowest strata. The Goblins provide a fantastic geological and visual contrast to Bryce Canyon, and add to the wonder of the visit.

Goblin Valley, UtahGoblin Valley, UtahGoblin Valley, Utah

We knew our visit to Utah would involve seeing some beautiful things but we honestly did not understand the scope of the beauty here before we came. When you look at a map of Utah, you will see huge swaths of the Map marked as Native Lands, National Parks, State Parks, BLM land, US Forest Service, and US Wilderness Areas. In the few days we drove southern Utah we barely scratched the surface of adventures possible here. If you choose to visit, (and why shouldn’t you?) I would recommend hiring a small campervan and spending a few weeks exploring the vast beauty of the land, whether from Zion in the South East to Escalante in the West, and northward over Hell’s Backbone to Capitol Reef, Canyonlands or Arches National Park, you will find an excellent, varied and beautiful adventure.

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Salt Lake City

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Parent Category: Travel Over There
Category: 2014 - Gap Year
Created: Tuesday, 21 October 2014 20:54

We flew to Salt Lake City to see some friends we had met in April at Vaughan Town, Danielle and Ken. Our friend’s mission was to show us that Utah was not what people thought it was, just a Mormon state, they would show us the “Dark Side”. During our stay we would experience some of the food and drink available as well as driving and camping throughout the vast desert and mountains. Just enough to get a taste of Utah’s possibilities.

Toddson, vintage book artisanWe drove out to Park City for the Kimball Arts Festival which had taken over Main Street. We started at the top of the hill and made our way down looking at literally hundreds of stalls covering ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, drawing, painting, photography and more. One of the problems I have with kind of festival is much the same as I have with some art galleries; sometimes they are too loaded with similar art that it all blurs together. There were however a few standouts that I would like to mention.

First up was Pop Art Popcorn, a great stall offering tastings of their delightful alternative flavours of popcorn. If you see their stall at a festival or any of their products on a shelf somewhere, I recommend you give them a go.

Another was Julie Ann Caramels, offering a delightful selection of caramels, in a variety of flavours including jalapeno. They are well crafted and taste great.

An interesting artist I came across was Toddson, a vintage book artisan. I overheard him talking to another person regarding how he spends a great amount of time searching for vintage books with interesting names and covers to create a piece. It was an interesting artistic expression.

Wayne Trinklein, ArtistAnother artist that I really enjoyed was Wayne Trinklein, a sculptor of trees. From a distance his work looks nice but when you get up close it becomes brilliant and beautiful. Wayne’s trees are intricately detailed and anatomically correct through the use a variety of materials to represent the organics such as lignin. His work is definitely exquisite.

During our stay, Danielle and Ken hosted a dinner for some international guests as part of a US Agriculture Trade and Safety program. At this dinner we had the pleasure of meeting visitors from Japan, Hungary and Uzbekistan. Over BBQ’d salmon and local wine, we shared stories of our homes and cultures as well as discussing topics such as agricultural philosophy of the different countries, the use and ethics of GMOs, and cultural practices. That night was something we had not expected and was a wonderful experience for all of us. While we only had their company for a few hours, I believe we could have spent many more conversing and enjoying each other’s company.

Salt Lake City has the Mormon version of Vatican City called Temple Square. It has two opulent visitors centres, each a different introduction to their faith. The northern centre has three floors, the lower two are filled with paintings and dioramas highlighting their distinct version of biblical history, while the upper floor has a giant statue of Jesus under a dome painted with a representation of the cosmos. The standout for most people though would be the Tabernacle.

New Friends at a dinner for US Agriculture Trade and Safety programThe Tabernacle is an architecturally impressive structure; the roof was built with almost no nails due to their scarcity in the 1860’s, and the acoustics allow the audience to hear a pin drop on the stage (which was demonstrated at the organ recital), thus allowing to speaker to fill the room with his voice. The tabernacle contains one the largest pipe organs in the world and recitals are provided every day and once a week visitors can also see the choir practice. The recital is quite good, and the organist showcased his skills and the capabilities of the organ.

Salt Lake City is a good jumping off point to begin your exploration. With easy access to the mountains for hiking or skiing, and with its bar and restaurant scene evolving, there are slowly becoming more non-Mormon reasons to visit.

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