August 15, 2019

Celebratory fest will feature 12 Utah breweries and special collaborations.

Salt Lake City (August 13, 2019) – After 30 years of brewing great craft beer and pioneering growth and innovation in the highly competitive craft beer industry, Squatters Craft Beers is still Good For What Ales You. Squatters will celebrate three decades of quenching thirsts with a massive 30th Anniversary Beer Festival on September 8 at their flagship downtown Squatters Pub and in the adjacent Capitol Parking lot on 300 South from noon until 5 p.m.

Before the first pints were poured at 147 West Broadway, the craft beer industry in Utah was nearly nonexistent; but Squatters’ founders Peter Cole and Jeff Polychronis would spark a revolution with the opening of Squatters Pub Brewery on September 5, 1989. “Locating Squatters Pub Brewery west of West Temple in 1989 was borderline insanity. Sidewalks were crumbling and street lighting was minimal. Squatters was truly on an island. Peter and I are very proud, not only of the longevity of our business, but of the contributions we have been fortunate to make to the development of west downtown,” says Squatters Co-Founder, Jeff Polychronis.

30 years later, the shared vision of Cole and Polychronis has developed into an enduring craft beer legacy. “We’re beyond excited to celebrate this milestone with so many of our friends in the Utah craft beer community,” says Marketing Manager, Lauren Boyack. “In addition to beer sampling from a dozen of Utah’s best breweries, there will be live music, food trucks, games, and for VIP ticket holders, a live recording of Radio From Hell’s ‘Not Safe for Radio’ podcast with Kerry, Bill and Gina during the event.”

All ticket holders will also have the unique opportunity to sample limited edition collaboration beers from Squatters and 11 participating breweries. For example, a Smoked Helles with fresh peaches will be available from Uinta Head Brewer, Patrick Bourque, and Squatters Brewer, Ryan Stambaugh; alongside a Cucumber Kettle Sour from Roosters Head Brewer, Jacquie King, and Squatters Director of Quality, Dave McKean. Details on more collaborations will be made available soon.

“It’s a dream come true to work with these well-respected brewers, and it is truly an amazing opportunity. All the beers designed are so unique and capture the soul of both Squatters and our fellow collaborators, and we can’t wait to serve them to our fans!” says Jon Lee, Squatters Co-Chief Operating Officer.

Squatters will release a Rum Barrel-Aged Doppelbock, clocking in at 12.3% ABV in a 750-mL bomber bottle, to mark the occasion. Gracing the label of this specialty beer is an original piece of art by nationally syndicated and locally revered political cartoonist, Pat Bagley. VIP ticket holders will receive a bottle of this limited run brew featuring “Lady Li-Beer-Ty” (shown above) at the 30th Anniversary Beer Festival. Bagley celebrates 40 years with the Salt Lake Tribune this year. “Pat is iconic in Salt Lake City and beyond, and we’re honored to have the opportunity to feature his work on this project,” says Boyack.

Tickets for the event, ranging from $30 to $105, are available now at www.squatters.com.

Participating breweries include:

Fisher Brewing
Bohemian Brewery
Hopkins Brewing
Red Rock Brewing
Hoppers Brew Pub
Level Crossing Brewing
MTN WST Cider
Proper Brewing Co.
RoHa Brewing
Uinta Brewing
T.F. Brewing
Roosters Brewing Co.

Please reach out to Lauren Boyack at lauren@squatters.com with any questions.

About Squatters Craft Beers
Jeff Polychronis and Peter Cole founded Squatters Pub Brewery, Salt Lake City’s original brew pub in 1989. In 2000, Squatters Craft Beers and Wasatch Brewery merged their brewing operations for draft, bottle and can production. The company currently operates five full-service pubs and a brewery tap room. To date, Squatters and Wasatch have brought home 18 World Beer Cups awards and 30 Great American Beer Festival medals. In 2010, Utah Brewers Cooperative received the prestigious U.S. Mid-Size Brewery of the Year award from the Brewers Association.

In 2017, Squatters and Wasatch joined a group of independent and like-minded craft brewers, known collectively as CANarchy. Sister breweries include Oskar Blues Brewery, Cigar City Brewing, Perrin Brewing, Deep Ellum Brewing and Three Weavers Brewing Company.

Squatters and Wasatch packaged and draft beers are available in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Montana. For more information, please visit www.squatters.com and www.wasatchbeers.com, and follow @squattersbeers and @wasatchbeers on social media.