S2:Ep9. Greg Schirf: Evolution of Ski Town Breweries

01/29/21 • 69 min

If you're a skier or snowboarder, there's a pretty good chance you've been in a brew pub be it for a draft beer, hamburger or a pizza. Today we take ski town brew pubs for granted. Where did it all begin? Well, right here in Utah!

Craft brewery visionary Greg Schirf started it all in 1985 with Wasatch Brew Pub in Park City. In this episode of Last Chair, Schirf walks through the evolution of ski town breweries sharing some laughs about his ingenious PR stunts and taking us on a tour from pale ale to IPA to Polygamy Porter.

Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Schirf knew beer - PBR, in particular. But a chance meeting with a brewing pioneer led him into a business that would change the face of ski towns across America.

We drink our share and sell the rest.

And it wasn't easy! There hadn't been a brewery in Utah for over two decades. But he did it. And there was no legal pathway to brew beer at a restaurant. So he got the law changed - in Utah!

Today, every major ski resort town has a nearby brewery. And it all stems back to the pioneering efforts of Greg Schirf in Utah.

Grab a beer, your headphones and enjoy this walk through brewing history.

Greg, you were a beer enthusiast but had no business background in brewing. What motivated you to start Wasatch Brewery?
There was a poem by Robert Frost (Two Tramps in Mud Time) that I had read that said if you can combine a vocation with an avocation, you know, you'll have a happier life. That was pretty simple, but it struck me as profound. I had a passion for two things: being an entrepreneur, starting a business, and then looking for the right marriage with that business.

When you first opened Wasatch Brewery in 1985, what was your beer lineup?
The first year or two, we brewed one beer. Every craft brewery started out with a pale ale. Today, that might be an IPA, but in the old days it was a pale ale. Wasatch Premium Ale, that was the beer we made.

In the mid-80s, there were few micro breweries. Who were your early mentors?
Tom Boane of Pyramid Brewing and Kurt Widmer of Widmer Brothers.

This is a fun episode of Last Chair, complete with a tasting of six legendary Wasatch Beers. We'll also learn about the value of working with politicians to change laws and more.

How did he learn about brewpubs (there weren't many in 1985)?
Why is serendipity his favorite word?
Which of Greg Schirf's legendary marketing campaigns is he most proud of?
What was the first beer he brewed?
How does foam work into the beer equation?
Which genre of beers dominates the brewpub scene today?

Take a listen today. Tune in to Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast presented by High West Distillery and Saloon on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to get first access to every episode.

BEER TASTING

Greg Schirf is one of craft brewing's true pioneers, a leader in the early days of the industry and a connoisseur still today. Last Chair had a chance to do a tasting at the original Wasatch Brew Pubwith Schirf. Listen to his podcast episode for the behind-the-scenes stories of each of these legendary Wasatch beers and the role they've played in the evolution of our beer palates the last 30 years.

Wasatch First Amendment Lager (American Lager)
A turn of the century pure malt, crisp lager. 1st Amendment Lager is made with European style hops and Munich malts. This beer has a wonderful, clean, crisp flavor certain to please all.

Wasatch Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Has defining flavor notes of licorice, clove and banana. Add to this the tangy sweetness of wheat malt and flowery bitterness.

Nitro Polygamy Porter (Porter)
She's on Nitro! Meet the sister-wife of our classic brew. This nitrogenated version is as chocolatey and easy-drinkin' as the original but even softer and creamier. It's ok to love them both.

Wonderful Winter (Ale)
A rich amber-mahogany colored ale with caramel malt flavors and a large hop presence. Bre...

Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Schirf knew beer - PBR, in particular. But a chance meeting with a brewing pioneer led him into a business that would change the face of ski towns across America.

We drink our share and sell the rest.

And it wasn't easy! There hadn't been a brewery in Utah for over two decades. But he did it. And there was no legal pathway to brew beer at a restaurant. So he got the law changed - in Utah!

Today, every major ski resort town has a nearby brewery. And it all stems back to the pioneering efforts of Greg Schirf in Utah.

Grab a beer, your headphones and enjoy this walk through brewing history.

In the mid-80s, there were few micro breweries. Who were your early mentors?
Tom Boane of Pyramid Brewing and Kurt Widmer of Widmer Brothers.

This is a fun episode of Last Chair, complete with a tasting of six legendary Wasatch Beers. We'll also learn about the value of working with politicians to change laws and more.

How did he learn about brewpubs (there weren't many in 1985)?
Why is serendipity his favorite word?
Which of Greg Schirf's legendary marketing campaigns is he most proud of?
What was the first beer he brewed?
How does foam work into the beer equation?
Which genre of beers dominates the brewpub scene today?

Take a listen today. Tune in to Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast presented by High West Distillery and Saloon on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to get first access to every episode.

BEER TASTING

Wasatch Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Has defining flavor notes of licorice, clove and banana. Add to this the tangy sweetness of wheat malt and flowery bitterness.

Wonderful Winter (Ale)
A rich amber-mahogany colored ale with caramel malt flavors and a large hop presence. Bre...

Previous Episode

S2:ep8. Lamont Joseph White: Skiing in Color

Over the past year, our nation has been gripped in a discussion on racism. As skiers and snowboarders, how does that impact us in a sport that's not exactly known for its diversity? How inviting are we to minorities? How can we all help to change? What does it feel like as a Black skier or rider? And what contributions do Blacks make to the lifestyle of our sport?

This episode of Last Chair takes a look at skiing and snowboarding through the eyes and art of a Black snowboarder, Lamont Joseph White.

Growing up in New York City, Lamont became infatuated with skiing. He was mesmerized by lift tickets hanging on the jackets of his friends. But as a young Black boy in Queens, it just wasn't in his family's realm. He eventually made his way onto the slopes and has remained a lifelong snowboarder. Today, Lamont splits his time between his homes in Park City and the artist community of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

His new collection, Skiing in Color, tells a vivid story of Black skiers and snowboarders - the colors, the styles, the clothing, the attitudes all reflect the presence of Black culture in the sport, seen through different eyes.

... you feel like people are wondering why you're there, like, what's your story?

As a skier or snowboarder, this is an important episode of Last Chair to absorb. Lamont talks about inclusion and how it's viewed by Black skiers and riders. But he also speaks about what they bring - blending their own culture into the lifestyle into the sport we all love.

What captivated you when you first came to the Utah mountains?
Oh, gosh. The snow itself, the terrain, just the whole atmosphere. When you get out to these resorts that are so full of experienced skiers - it's just such a full ski and outdoor environment in places like Park City and other resorts in Utah. It's really a whole different experience. And it hooked me. It hooked me all the way. I just fell in love with the whole atmosphere - the people, the mountains and everything just became super exciting for me.

As a Black snowboarder, how do you see inclusion?
What comes along with that are sort of these moments of implicit bias and moments where you feel like people are wondering why you're there, like, what's your story? A little bit like I'm sort of like a mysterious guy sometimes when I show up. It's a common experience for us to have those moments, which is why feeling included becomes important. Feeling that our presence is normalized becomes important for us and that we're represented. So I know that. And a lot of times it's not spoken because we just want to go skiing.

What do black skiers bring to the sport?
Every culture, when they show up into a space, they're going to bring some of whatever their culture is to that space. If you see me as a snowboarder who happens to be black, I'm fine with that. I don't mind if you see my color. And, by the way, we see color also. And I think that that's cool because there are things to learn from our differences, from our different cultures - whether it's food, whether it's music, whether it's style, whatever is in our lexicon. There are things to learn and enrich our lives by seeing those colors. I love the diversity and I love the representation. So let's all come together.

It's a powerful episode of Last Chair, one that every skier or snowboarder should take in. You'll learn more about a fellow snow rider who loves Utah powder just like you. You'll also find out:

What Utah run gets him fired up to ride?
His favorite High West whiskey?
And his childhood hero growing up in New York.

Take a listen today. Tune in to Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast presented by High West Distillery on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to get first access to every episode.

Skiing in Color

Lamont Joseph White's Skiing in Color limited edition collection is available in canvas and giclee prints.
Skiing in Color - By Lamont Joseph White

Next Episode

S2:Ep10 - The Seeholzers: Family Story of Beaver Mountain

Mountain manager Travis Seeholzer and I slid off the Harry's Dream Lift at Beaver Mountain, looking out on the vast expanse of state and national forest between Logan and Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau. It's a magical view, with hoar frost on the trees and three to four inches of fluffy powder blanketing the mountainside.

You instantly know you're at a unique place when random skiing guests come up to say hi to the resort owner by name. It's a midweek morning and we have, essentially, a small private ski area with friends today.

It's a story that began in 1918 when Harold Seeholzer got his first pair of skis. In 1937, he and the Mt. Logan Ski Club started pushing their way up the canyon. Together with his wife Luella, Harold pioneered Beaver Mountain, which is still today a part of the Seeholzer family.

Skiing with Travis is a real treat - a nice pace as we arced turns on the groomers and dipped into the powder fluff on the edges. We skied two hours and did five runs. Mostly we talked, standing on ridgelines, stopping alongside groves of aspen and chatting with other skiers.

Beaver Mountain may have only 1,100 acres, but it skis big. A single lift ride gives you 1,700 feet of vertical with terrain that cascades over pitches and rolls down the mountainside.

Most of all, though, you feel like part of the family when you're skiing the Beav!

This episode of Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast is unique in its exploration of a family ski area that provides the same spirit and joy today that is at the root of what we all enjoy as skiers and snowboarders.

the real appreciation and the joy is letting someone enjoy your mountain and hopefully appreciate all the work that you put into it." Travis Seeholzer

What's the character of Beaver Mountain as a local ski area?
I think we're pretty well loved in the community. People enjoy Beaver Mountain and feel some ownership in it - not necessarily because it's family run, but it is the local ski hill. Because it is a local family, they tend to feel more comfortable in claiming ownership.

Tell us about Harold Seeholzer, and the early days of Beaver Mountain? He was very quiet and soft spoken. He loved hunting and fishing and the winter and the snow. And I think his passion was instilling in his kids something quality that they could do to pass those years so that they didn't get in trouble. He said that more than once, something that was constructive and that they enjoyed and that they could enjoy as a family. Harold was a trapper and he knew Logan Canyon like the back of his hand. And then they kind of picked the spot. And I swear to this day, he was inspired.

Marge, what motivated your husband Ted to take the torch from his father Harold?
He loved the pride of what his parents had started. And to continue it on, I think he loved that. He was very proud of what his parents had started for us.

How would you characterize the family aspect of Beaver Mountain?
We're a pretty small community up here. And that's what I tell our employees every year. That's what makes it a really enjoyable job, as you do get to know the guests very well, because you see the same people every week. And for me, it's been year after year and, you know, a lot of history and second and third generation families that ski at Beaver.

There's plenty more in this episode of Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast.

How did early skiers navigate Logan Canyon?
Beaver Creek vs. Beaver Mountain (this is a great story)
How long has Marge been selling lift tickets?
What's Travis' favorite run at Beaver Mountain?

Take a listen today. Tune in to Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast presented by High West Distillery and Saloon on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to get first access to every episode.

BEAVER MOUNTAIN HISTORY

Beaver Mountain...