Grand Teton Brewing Company - Teton Ale

Happy birthday, Teton Ale. This year you’re 20, nearly old enough to drink! This beer was launched as Grand Teton B.C.’s original flagship brew. At the tender age of 19, this beer had already won 3 medals from the North American Association of Brewers, including a Silver in 2008. Expect big, robust aromas of candied citrus peel, grapefruit, resinous hoppy spice notes, big caramel notes, a tingling hop character in the nostrils, and notes of candied apple as the beer warms. On the palate, look for ample notes of red apple skins, toasted biscuit, and pine & grapefruit zest, with a limey, pine-like character toward the finish. This beer wraps up moderately bitter with citrus resins and apple flavors in the fade. Another true classic American ale from Grand Teton B.C. We suggest pairing with a Spicy Ethiopian dish like Doro Tibs smothered in spicy awaze sauce.

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.