How an SLC brewery is celebrating the Utah Hockey Club with a new beer

SALT LAKE CITY – For those who don’t know, beer and hockey go hand in hand, especially in Canada. The Molson Brewery family owns the Montreal Canadiens, while Labatt's Brewing has a distribution partnership with the NHL. Before things get going at the Delta Center tonight, Epic Brewing in Salt Lake City is introducing their newest beer, which they're calling Hip Check.

Gus Erickson works in sales and marketing for Epic and is a huge hockey fan. He says it's still hard to believe Utah has an NHL team. “It's crazy, definitely surreal! When I think back to January when all the rumors started, I didn’t think it would happen.”

Gus was born and raised in Bountiful. He is a great puck player and started playing hockey at the age of seven. “When I first heard the news, I drove down the street and let out a scream, just like a yes!”

Gus still plays in a beer league. And what was one of his first thoughts while working at a brewery after hearing the news about the Utah Hockey Club? A special beer is brewed to commemorate the event.

“Something that would go well after a hockey game or while watching a hockey game. So a lager was the immediate gut reaction. And yes, we chose Hip Check because it fits well with hockey,” Gus explained.

Epic head brewer Clay Turnbow then set about the task of creating the new brew. He explained: “We went for something more, closer to hockey themed, and felt like a nice lager, an imperial pale lager, a little bit more hockey themed, but it happened really quickly.”

According to Gus Erickson, it's a one-of-a-kind, powerful power play and a game-winner: “Brewing a beer that the team celebrates was a lot of fun. But basically everyone is so excited that Utah is getting a hockey team.”

Clay Turnbow agrees. “We can always try to capture the zeitgeist of events in Salt Lake City. We feel like it helps us market a beer and contribute to the excitement of downtown Salt Lake City!”

The only downside for beer-loving NHL fans: Hip Check will not be available at the Delta Center during the game because it is considered a “strong” beer with 7.5 percent alcohol content. But this past weekend it debuted at state liquor stores and you can pick it up anytime at Epic Brewing on State Street in Salt Lake City.