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Dec 10, 2023

Bewilder is a Brewery With Some Bite(s) • Salt Lake Magazine

It is uncontested that Salt Lake City plays host to some fantastic breweries.

It is uncontested that Salt Lake City plays host to some fantastic breweries. But one thing that sets Bewilder Brewing Co. apart from the pack is its award-winning food—designed to pair with its award-winning beer. Striving for more than a food truck parked outside and well beyond basic bar bites, Bewilder has invested in a chef-crafted and carefully curated menu.

Located in Downtown Salt Lake City, Bewilder Brewing Co. is a "little engine that could." The brewpub opened in December 2019 on a shoestring, just in time to close for a pandemic. Housed in the renovated, 100-plus-year-old Western Electric Co. building, Bewilder was also hit with building damage in the 2020 earthquake. Despite this one-two punch, Bewilder just celebrated its third year in business and has emerged with a welcoming space, great food and, we say, the best brats in town.

Cody Mckendrick, co-founder and "Cat Herder in Chief," walked us through their worth-it-for-the-food-alone menu and chatted beer pairings. "Our intent was to pair housemade sausages with the beers we brew here," he says. "Every culture has a beer that's unique to that culture. And every culture typically has a sausage unique to that culture. So we’ve tried to roll out sausages that pair with beers from all over the world and present them together." Makes sense with the brewery's focus on traditional European beers brewed true to style.

What makes the food at Bewilder genuinely unique is its made-in-house program. Brats, sausages, thick-cut pastrami, smoked meats, sauerkraut, pickles and pickled peppers are all made, smoked, fermented, and otherwise crafted by newcomer Chef Zach Gimm and his team. Most small or local breweries don't even have a kitchen, much less a chef.

At any given time, you’ll find 3-4 sausages on the menu, several staples, including a traditional German Bratwurst, the Suffolk, an English-style sausage, and Spicy Italian sausage, plus a seasonal flavor. "We have a traditional Bratwurst, and it's really, really good," says Cody. "It's a bit coarser grind than some of the emulsified bratwursts you typically see, which gives it more of a homemade feel to it, but with really bright flavors." He's right. With ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and a hint of lemon zest, it is comfort food in a Vosen's bun with kraut. Get it with the potato salad for extra rounds of comfort.

"My personal favorite is the Suffolk sausage," says Cody. "It's served in a bangers-and-mash set up, but it's a traditional English sausage. It's a little different texture because it has some breadcrumbs in it. That's part of the traditional process for making those sausages. We serve it over mashed potatoes with onion gravy. It's hearty and wholesome."

Make no mistake, Bewilder Brewing is a serious brewpub. They are about the beer experience first and foremost. Take the Spicy Italian Sausage, for example. It is served with marinara and smothered with mozzarella cheese. "To me, the marinara takes the show there," says Cody. "And to be conscious that we’re a brewery and beer tasting is our biggest thing, we’ve backed off the garlic that goes into the sauce since it would mask the beer's flavor. We try to be mindful of things like that, flavors that might overwhelm the palate and take away from what people are drinking." You won't find garlic fries on this menu. Even the garlic bread is toned down for a focus on great bread and delicious dipping sauce.

Don't forget to check the seasonal sausage when you stop in. You might find a Mexican-style Chorizo, an Argentinian-style Chorizo, or a Filipino chicken sausage served over rice. We usually just order the sausage platter to sample all four.

Not crazy about sausage? Get the house-made pastrami. "The process they go through to make our pastrami is crazy," says Cody. "They use briskets and trim them down, brine them, season them, smoke them and steam them. So that's what makes them super tender. And then we slice it all here. So from the raw brisket all the way to when it hits the sandwich, it's all done in-house, and you can tell the difference. We like to do a little thicker cut It's not thin like you’d get at a traditional deli. So it's a little more hearty. And sometimes, because of that, there's a little more visible fat. But that's just extra flavor. And it's well rendered, so it melts your mouth."

It turns out that the team at Bewilder is interested in fermentation beyond what is happening in their beer. "The regular sauerkraut is all made in-house," says Cody. "We have giant vats in the back that we ferment in. Sauerkraut is a fermentation product, just like beer. We sometimes make our own pickles. We’ll add some of our Hopper beer to give it a little twist."

Seasonal Chorizo + Vitruvian Pils

A crisp, dry beer to cut through the sausage and its spice level. A good palate cleanser, so the next bite is fresh on the tongue.

Suffolk Sausage + Bewilder ESB

This was the first beer to come out of the Bewilder tanks. The ESB is a strong English, bitter, traditional pub beer. It has a caramelized sweetness and a cracker-like finish, which makes it perfect for the rich, savory character of the Suffolk sausage.

German Bratwurst + Kolsch (voted Top 3 Best Local Beer)

The Kolsch has a fruity white wine note and is super dry. It pairs well with the little bit of lemon zest in the bratwurst. The lemon's zing and the beer's white wine aspects team up for a zesty bite.

Italian Sausage + Fresh Sesh IPA

The Session IPA has more zing and more bitterness to cut through the acidity and the marinara sauce and the richness of the cheese.

St. Patrick's Day—Look for house-made brisket, bangers and mash, and of course BEER! You’ll likelyeven find some green glitter beer on the menu.Bonus: St. Patrick's Day is on a Friday this year.

Stop in for a visit and a beer. Come hungry.

Bewilder Brewing Co.

445 S 400 West, SLC

bewilderbrewing.com // @bewilderbeer

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