Moab Brewery, 686 S. Main St. Moab, UT 84532 phone: #435-259-6333   website: TheMoabBrewery.com/
Hours: Open every day at 11:30 am, even on Sunday

Experience before you go . . .

We were having a fabulous time on our Northern Trek to Tucson! Family, friends, vistas and breweries all along the way. The three previous Hoppin' Brewery Tour stops were the first for the state of Colorado. We tried to do Nebraska but sometimes on the HBT executive decisions are made and we're going to have to circle back at a later date. Eventually breweries in all 50 states will be toured and the HBT will be archived as a reference for many years to come or will it be just referred to as a couple of retired old guys with a love of beer and way to much time on their hands. Either way beer will be drunk, people will be talked to and breweries will be toured.....life is good!!

Next stop Utah....bada Bing bada Boom!

The Arches of Utah were calling our name and from what I've heard some of them are supported by craft beer cans. As we approached Moab from the north the booming sheer cliffs of red rocks were overwhelming. Once we hit Moab the traffic slowed and we creeped along seeing all kinds of jeep and gator rentals, guided red rock tours, restaurants and shotski stores and then finally on the left our hotel and right across the street was Moab Brewery....how convenient!! Tired from the drive we walked Main Street, ate fabulous Tai food, stopped at the Tourist Center (I know, I work very hard at not being "THE TOURIST" on our many adventures but sometime you got to succumb to the folks that know more about the area than you do......the Tourist Center). And this center was one of those spots.

A very interesting older Australian couple, well traveled and had a hilarious back and forth with loving jabs and colorful exchanges between them that was very informative, funny and memorable for the information seeker. Two of the main attractions are Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. We were planning on doing Arches the next day with Canyonlands the day after that but Hank the information guru preceded to check the weather and informed us that the next day was going to be a beautiful sunny day where in Canyonlands you'll be able to see for miles and the day after that was going to be partly cloudy which would work great for the Arches because you get pretty close to them.

Executive decision made, up early and drive to Canyonlands which turned out to be one of the best days we can remember. Beautiful sunny day, listening to old time country music of Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Red Foley and Hank Snow just to name few as we drove, windows open from one absolutely beautiful awe inspiring beauty of nature to the next and the vistas seemed to get better and better as the day went on. We ended by driving through Dead Horse Point State Park which features a rendered speechless dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park which was a 10 on the 1-10 sphincter worthy scale. You're right at the edge of a 500+ foot drop off with a belly button high metal fence protecting you from your potential demise. This was where Thelma and Louise shot their final scene in 1991 where they drive the 1966 Ford Thunderbird over the edge and I got to tell ya.....it's one heck of a edge!! The day was one where you need to pinch yourself to make sure it's not a dream and it was archived in Kat & Clyde's Excellent Adventure book!

I know this it is a Brewery Tour that's Hoppin' and not a Travel Guide but I just can't help myself, just can't do it, wouldn't be prudent, against my better judgement, I would if I could, might die trying, show me the way Billy Ray, but before we spent the next day smiling at the arches we hit Moab Brewery for brews and eats! Even though MB was right across the street from the hotel we were in the car coming from the whole day at Canyonlands so we pulled into parking lot that was packed so I dropped Kat at the front door and hit the side street looking for parking. No luck, so I crossed and parked at the hotel and felt like that video game Frogger were the frog tries to cross the road. Four lanes with a turning lane in the middle with cars going 40-50 mph and a grey haired, middle age, big shouldered, above average intelligences, Magnum P.I. good looks (LOL) is the last thing these tired eyed mostly out of state drivers are looking for. So I bob and weave my way across the five lanes with a couple "He sees me doesn't he's" as I almost dive over the curb onto the sidewalk as I look up and see people crossing at the crosswalk/stoplight about 50 yards down the road....oh well!

Big Moab Brewery sign by the road, snap the front sign selfie and hi the door. Could barely get in the door with all the people coming and going and waiting for tables. Definitely one of the busiest breweries I've toured. There's a huge dining room to the right, tie dyed brewery shirts and shotskis galore to the left and straight ahead through a wood trellis marked Taproom was a huge U-shaped bar with 20+ beer connoisseurs and situated around the bar with enough room for wait staff to walk were 15-20 High Tops with chairs and to the right this is exactly where I found my beautiful wife. Sitting at a High Top with a smile on her face and at that very moment I realized that I was one lucky dude.....Life Is Good!!!

We had been told that the food here was really good so we perused the menu as Roxy the server approached with a welcome and what can get for you. I ordered a Johnny's IPA - American IPA (7.0%, 75 IBU) four hops brings out the citrus and bitterness for that hophead finish; Kat went with the Over the Top Hefeweizen - American Wheat Ale ( 5%, 20 IBU) unfiltered with yeast and B-complex still in your pint, very drinkable! For eats I ordered the, now listen to this, Tri-Tip Bacon Cheeseburger....1/2 pound topped with thinly sliced mesquite smoked tri-tip bacon with cheddar cheese, onion ring and smothered in Jack Daniels BBQ sauce (need to pre order the ambulance and the cold wet rag for the incoming heart attack and to wipe the BBQ sauce and the never ending smile off my face!!!) Definitely one of the best burgers I've ever had and Kat had the Moab Burger with Swiss which is described as a burger worth coming out of the cave for.

As I mentioned it was standing room only and somewhat close to our table stood a couple about our age looking for a place to sit. In true HBT fashion I started up a conversation saying we're about to leave and they're welcomed to our table. Something that rarely happens on the HBT is that I lost all my notes and could not remember their names, where they were from, I remember he had just retired from Boeing so I'm thinking they were from Seattle but I could be wrong. Fun couple embarking on retirement and once, or maybe if you read this, email me @ (c_shields@sbcglobal.net) your contact info and I hope we cross paths again.

Okay, I've got to write a little about the Arches. Unbelievable!!

We really enjoyed Moab!! Everything we ate was really good. Everything we drank was really really good and everyone we met was really really really friendly. Make sure you're hungry on top of being thirsty when stopping at Moab Brewery.....the red dust terminators!!

Until next time and remember.....

Go get'cha one!!!