A few days ago, Jessica and I went back to the Beerhive Pub where we met up with Elyse to have a few drinks. The night got off to a rocky start when we sat down at the bar and the bar tender asked us for IDs. I had left my wallet at home and figured that a new bar in SLC would not want to take the chance on me. So, I crutched out, we drove home, picked up my wallet, drove back, and sat down again with proper identification.

I can't say that the greeting by the bartender was all that friendly. In fact, the first time that we sat down we waited for about five minutes before he came over and immediately asked for IDs. The second time we sat down he checked out IDs and then left and returned with menus. Given how slow things seemed to be I guess I expected a little more interaction. For example, the pub is only a few weeks old, so how about telling us a bit about it? Anyway, a minor detail.

First, we tried a North Coast Old Rasputin and Deschutes Obsidian Stout both great beers, although I prefer the Old Rasputin to the Obsidian due to its more complex flavor and much smoother finish. Old Rasputin is the kind of beer that is subtle in all the right ways. Compared to some of the other Imperial Russian Stouts (IRS) I have tasted, it is much smoother with a better finish and really nice complexity.

Next, I had a few different IPAs: Boulder Beer Co. Hazed & Infused, and a Full Sail IPA. The Hazed & Infused IPA had a really great aroma. It was so crisp and bursting with Cascade and Centennial hops. The taste on the other hand was too sweet for my liking in an IPA. The Full Sail IPA was better balanced, but lacked in aroma compared to the Hazed & Infused.

After the IPAs I switched over to Belgian style beers and finished the night off with a North Coast Brother Thelonious and a Chimay Red. I was really impressed with the color of the Bro.Thelo. It was a rich, deep red that would erupt out of the glass when held to the light. The Chimay was fantastic as always.

Overall, I would rate the pub average. They had several very nice beers that I have not found at any other pubs, but could probably get at the liquor store. However, it seemed that many of the beers listed on the menu were not actually available. I think this is by far the single most irritating experience at this kind of bar. This was reason #1 why I a got fed up with The Bayou. I was really hoping that things would be different at the Beerhive, but they were sadly the same. I don't want to blame the pub for this, because knowing our ridiculous beer laws in this state it could be due to limitations with the Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control. However, why not have a dynamic menu? Or even use one of the several flat screens to show a list a beers on the menu that have sold out. I know it sounds like a minor issue, but we had to try four times before we asked for a beer that they actually had. After a while it gets frustrating. It's not the lack of availability that gets me, but the fact that you have to pick two or three backups when you go to order a beer off the menu. The Bayou half solved this by having a separate seasonal menu with items that were of limited availability. Still, I think dynamic menus would be a better solution. Make it fun!

Besides the issue with availability, the Beerhive is a fine place to get a drink. We didn't try the food, but I'm typically not inclined to order food at pubs that serve items from a neighboring resturant. I'd rather just go to the restaurant to eat and then drink at the pub after. In the case of the Beerhive, the food comes from the Vienna Bistro which has been around for a long time, serves good food, and last I recall was on the expensive side.

In terms of cost, you certainly wont save any money going to the Beerhive, but that is par for the course regarding SLC boutique beer pubs. The only comparison I could make between the Bayou and the Beerhive was that the Bayou serves AVBC Deependers Porter for $7/22oz and at the Beerhive it was $9/22oz. It did seem that some of the other beers they served were less expensive that the Bayou, so I would say they are roughly equal.

The ice bar (a 4-inch-thick bar of ice that runs the length of the bar) is a nice feature, and actually useful for some beers. I tend to drink too fast to get much benefit from it, but it seems like it would keep a nearly full beer at a good temperature. As the glass gets closer to empty, the ice actually makes the beer too cold, so I would recommend removing your glass from the ice bar once it gets down to 1/3 full. I bet it is also really nice for mixed drinks.

When we first went to the Beerhive, I was hoping to find a better version of the Bayou that had more selection, better availability, and a shorter wait time. What we found was a pub similar to the Bayou without its own restaurant and an atmosphere more like an upscale bar than a pub. I'll for sure be coming back, but I don't see the Beerhive taking much business from the Bayou (unless they get Stone on draft in which case I will be there every night, seriously).

One thing that the Beerhive has going for it is a high demand for quality beer in SLC which has exceeded the capacity of the Bayou on the weekends. I'm sure much business will come to the Beerhive.