The Latter-day Saints entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Fisher Brewing Company was founded in 1884. When German immigrant Albert Fisher founded the brewery on the banks of the Jordan River in the middle of a teetotaling culture, success seemed unlikely. But the first brewery in the state was wildly successful and eventually became one of the West’s largest, turning out up to 75,000 kegs of beer every year. It even survived Prohibition. Half a century later, Fisher’s descendant, Tom Fisher Riemondy, re-opened the family business. He renovated an old auto body and paint shop and opened the new-old brewery with 12 beers, still relying on the old family slogan “sparkle brewed with altitude.”
This year, Fisher found ways to utilize their beer, taproom space and canning capabilities for good. They created special lines of limited edition beers in custom cans to help raise funds for local businesses struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic. For example, their custom line of Monkey Wrench Gang Cans—utilizing the famous artwork of R. Crumb—on behalf of Ken Sanders Rare Books raised more than $25K, helping keep Ken in business. The event saw (socially distanced) lines out the door at the Fisher Tap Room.
320 W. 800 South, SLC
801-487-2337
Each year, Salt Lake Magazine editors honor growers, food evangelists, grocers, servers, bakers, chefs, bartenders and restaurateurs with the Blue Plate Awards. A Blue Plate Award is given to an establishment or an individual who has done more than put good food on the table. They’ve created culture, made acts of kindness and education and are paragons of service that goes beyond. To see the full list of winners, click here.
