tagged: bars, beer

The Bayou & the Beer Nut

Posted by Utah Stories in Bars, Local Spotlight

The Building of Two Great Salt Lake City Institutions

by Rebecca Edwards

With a slogan like “Welcome to Beervana” it’s easy to imagine the brewed delights that await when you enter The Bayou. The Bayou has long been a personal favorite — from the huge selection of beers from around the world to the tasty Cajun-inspired dishes on the menu to the awesome staff that always makes you feel like you’re a regular — it’s one of the best spots in Salt Lake City to sit back with a beer and a friend after a long day.

Mark Alston, owner of the Bayou

The Bayou was founded in 2002 by a few of Utah’s most passionate beer lovers, and is currently owned by Mark and Kileen Alston. Mark also owns homebrewing specialty store The Beer Nut. Mark possesses not only excellent taste in beer, but pretty impressive brains as well.

“My university bachelor degrees are in mathematics and physics. I learned a bit of programming then for those degrees,” Mark shared. “I also have always been a major computer nerd from the 80′s.”

After opening The Beer Nut Mark created an inventory tracking system in Linux that he later adapted for use at The Bayou. The software must be exceptional, because by word-of-mouth five other SLC restaurants have asked to buy his software. The requests and maintenance have turned into a side business. An obligation Mark said he would prefer to pass on.

Homebrewing became legal in Utah about a year ago. Mark says that The Beer Nut is experiencing its best sales since opening, and while the publicity “certainly didn’t hurt,” it’s hard to say if the growth is driven by the new laws, the economy or other factors.

Over the years Mark has had the chance to attend beer festivals all over the globe, adding to his ability to share fantastic beers with those of us who must explore Beervana without leaving Utah.

“I used to get to travel everywhere to drink beer but since having kids I don’t get out as much. I rely a lot on my out-of-state importers to keep me up-to-date on the latest happenings. I did get back on the beer fest horse this year though (went to the Idaho Falls Fest and the Great American Beer Fest in Denver),” he said. “Man it was good to be back!”

His vast beer-tasting experience helps Mark put together the extensive beer menu at The Bayou — a menu that recently saw an overhaul and now includes helpful hints like how to properly pronounce Hoegaarden (“who – garden”), translations for words like “Dunkle” which means “Dark” in German, and descriptions of various beer styles.

While navigating the wide-ranging menu, you can always ask any of the staff — or even Mark himself — for a recommendation, but don’t expect him to be able to pick a favorite.

“Now that’s like asking which of my kids is my favorite,” Mark protested. “It really depends on which one just gave me a hug! But that said, I am very partial to Belgian/French beers and have yet to meet a Saison or Bier de Garde I haven’t liked.”

Learn more at their homepages:

The Bayou

The Beer Nut

If you liked this story, read our review of the Beerhive Pub, our article about some of the problems faced by local brewers and the legislature, or this intersterting discussion about the politics of beer in Utah.