Arts & Crafts Beer Review: Utepils Hefeweizen

For this month’s episode of Arts & Crafts, we headed to the Twin Cities for a special recording! The region has an incredible selection of craft beer, which proved to be a blessing and a curse when it came time to select our brew for Episode 7. We stocked up on a few local beers, but ultimately decided to enjoy a hefeweizen from Utepils!

“Ewald the Golden” is a Bavarian style hefeweizen from Utepils (pronounced “ooh-ta-pilz”) Brewing out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Utepils packages their beer in 16oz. tallboy cans, a rarity on the Arts & Crafts podcast. Clocking in at 5.2% alc/vol, this hef is smooth and easy drinking! As far as hefeweizen beers tend to go, this one is more full and flavorful.

This hef boasts a “hazy golden hue with aromas of banana and clove.” While that’s a solid description of a typical hefeweizen, it’s extremely accurate for this brew.

“I never thought I’d see a beer that looks this good,” exclaimed Ross Doehling, who joined us on this special episode. He’s right.

I should add a quick disclaimer—hefeweizen is my favorite style of beer. I’m absolutely biased coming into this. That being said, this beer has become my favorite hefeweizen of all time. And therefore one of my favorite beers ever.

The flavor profile is strong and full. The typical notes of banana and clove present in any hef are accounted for, but neither is overpowering. The flavor notes are well balanced and bold, built upon a malty base. If I had to choose one, I’d say the clove flavor is slightly more noticeable.

The packaging art for this beer is fantastic as well. The tallboy can splits the design between a thick copper band around the top 60% of the can with a slightly thinner yellow band around the lower 40% of the can. The colors perfectly reflect the beer style and create a visually striking can design. The typeface used throughout the design is perfect for the brand and does an excellent job in aiding the telling of the brand’s story.

I’m thoroughly impressed with the Utepils hefeweizen, and I’m very glad we brought a few back home with us! If you ever find yourself in the North Star state, give this brew a try!

Be sure to listen to episode 7 of Arts & Crafts! We chat about the importance and hardships of sharing your work with comedian Ross Doehling. The podcast is available on your favorite streaming services. New episodes drop the first Friday of each month!