{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Cerveza Zolupez Beer Company","description":"Cerveza Z\u00f3lupez Beer Company sold its first bottle of beer in late 2018. And when it did, the Ogden brewery epitomized the term \u201csmall-batch beer.\u201d Javier Ch\u00e1vez Jr., a brewer with a law degree, brewed his beer five gallons at a time with recipes and ingredients that paid homage to his Mexican heritage. As much as he tried, Ch\u00e1vez just couldn\u2019t find a lineup of craft beers that not only paired well with Mexican food but that also honored Mexican culture and tradition. And so started Z\u00f3lupez Beer Company. In the beginning, Ch\u00e1vez struggled to keep his beer store stocked. And at festivals, he would usually pour his last sample long before the last call. \u201cIt was frustrating to everybody involved, including myself,\u201d Ch\u00e1vez remembers. But now, thanks to an agreement with Uinta Brewing Company, Z\u00f3lupez beers are readily available (in Utah and Idaho, at least). Even more, Ch\u00e1vez says plans are in the works to build a brewpub of its own \u2014 complete with Z\u00f3lupez beers and the authentic Mexican food that helped to put Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s professional brewing ambitions in motion. As social distancing continues, Utah Beer News visited with Ch\u00e1vez via telephone in mid-June. Our conversation took place not long after Z\u00f3lupez released its newest beer: Lager Mexicano. We talked about a range of topics, including: Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s fascinating background, which includes a law degree from Boston College and brewer training at Ballast Point in San Diego What it took to open Z\u00f3lupez \u2014 as well as why the name holds special meaning for the owner and brewer A rundown of tasting notes and origin stories for Z\u00f3lupez\u2019s most-popular brews How Ch\u00e1vez orchestrated the brewing of Lager Mexicano in Mexico days before cross-border commerce came to a standstill And, as one of the country\u2019s few Latino brewery owners, Ch\u00e1vez shares his thoughts on diversity and inclusiveness in the beer world Thank you to Javier for taking the time to talk with Utah Beer News. And thank you for listening.  For an accompanying article about Cerveza Z\u00f3lupez Beer Company, please visit UtahBeerNews.com. Enjoy the episode! Episode 36 | June 29, 2020 ","author_name":"Utah Beer News","author_url":"https:\/\/utahbeernews.com","html":"