Summer’s final goodbye delivered warm, blue skies to Deer Valley Resort for its third-annual Mountain Beer Festival this weekend, reaching capacity both days. 

Beginning with a wind-swept ride up Silver Lake Express, glimmers of early autumn leaves dotted the vista. A different sort of silence fell over the usually wintery scene, the creaks of the lift mingling with whispers of the quaking aspen leaves.  

At the top, a small festival ground stood erected outside of Silver Lake Lodge, a ring of tents — featuring 24 breweries and eight vendors — spreading from a concert stage. Mountain Town Music kept energy high with a series of performances from local musicians.  Read full story here

“Now, Torrence and Marc have a newly opened taproom where revelers can warm up. The space is cozy, with a small electric fireplace and a bar made from reclaimed barn wood. “But the main focus is the big patio outside, which, come spring, is going to be where the action will be — we’ll have a lot more seating out there,” Torrence said.

The taproom will be used year-round, as Etta Place Cider goes through its annual cycle of agriculture and public events, determined by the changing seasons.”

See the full article by Kolbie Peterson published by the Salt Lake Tribune on February 5, 2024  here.

See the full article by Austen Diamond published by Visit Utah here.

“Eight years after planting their first apple trees, this southern Utah cidery has received its liquor license, so production is ramping up. Construction continues on a tasting room which will welcome visitors en route to Capitol Reef National Park and scenic Highway 12. 

With the opening of that tasting room, the Etta Place Cider experience will be anchored in Torrey, a town with a rich history of apple growing and agri-tourism. “By the time tourists get to town, they’re thirsty,” Torrence says. “We want to give people a truly unique, novel experience that will help them remember their once-in-a-lifetime trip through Utah’s national parks.” 

And the cidery’s appeal draws upon stories of its namesake, outlaw Etta Place. Torrence and Marc like to imagine her hastily grabbing some apples while on the run with the Wild Bunch to Robber’s Roost. (Read: “In Search of Robber’s Roost” and “The Return to Robber’s Roost.”) Her life remains a bit of a mystery, but it’s documented she was educated, articulate and liked fine things. And yet, she ran from the law with a motley crew. (Read: ”Butch Cassidy’s West.”)”

See the full article by Paula Colman published by Visit Utah here.

“Guests of these and other [Capitol Reef] area eateries, including Capitol Burger, Color Ridge Farm & Creamery, Hunt & Gather, Etta Place Cider, Torrey Grill and BBQ (all in nearby Torrey), realize that the connection runs both ways: the food introduces them to the land and its people, and their tourist dollars support this unique and fragile environment. 

These restaurateurs are stewards; visitors are patrons in the classical sense, and they cannot exist without each other. As rancher Andy Rice eloquently explained this symbiosis, “If the people spending those dollars could take a minute to ask themselves, ‘Is the money I spend going to stay in this community, or is it going to leave,’ that kind of thinking right there would make a big difference for everybody.” Unlike a homogenous theme park vacation, supporting businesses between The Mighty 5 becomes part of the local lore and, in very real terms, determines the next chapter.”