Leave it to beer geeks to muck up an otherwise sacred event. If you’re from Utah, you know that July 24th is Pioneer Day, an official state holiday commemorating the arrival of the first Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on that day in 1847. The day is marked with fireworks, parades, rodeos and, for those with a sense of humor, pie and beer.
Being the wise asses they are, beer geeks have redubbed Pioneer Day “Pie n’ Beer Day,” a chance to celebrate three of man’s finest achievements, namely pie and beer and pizza as well, which I guess falls under the “pie” category. It’s a real thing – there are beer and pie pairing recommendations, church-sponsored soirees, and even a fledgling Facebook page. So if you happen to be in Utah (or just happen to love pie and beer) go nuts on Sunday! I think I’ll go with a Pale Ale and a rhubarb pie.
So if you’re a Mormon, I’d like to say thanks to your ancestors for discovering the Salt Lake Valley and creating this marvelous opportunity to pig out on warm pies and cold brews. Then again if you’re a Mormon, you’re probably not reading a website dedicated to beer and whiskey, so never mind. 🙂
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Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Awesome! My ancestors were among those first Mormons. (I’m not a Morman. It ended with my grandmother’s parents leaving Utah for Oregon.) In fact, my great(x5) grandfather was James Savage, the famous photographer who recorded the connection of the transcontinental railroad.
You mean Ol’ Golden Spike Jimmy?!
No. His name was James Savage. There’s a drinking fountain named after him in SLC. Man, Jersians are so crass!
I think your G’dad would have liked “Golden Spike Jimmy”.
Listen, if I did it Jersey-style it’d be Jimmy Two Fingers…
Damn I love pie. And beer.
Then rejoice!!
It’s also the 1-year celebration for the store. With catered Brazilian food, so I may not be able to have the pie, just ridiculous foods and beers. Shit.
If they don’t have pie in Brazil, that place sucks!
Yeah, sounds like a real letdown, Daniel. 🙂
Oh no, I am conflicted. It is also National Tequila Day. I suppose I will have to move one of them to another day this weekend.
Or do like everyone else and start with eer, end with tequila and try to figure out where you left you pants the next day.
I’m adopting this as a personal holiday and adding whisky & cigars.
Sorta like the Sopranos version…
I’ll have to bake some sort of a pie in honor of the day… and I’ll declare my beer drinking a ‘celebration’ instead of just something I would be doing anyway.
Exactly! The perfect excuse to feel good about the normal crap you do!
I could go along with pie and beer if the pie were savory, say a rabbit pie, steak & kidney, pot pie, or a tomato pie. But as much as I like fruit pies (my favorite dessert), I can’t feature mixing them with beer–the flavor juxtaposition just doesn’t work for me.
Beer and sweet are alright by me, but savory is better. I think that’s why they added pizza “pie” into the mix – it’s hard to argue with beer and pizza!
Here in MD its beer and steamed crabs. Its amazing how much beer one can consume while eating crabs. I suspect the same would apply in the Deep South w/ crawdad or shrimp boils. Along the Great Lakes it’d have to be a fish fry.
In New Jersey we feast on the dismembered fingers of wiseguys who stole from the family.
I wudda guessed garlic knots–none of those pesky knuckle bones to worry about!