When Kevin Templin is asked to describe who he is—he starts with dad. Then brother. Then son. And finally, "brewer, I guess." Not to take anything away from the first three identifiers but Templin is most definitely a brewer—and an extremely successful one at that.
The founder and head brewer at Templin Family Brewing (or T.F. Brewing, for short) booked a one-way ticket and arrived in Utah in the early 1990s to ski. Now, 30 years later he is one of the state's most-decorated brewers at one of the state's most popular and well-regarded breweries.
Templin, an East Coast transplant, worked as a "professional ski bum" for about four years before landing at Desert Edge Pub & Brewery. He helped a few long-gone breweries get off the ground before starting a nearly 20-year career at Red Rock Brewing in 2000 where he brewed countless award-winning beers.
Then in 2018, Templin opened T.F. Brewing in what once was an auto repair shop at 936 South 300 West in Salt Lake City. He always knew he wanted to own a brewery. "The ultimate goal was to have our own family thing," he says. "So, when I retire, I can hand the keys to my nephews and kids and say, here you go.
"Don't mess it up," he adds with a chuckle.
During our wide-ranging conversation, Kevin and I discuss:
- How he got his start in brewing and what it means to be a 25-year veteran of the industry
- The importance of the entire beer-drinking experience—from the first-class customer service to the appropriate glassware to the proper pour. And all that before a drinker takes a sip of beer.
- We talk about craft beer in Utah and why the state's brewers might not get the recognition they deserve
- And Kevin discusses challenges he sees facing craft beer— the biggest of which might surprise you
Thanks to Kevin for taking the time to visit with Utah Beer News. And thank you for listening. I hope you enjoy hearing more about T.F. Brewing. If you enjoy this type of storytelling, I'd really appreciate it if you could please leave a review on your podcast platform of choice.
And now, let's dive in to learn more about Kevin Templin and Templin Family Brewing.
For an accompanying article, please visit UtahBeerNews.com.
Enjoy the episode!
Episode 59 | June 10, 2021
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