Jason Stock From Squatters Talks About Beer, Being an ExMormon, and Brewer in Salt Lake City, UT

Let's jump right in. Jason, what was your transition away from Mormonism like?

"Let's see, I was born into "the" church. Raised in a suburb of SLC called West Jordan. Pretty much everyone in my community was LDS. I had a pretty normal upbringing, all things considered. My family wasn't particularly strict about Mormonism, but not super relaxed either. We were definitely active LDS though. Went to church every Sunday. I was active in all of the normal LDS kid stuff like cub scouts and boy scouts. I didn't really question the church much as a young child. My first memories of really questioning the church started in high school. Learning about world religions and other cultures was the proverbial camel's nose under the tent for me. I went through a bit of a rebellious phase in my late teens. Dabbled with drinking, smoking cigarettes and smoking weed a little. 

I started dating a girl who was still pretty active in the church and she encouraged me to become worthy to be married in the temple. Long story short, I "got my act together" and stopped the partying. Funny thing, once I started behaving again, the adults in my neighborhood liked me again. My parents and I got a long much better. And I interpreted this to be the spirit working in my life.  I mean, things *did* get better by some measures. As part of this process I received my patriarchal blessing. This was a watershed moment in my life. I had what I can only describe as a spiritual experience. It was very profound for an 18 year old kid. In hindsight, I know these types of intense feelings can be brought about through various ways. But I *knew* the church was true at this point because of how profound my experience was receiving this blessing. I decided I needed to serve a mission if the church was actually true. Ironically, the girl who'd encouraged me to become more active in the church didn't want me to go on a mission. She wanted to get married right away. But, I felt like I couldn't skip it. My testimony was pretty rock solid at this point.

I was called to serve in the Indiana, Indianapolis mission from 90-92. My mission ended up being the catalyst that got me out of the church. I was a good missionary and took the work very seriously. I studied hard and was sincerely engaged with the people we interacted with in Indiana. I was probably viewed as a bit of a stick in the mud by other missionaries, because I was fairly strict about following mission rules. We encountered a few people along the way that caused me to have some questions about the church, but nothing too serious and nothing my mission leaders weren't able to explain away.  

That all changed when I met John. John was African American and an investigator of Mormonism. I happened to be half of the duo that was teaching him the lessons. One day we came to teach John and he said he'd heard something about the church, but seemed nervous to discuss what he'd found out. After some gentle prodding he let us know that he'd heard about the church not allowing blacks to hold the priesthood until 1978. He was incredulous, rightly so.  We just sat there with looks of shock and stupidity on our faces, and then had to admit that this was, in fact, true. He burst into tears and was very upset.  He left his own home in a fit of what I can only call frustration.  My companion and I were left sitting on his couch with his now hysterical (white, Mormon) wife.   No one had mentioned this to him. We were so damn arrogant and naive that it didn't occur to us to tell an African American person about this little "blip" in Mormon history.  Long story short, this got the wheels turning in this white kid's mind. I realized that if I had been born black I wouldn't have anything to do with the church. This quickly progressed into realizing that if I had been born a woman, or gay, or Native American I also wouldn't be able to remain in a church who's doctrines marginalized me.

I finished my mission honorably, but with a lot of questions. I read and read and read. I had many discussions with church leaders and was basically told to "fast and pray" about my concerns. The more I studied church doctrine the more it didn't make sense. (I was exclusively studying church materials, no "anti-Mormon" materials.)  

In the interim I got married to the girl who'd waited for me.  I assumed that the problem was with me, not with the church.  And, I assumed, I'd eventually find the right book, conference speech, or have the right spiritual experience that would make it all fall into place.   Instead, I read Carl Sagan's book called The Demon Haunted World: Science As A Candle In The Dark and that changed everything.  It was like a light bulb turning on. I had a paradigm shift. I realized that the problem wasn't *me* the problem was the church. I was getting ready for church that morning, putting my tie on, looking in the mirror. And it just hit me. I looked myself in the mirror and said out loud "You don't believe in this stuff." And that was it. I removed my tie and dress clothes, including my garments. I put on some shorts and a tee shirt and went out on my bike for a few hours. I've never looked back. Suddenly life made a lot more sense to me and I felt a sense of peace unlike I'd ever felt while trying to do the mental gymnastics required to try to make sense of church doctrine and history.

Since you work at Squatters and have a passion for beer how does that tie into your transition?

I actually didn't drink right away after leaving the church. As I recall, it was a year or so later. I decided to have a beer while at lunch with a co-worker. This morphed into trying "beers around the world" at the pub we were at.  In hindsight, they weren't great beers. (Beck's, Corona, Heineken, and Henry Weinhardt's Porter and Guinness as I recall.)  But it opened my mind to the fact that there was a lot more to beer than just the usual "yellow fizzy stuff." My brother and I started home-brewing as a way to explore the world of beer.  Keep in mind, this was back in 1995 or so and the craft beer industry wasn't quite what it is today.  You really had to seek out craft beer or make your own. So we opted for making our own. My passion for beer grew through home-brewing. As fate would have it I took a part time job with Squatters Brewing Co. just after I graduated from the University Of Utah and my career just evolved from there. 

This is where I, and others would probably love to learn more about beer!

Beer is basically any alcoholic beverage made using malted barley, hops, yeast and water.  Basically a brewer takes malted barley and creates a mash with it. This is basically mixing it with hot water and creating something like a porridge. This process converts the starches in the grain to fermentable sugar. This sugar is food for yeast. The bi-products produced by yeast consuming this sugar are alcohol and CO2 (the fizz in your beer.)   Hops are a plant that grow like vines.  The hops themselves are little flowering, green buds that grow on the vines. These buds have a unique aroma (and there are hundreds of varieties) and provide bitterness to counter the sweetness of the malt.  I'm leaving out a lot of details here.  I feel like I might bore your readers if I get to in depth on the process.  I am happy to field any questions however.

From a consumer standpoint, I think the important thing to know about beer is that there is a TON of variety. I always say, if you don't like beer you just haven't tried the right beer yet.  Many people think beer is pretty one note, but it's not.  There are dark beers like Porters and Stouts which have deep, rich chocolate notes and roasty coffee like notes.  There are fruit beers with everything from apricot, cherry and strawberries to more exotic fruits like guava and mango.  There are crisp clean Pilsner beers.  Cloudy, mellow Hefeweizens.  Sour beers with complex funky flavors.  It's such a wide world of flavors, colors and aromas. There is a wide variety in alcohol percentages as well.  

Do you believe there is still a stigma around being a brewery in Utah?

No.  Not really.  I mean, maybe out in the burbs or something?  But I don't feel any stigma in Salt Lake City.  I think it's actually celebrated.

How has that changed over the years?

I'd say the 2002 Olympics changed the game for SLC.  I think drinking is more accepted in general.  Some of our laws have relaxed, such as the private club laws.  There are new breweries opening all the time.  We actually have quite a vibrant beer scene in this city.

What are the pros of being a brewer in Utah, and what are the cons?

One of the biggest pros is learning how to make good 4% abv beer.  It's not easy because you really have to be careful about balance when a beer is lower in alcohol. It's also a little harder to achieve good body in a beer. 

The only real con about brewing in Utah are the draft beer laws.  We can only serve 4% abv beer on draft.  So, anything higher than that has to be packaged.  This is a hassle because labels have to be approved by the feds and the state and it can be time consuming, especially when there's a government shut down!  But it just adds a whole other layer to the process.  You have to think about packaging, label, shelf life, etc.  It'd be nice to just have the freedom to brew beer at whatever percentage was appropriate, and serve it on draft.

Do you face judgement from family members, or members of your community?

I'm lucky in this regard.  My family has always been very cool about my leaving the church AND working as a brewer.  I'm on the label for the beer Hop Rising and my mom actually collects the paraphernalia around that beer. (signs, bottles, etc.)  So, not real judgement.  Salt Lake City doesn't really feel very Mormon to me for the most part.  That might sound odd, and maybe it's the circles I run in.  But the church is kind of a non-issue for me on a day to day basis.  All of my neighbors have been absolutely stoked to live by a brewer!  I haven't experienced any noticeable judgement at all. 

Oh My God! That's Jason Stock! *fan girls*

What are some tips for people new to drinking beer?

Hmm.  Well, alcohol is tricky, to be honest.   I guess I'd say treat alcohol with respect.  Especially if you're coming from a strict background.  Many people make the mistake of jumping in with both feet and getting hammered all the time.  (I'm guilty of this.)   Alcohol can be very bad when not consumed in moderation.  And, unfortunately, moderation can slip into heavy drinking quite easily.  So, be aware that it is an addictive substance.  Start slow.  

If you are new to beer I'd suggest starting with some lighter beers.  Hefeweizen is often a "gateway" to craft beer.  I'd suggest not taking it too seriously either.  Try new beers when you get a chance! Try them with an open mind. And always remember, if you didn't like one beer, that in no way should inform your opinion about beer in general. There is a ton of variety in the beer world. 

Especially as we talk about local beer, what would your recommendations be?  

There are a lot of great breweries in SLC. I'd recommend checking out some of the newer breweries such as Fisher, Kiitos, Salt Fire, TF Brewing, Proper Brewing Co. Get some samplers from these guys. That allows you to try a wide variety of beers without committing to a full pint. I'd also check out some of the old "tried and true" breweries.  Squatters and Wasatch have been around for 30+ years! That's a lot of experience. Uintah has been around forever as well and makes some great beer.  

Beer Hive, The Bayou and Beer Bar are all great places to have a chance to try a wide variety of beers in one place as well.  And generally have knowledgeable staff to help you navigate the crowded world of craft beer!

And to end I like to ask individuals what their hopes are for themselves, their lives, their families lives after leaving Mormonism. 

I left the church back in about 1995. I'm honestly to a place where I just don't think about it too much anymore. As I look back there are reasons I'm grateful for Mormonism and there are times I wish it'd never touched my life. At this point, I just try to stay open minded about spirituality and I try to expose myself to as many ideas and philosophies as I can. I hope my kids can grow up feeling relatively free of that sort of religious indoctrination. I hope to spread kindness and reason.

Thank you so much Jason.  This is something a lot of people have been interested in so it means a lot that you are doing this!

No problem at all. Let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like me to clarify anything.

Cheers!

Jason Stock