Sugar House Distillery Crafting the Award-Winning American Single Malt Whiskey

Sugar House Distillery prides itself on producing regionally sourced, small-batch, grain-to-glass spirits since it began in 2014.

Heather L. King

November 9, 2021

James Fowler, the owner of Sugar House Distillery

Sugar House Distillery prides itself on producing regionally sourced, small-batch, grain-to-glass spirits since it began in 2014. Just grain or molasses, yeast, and time, finished with a little water and a lot of skill, crafted successful initial releases of vodka, 100% malted barley whisky and silver and gold rum. Along the way, bourbon whiskey and a Boilermaker series joined the regular offerings and can be purchased in most DABC liquor stores.

Although Sugar House has continued to expand its repertoire of spirits with experimental Barrel Master series releases and even a new canned cocktail line, owner and distiller James Fowler points to a classic as his favorite. “It would be the American single malt whiskey, hands down,” he says of the award-winning spirit he’s most proud of. “This is barley country and that’s what Utah does an amazing job with. I like the flavor of it. It’s sweet, it’s honey, it’s vanilla, it’s got a ton of complexity.”

Fowler’s time spent working with the DABC leads him to suggest simplification. “A pound of feathers is exactly the same as a pound of gold,” he explains. “When something is 10% alcohol, all 10% alcohol should be treated exactly like 10%. It shouldn’t matter if it was distilled, brewed or wine because at the end of the day, it’s all the exact same. And that’s not at all what happens in the state. There’s no rhyme or reason for that.”

Sugar House Distillery is located at 2212 S West Temple, Unit #14, Salt Lake City, UT, 801-726-0403

Open Monday through Saturday 11 am to 6 pm

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Utah Stories

Local Utah distilleries, single malt whiskey, sugar house distillery

Heather L. King

Heather is a food and beverage writer and anonymous restaurant critic for a variety of publications in Utah. She’s happy to have reported on Utah’s changing food landscape for more than 20 years. When not dining out, you’ll often find her at local farmers markets shopping for fresh produce and meeting local vendors. During the pandemic lockdown, she spent her time perfecting gin cocktails — often using locally produced spirits and garnishes. She shares her love of great food with her husband and two Great Danes. Her passion for traveling is fueled by experiencing the food cultures of other countries and regions. She owns SLCLunches.com, and you’ll find her sharing her favorite dishes @slclunches.