Stop me if you’ve heard this; what’s the difference between a bartender and a mixologist? About 10 minutes per cocktail. Jokes aside, there’s a cocktail renaissance afoot in the big Salty, fueled by a brood of committed alchemists with eclectic palates excited by the dimensions of taste texture and aroma. I’ve wandered large cities and asked bartenders for favorite … [Read more...]
Five Utah Cocktails and Drinks You Must Try
Raise A Glass to Local Spirits Utah’s mixologists know a thing or two about cocktails ― from layering nuanced flavors to finding the best locally made spirits, liqueurs and bitters ― and then putting all the right ingredients together to WOW, all while working within the narrow parameters of the state’s arcane liquor laws. As fall begins to fade into the holidays, now is the … [Read more...]
Dented Brick Distillery Built Upon the Legacy of an Early Utah Pioneer Distiller
Tucked away on a side road off 300 West is the Dented Brick Distillery. The spirits distillery is not only a functioning entity, it is also literally built upon the legacy and land of an early pioneer distiller, Hugh Moon. With the war raging in Ukraine, consumers are not purchasing as much Russian vodka. Managing Member Marc Christensen is energetic and speaks quickly and … [Read more...]
The Best Canned Cocktails Made in Utah
Craft Cocktails in a Can It’s a rare cocktail drinker who might find themself jealous of beer drinkers—until they want to enjoy their favorite mixed drink on the trail, on a picnic or just on the go. The distinctive sound of aan luminum can popping open for a refreshing reward at the top of the mountain, at a tailgate party or down a ski run, is the sound of a mission … [Read more...]
Ogden’s Own Distillery’s Event for Local Bartenders and Servers
Ogden’s Own Distillery’s President Mark Fine hosted a unique first-even event at their large campus on a sunny April afternoon. Utah bartenders and servers were sampling their line-up of products including their Porter's Huckleberry Liqueur, Five Wives Vodka and a new line-up of canned cocktails. The area was lively and fun with fierce competition at the corn hole tables. … [Read more...]
Waterpocket Distillery Introduces Utah to Exotic Flavors of Botanical Spirits
Julia and Alan Scott opened the doors of Waterpocket Distillery in 2017 in West Valley. While the distillery makes award-winning gin, rum, and some whiskey under the Robbers Roost label rusbank, professional bartenders and home mixologists know and appreciate Waterpocket most for their Toadstool amaros, Long Lost botanical spirits lines. and the Snow Angel Kümmel — sold … [Read more...]
The Great Story of Dented Brick Distillery
Dented Brick Distillery started with a great story — long before it even began. The distillery is named in honor of the well driller who tapped the artesian well on the property which is now the source of the water for the distillery’s spirits. He was killed in a blazing gunfight that left impressions on the bricks of the little house that once stood on the distillery property … [Read more...]
Outlaw Distillery Distilling One of the Best Rums in America
Founder and master distiller Kirk Sedgwick and his wife Denise opened Outlaw Distillery in January 2015. The name is an ode to Butch Cassidy (born in Beaver, Utah) and Utah’s rich history surrounding the Outlaw Trail. Kirk’s prowess as a diesel mechanic allowed him to design and build all of the distillery’s equipment in Midvale by hand. Just as meticulously, they source the … [Read more...]
Hammer Spring Distillers: Utah’s First Distillery to Make Potato Vodka
JP and Vita Bernier opened Hammer Spring Distillers in April of 2017. The family-owned business is the only Utah distillery to make vodka from potatoes, says JP. “We use whole, fresh Utah potatoes for a 100% farm-to-glass product.” Alongside their signature potato vodka, Hammer Spring produces a bourbon, two gins, a coffee liqueur, and two specialty vodkas — habanero and … [Read more...]
Holystone Distilling Creating One-Of-A-Kind Spirits
One of Utah’s newest distilleries is Holystone Distilling, which, since 2019, has quickly made a name for itself with distinctive, small-batch spirits. Everything at Holystone Distillery bears a naval reference — from the name of the company to the products themselves. CEO Mike DeShazo is a former career Navy man and runs a tight ship based on the principles of persistence, … [Read more...]