"I've got a great idea! Now what?” Make Salt Lake helps answer that question. The collective at 663 West 100 South has a wood shop, metal shop, electronics bench and textile room that allows its 260 members to incubate their ideas in a communal setting. One member is Billy Barghahn, who has created a company called Vertical Vans. He takes Mercedes and Dodge Ram vans and … [Read more...]
Nation’s First Violin School Turns 50 in Salt Lake City
In downtown Salt Lake City lies one of the best-kept secrets in the West, possibly even the nation. The Violin Making School of America (VMSA), opened in 1972 by the late Peter Prier, thrives and attracts students from all over the world. Prier first came to Salt Lake City to work in a small shop and ended up opening his own violin repair business. Aspiring luthiers … [Read more...]
Park City Brewing Makeover
Park City Brewing recently announced that “it is entering the Utah market with new ownership, beer, and branding. Park City Brewing offers five core beers and anticipates opening its first brewery and taproom in December 2021, located in Park City, Utah." According to the folks at Park City Brewing, “Head Brewer, Mike Perine has 15 years’ experience developing craft beer … [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...]
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...]
KLOS Guitars: The Art of Making Indestructible Instruments
KLOS Guitars, Utah’s only large-scale guitar manufacturing facility, is internationally distributed, but reflects the rugged adventure found from the mountains to the deserts of our Utah landscape. For those who want to marry the adventure to the art within themselves, there are really two instruments that stand out as mascots for life out in the world ― the guitar and the … [Read more...]
Etta Place Cidery from Torrey Utah
It was “use it or lose it” when it came to water rights on Ann Torrence and Marc Roberts’ property near the Fremont River in Torrey, Utah. As they considered what to do with this precious desert resource, they visited Capitol Reef National Park during harvest season and were blown away by the flavors of the apples grown in the park’s historic orchards. So apples it was, and … [Read more...]
Beer and Books: Fisher Brewing and Ken Sanders Rare Books Teamed Up to Create a Monkey Wrench Gang Beers
A. Fisher Brewing Company and Ken Sanders Rare Books have teamed up to produce a limited line of beers based on characters from Edward Abbey's iconic novel, The Monkey Wrench Gang, illustrated by R. Crumb. The beers, six in all, will feature the four main characters from the novel: Doc Sarvis, Bonnie Abbzug, George Washington Hayduke and Seldom Seen Smith. The two additional … [Read more...]
Reparadise: Cranking Out Off-The-Grid Rigs
For more than eight years, Brandon Zinninger and his team at Reparadise in West Valley City have been turning camper trailers — usually vintage Airstreams — into high-tech custom homes on wheels. But as the market has fluctuated — as well as the interests of Zinninger and his crew — Reparadise has found themselves spending more time in the shop crafting unique … [Read more...]