Utah offers a bounty of craft distillers ready to fill your cup with something delicious. We highlight long-standing industry leader with a few new (ish) distillers joining the community.
THE GREATS
DENTED BRICK
Dented Brick struck gold when they built their distillery in Salt Lake, liquid gold that is. Their on-site artesian provides a high-quality foundation for their vodka, rum, gin and whiskey. The distiller recently began offering a Whiskey Education Program, in which enthusiasts purchase a barrel, customize it, bond with it, and follow the entire production from fermentation to aging.
IF YOU GO: 3100 S. Washington St., South Salt Lake.
Alpine Distilling
Power couple Rob and Sara Sergent have been setting the bar for gin distillation at Alpine Distilling since 2016, and recently Sara became the most decorated distiller in the country as the second woman in U.S. history to be inducted into the London Gin Guild. Alpine’s award-winning portfolio of products include their Elevated Gin, named “Gin of the Year” gold medal in London. Visit their Park City bar for guided tastings or a custom gin-making experience.
If you go: 364 Main St., Park City.
High West
Hailed as the first distillery to open in Utah since the Prohibition, High West is an industry vanguard best known for their blended American whiskeys. Sip on a tried-and-true American Prairie Bourbon or savor one of their limited releases at their many Park City locations. Their Wanship distillery and tasting room offers the most immersive educational experience with whiskey ambassadors on hand.
If you go: 27649 Old Lincoln Hwy, Wanship.
Beehive Distilling
Though Beehive closed their bar last year, the Salt Lake distiller is still going full steam with spirit production. Their lineup of classic spirits include bourbon, amaro, vodka and several gins. Beehive was also the first Utah distiller to ride the canned cocktail wave, offering a Mule and Gin Rickey using spirits straight from their still.
If you go: 2245 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake.
Sugar House Distillery
Sugar House’s vodka has been consistently delicious since it first hit shelves in 2013, and the distillery’s other small-batch products quickly followed suit. Owner and distiller James Fowler takes pride in his grain-to-glass process, committed to zero outsourcing, additives, artificial colors or flavors. Pick up a bottle or canned vodka soda at their privately owned liquor store in Salt Lake.
If you go: 2212 S. West Temple, SLC.
THE NEWBIES
PROVERBIAL SPIRITS
Based in Park City, Proverbial Spirits splashed onto the scene in early 2022. Using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, Proverbial makes their products from scratch. Owners Steven Currie, Rudy Lehfeldt-Ehlinger and Michael Kunde live by their brand’s motto: “Rules were meant to be broken” and have infused that same sense of curiosity and boldness into Proverbial’s vodka, rum and gin—the latter won a Silver Medal in the 2023 Bartender Spirits Awards.
IF YOU GO: 4175 N. Forestdale Dr., Park City.
CLEAR WATER DISTILLING CO.
The distillers at Clear Water reject typical spirit categories in favor of ephemeral, batch-based products. Take ‘Josephine Eau-de-Vie’ for example, an un-aged fruit brandy that is double distilled with a rum to offer a bouquet of smokey and sweet flavors. Their tasting room and distillery in Pleasant Grove (the first of its kind in Utah County) also hosts regular tasting events and cigar pairings pulled from their walk-in humidor room.
IF YOU GO: 564 W. 700 South, Pleasant Grove.
VINTAGE SPIRITS DISTILLERY
Craft small-batch distiller Vintage Spirits has been bottling out of their Midvale location since 2020, specializing in barrel-aged products like rum, whiskey and bourbon. True proponents of a grain-to-glass philosophy, the distillers offer. Saturday tours where you’ll get an inside look of the process from mash to finish.
IF YOU GO: 6844 S. 300 West, Midvale.
