Establishment: Melancholy — 556 Gale St., SLC
Bartender: Tay Dixon
Cocktail Name: Goat in the Garden
Tay Dixon got into bartending because when he was younger, he struggled talking to people. He figured if there was one job that would help him get over that, it would be bartending.
That “just jump in” attitude continues to inform his work, with a cocktail that uses exotic ingredients that might give others pause—goat cheese whey, black pepper, lemon zest honey. He’s not afraid
to swing for the fences. Tay’s favorite drink to make is a sazerac, the ur-cocktail that started it all down in New Orleans. It speaks to his deep immersion into cocktail history and tradition—even though he’s only been behind the bar for two years, he’s gone into the deep end of cocktail culture, finding those old things that can be made new again. “Whatever you are doing, you should take pride in it.”
Photography by Natalie Simpson, Beehive Photography.
He takes pride in being a bartender in Utah. “We kind of have a chip on our shoulder, in a good way.” Tay’s motivated by the idea that we have something to prove. “I like that angst.”
Goat in the Garden
1.5 oz water pocket temple of the moon gin
1 oz Fino sherry
.25 oz Cappelletti
1 oz blackberry lemon zest honey syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
Goat cheese whey
2 dashes black pepper tincture
Shaken, double-strained, served up
Explore the cocktail trail and vote for your favorite cocktail in the 2025 Salt Lake Magazine Farm-To-Glass Cocktail Contest.
About the 2025 Salt Lake Magazine Farm-To-Glass Cocktail Contest
23 bars from across the state present delicious cocktail creations and compete for the best in Utah. This year’s contest cocktails shine with all Utah has to offer, embodying the farm-to-glass ethos by incorporating the bountiful range of Utah’s native herbs, homegrown produce and locally distilled spirits. Celebrate the bartenders’ hard work throughout from Sept. 1–Oct. 1 by visiting participating bars, trying their unique cocktail concoctions and voting for your favorite on saltlakemagazine.com.
