WASATCH FAULTS

Some things maybe we wish we weren’t the best at. The dubious distinctions:

The Best At Driving The Worst

Utah is no. 1…on QuoteWizard’s ranking of the worst drivers in the U.S. Utah drivers rank high in every dangerous driving category—first in speeding, second in citations, fifth in accidents and eighth in DUIs.

The Best At Mental Health Crises

Utah reports higher rates of mental illness than any other state in the country. Researchers have found that, while the air and altitude likely contribute to the comparatively high prevalence of suicidality and depression in Utah, genetics play a role as well as culture.

THE BEST AT THE LOWEST PER-STUDENT SPENDING

Despite being so good at having all those dang kids, Utah ranked 50th in the U.S. for student spending—just above Idaho who ranked dead last, according to The National Education Association. (Have we considered “Utah: At least we’re better than Idaho” as a state slogan?)

THE BEST AT THE GENDER-INCOME GAP

Utah typically ranks low on analyses of how states treat women. This year, WalletHub had Utah listed dead last for women’s equality (which is the norm at this point). Why? A chasm of a gender-wage gap factors huge here. Utah men working full-time make 37% more than Utah’s full-time working women. Utah has among the lowest percentage of women in elected leadership or management positions, and survey analysis has found Utahns hold some of the most sexist and rigid views when it comes to gender roles.

The Best At Being Dry

Utah is among the driest states in the nation, in case the 1,200-year drought and active desiccation of Great Salt Lake failed to tip you off.

BY AVREY EVANS

PHOTGRAPHY BY AVREY EVANS AND BENJAMIN CARPENTER

ast April, a group of Utah chefs, bartenders, beverage enthusiasts and wanderlusters headed South to follow the roots of one of our favorite spirits— mezcal. Hosted by an artisanal liquor brand, Wahaka Mezcal, our troop was to take part in this year’s annual reforestation effort in which service workers from around the globe come to Oaxaca to plant agave. With that in mind, I had no idea what else this excursion would offer. All I knew was this would be an experience of a lifetime, and I was yearning to sip mezcal in the motherland.

Day One

As the fastest-growing booze category in the U.S., agave-based liquors are quickly becoming favorites of leaders in Utah’s food and beverage industry. So, naturally, a trip to Oaxaca drew interest from many mezcal-mesmerized individuals. Once we all arrived in downtown Oaxaca, where Wahaka hosted us at a charming casita, it was time to get acquainted. Turns out, all you need to do is throw in a mix of career drinkers with a few bottles of mezcal, and you become friends pretty fast. Restaurants and bars represented in our boisterous crew were Post Office Place, Sundance Resort, Water Witch, ACME, Lake Effect, Deer Valley Resort, Libation SLC and a healthy smattering of private chefs and hospitality consultants.

The Avengers assembled, it was time to set off on our first adventure, a tour of Wahaka’s distillery. The open-aired palenque resembled more of a familyowned farm than the industrialized facility one would expect of a large, global brand like Wahaka. Every step of distillation is done by hand, from harvesting the agave piñas, to roasting them in earth pits, to crushing them with a horse-drawn stone mill. Even the final product is tested by hand, or mouth I should say. To check the ABV of each batch, we watched in awe as a mezcalero scooped nearly-finished mezcal into a bowl and blew bubbles into it using a large straw-like tool. His expert eye can identify the ABV by the speed at which bubbles pop. Mezcal flowed freely while we laughed and learned, all was right in this small corner of the world.

Day Two

ingredients and Utah products, like Waterpocket Notom. Of course, there were plenty of cocktails set ablaze by the Beehive boys behind the stick, and our little group of Utahns felt nothing but welcomed by the people of Oaxaca.