bar fly

Forget about navigating the state’s labyrinth of liquor laws—the more than 20 bars and pubs listed here prioritize putting a drink in your hand, although most of them serve good food, too. Restricted to 21 and over. (Be prepared to show your I.D., whatever your age. This is Utah, after all.)

All bars listed in the Salt Lake Bar Fly have been vetted and chosen based on quality of beverage, food, atmosphere and service.

This selective guide has no relationship to any advertising in the magazine. Review visits are anonymous, and all expenses are paid by Salt Lake magazine.

PHOTO COURTESY THE BAR PROJECT

BY KAITLYN CHRISTY

THE BAR PROJECT

WHILE WE WANT nothing more than for our local bar scene to flourish, we understand the new normal means opting to have a drink in the comfort of your home. You can still support bars and local businesses all while enjoying your favorite cocktails by purchasing any of these locally handcrafted cocktail kits. As a bonus, you, not the State of Utah, get to decide how much booze to put in. THE BAR PROJECT

The Nightcap Box ranges from $50 to $250, depending on the frequency, and includes 3 cocktail recipes with all of the ingredients (not including the recommended spirits)—enough for 9 to 12 cocktails. Syrups, dried garnishes, mixers and citrus are included; you just add the liquor. thebarprojectslc.com

BITTERS LAB

Starting at $45, this kit includes a 1/2 oz. bottle of Bitters Lab classic Aromatic bitters, a 2 oz. bottle of

simple syrup from Sirop Co., a small 4 oz. jar of locally made vanilla cocktail cherries, 1 package of dehydrated oranges for garnishing, a few cocktail picks and 4 recipe cards to get you started on your cocktail making journey. bitterslab.com

TOP SHELF

The Bartenders Box is a mixology experience created by the Top Shelf Services team located in Park City. The Brunch Box ($75) serves 8 Bloody Marys and 12 Mimosas. thebartendersbox.com

CAPUTO’S

Give your loved ones and co-workers a taste of Caputo’s. They’ve hand-selected products and bundled them into one lovely gift collection. Who’s Your Bar Daddy ($88) includes Bar Daddy Orgeat Syrup, Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, Peychaud’s Bitters, Angostura Aromatic Original Bitter and Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6. caputos.com

BITTER BONANZA BITTERS LAB

With a growing list of unique flavors available and a collection of limited-edition subscription boxes, there are bitters for everyone, from the novice homebartender or baker to seasoned chefs and, of course, those in the bar industry. bitterslab.com

225 W. 200 South, SLC, 385-722-9600. achotels.marriott.com The Euro-styled hotel has a chic lobby bar and a secret menu of drinks inspired by movies filmed in Utah, like Dumb and Dumber and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

9320 Cliff Lodge Dr. #88, Snowbird Resort, 801-933-2160, snowbird.com Floor-to-ceiling windows mean drinkers can marvel at nature’s handiwork while feasting from the sushi bar. The menu is global with live music some nights.

369 S. Main St., SLC, 385-259-0616 Located along SLC’s bar line on Main Street, Alibi has a sleek, hip vibe and is generally filled with happy hipsters, especially when they have theme nights.

155 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-355-2287. beerbarslc.com A survivor of the ups and downs of Utah liquor laws, this was the vanguard of Salt Lake’s new cocktail movement, serving classic drinks and creative inventions behind the best electric sign in the city.

161 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-355-2287. beerbarslc.com Ty Burrell, star of ABC’s small-screen hit Modern Family, co-owns Beer Bar, which is right next to Bar X. It’s noisy, there’s no table service, but there are 140+ brews to choose from, plus 13 kinds of wurst.

645 S. State St., SLC, 801-961-8400. utahbayou.com This is Beervana, with 260 bottled beers and 32 on draft. The kitchen turns out artichoke pizza and deep-fried Cornish game hens.

128 S. Main St., SLC, 801-364-4268 More than 200 beers—domestic, imported and local—with a long ice rail to keep the brew cold, the way Americans like ’em, are the outstanding features of this cozy downtown pub.

404 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-359-2814. btgwinebar.com BTG stands for “By the Glass” and though BTG serves craft cocktails, specialty beer and good food, the pièces de résistance are the more than 50 wines by the glass. Order a tasting portion or a full glass.

837 E. 2100 South, 801-467-3325 campfirelounge.com The laid-back feeling of sitting around a campfire is what the owners were aiming for, with or without flames. Campfire is a relaxed neighborhood joint with affordable drinks. And s’mores.

111 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-355-0543. coppercommon.com Copper Common is a real bar—that means you don’t actually have to order food if you don’t want to. But on the other hand, why wouldn’t you want to? This bar has a real chef.

2820 E. 6200 South, SLC, 801-849-8847. thecottonbottom.com Remember when this was a ski bum’s town? The garlic burger and a beer is what you order.

479 E 300 South, SLC, 801-994-6919 The classic corner beer bar where cronies of all kinds gather regularly to watch sports, talk politics and generally gossip about the city and nothing in particular.

850 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-441-2845. eastlibertytaphouse.com Half a dozen beers on draft and 20 or more by the bottle, and the rotation changes constantly. The menu does clever takes on bar food classics, like onion dip and potato chips.

555 S. Main St, SLC, 801-258-6778. grandamerica.com Grand America’s inimitable style is translated into a cushy but unstuffy bar, the antithesis of the current hipster style. You can actually wear a cocktail dress to this cocktail bar.

49 E. Gallivan Ave., 385-415-5002. goodgrammar.bar The crowds playing Jenga on the patio, the decor, full of pop celebs and heroes, and a soundtrack of eclectic old- and alt-rock, makes a space that bridges old and young imbibers.

703 Park Ave., Park City, 435-649-8300. highwest.com The bartenders at Utah’s award-winning distillery concoct different cocktail menus for every season focusing on High West’s spirits, although the bar stocks other alcohol.

PHOTO COURTESY CAPUTO'S

1199 N. Beck St., SLC, 801-521-3904. garageonbeck.com Everyone compares it to an Austin bar. Live music, good food and the rockingest patio in town. Try the Chihuahua, a chile-heated riff on a margarita.

326 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-819-7563. graciesslc.com Play pool, throw darts, listen to live music, kill beer and time on the patio and upstairs deck. Plus, Gracie’s is a gastropub.

31 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-532-7441. thegreenpigpub.com Green Pig is a pub of a different color. The owners use eco-friendly materials and sustainable kitchen practices. The menu star is the chili verde nachos with big pork chunks and cheese.

55 W 200 South, SLC, 801-285-6494. lakeeffectslc.com An eclectic bar and lounge with a fine wine list and full menu. Live music many nights; open until 1 a.m.

155 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-285-6494 Downstairs in Lake Effect, the gaslit Rabbit Hole takes you to a different time, especially on Wednesday nights which are devoted to jazz. The Rabbit is a real listening room—you don’t talk over or under the music, you don’t talk at all while the musicians are playing. This rare respect and a top notch bar makes this a very unusual hare.

7 S. Rio Grande, The Gateway, SLC, 801-456-1223 Great little locally owned bar in the Gateway with great views, a fun little patio, friendly bartenders and more style than the place can hold.

331 S. Main St., SLC, 801-532-4042. bodega331.com The neon sign says “Bodega;” drink a beer in the phone booth–sized front or head downstairs to the The Rest. Order a cocktail, settle into the apparently bomb-proof book-lined library, or take a booth and sit at the bar.

7300 E. 200 South, Huntsville, 801-745-2002. shooting-star-saloon.business.site More than a century old, this is genyou-wine Old West. The walls are adorned with moose heads and a stuffed St. Bernard. Good luck with finishing your Star Burger.

54 W. Market St., SLC, 801-531-6044. marketstreetgrill.com The nightlife side of Market Street seafood restaurant, the Oyster Bar has an is a place to begin or end an evening, with an award-winning martini and a dozen oysters—half price on Mondays.

5 E. 400 South, SLC, quartersslc.com. Nostalgic for all those Gen Xers and gamer geeks, Quarters features retro gaming pinball and a game called Killer Queen. Drink a sling—or order a La Croix with a shot poured into the can.

Hilton Salt Lake City Center, 255 W. Temple, SLC, 801-238-4748. hilton.com The cozy, wood-panelled bar adjoining the steakhouse is a classic; the bartender can mix what you want.

202 S. Main St., SLC, 801-363-5454. bambara-slc.com/the-vault A quintessential hotel bar, with big windows overlooking pedestrian traffic. Special cocktails may be themed to what’s on stage across the street at Capitol Theatre.

480 Wakara Way, SLC, 385-722-9600. One of the few bars on the west bench, Wakara serves craft cocktails and hosts live music, trivia nights, liquor education and even, occasionally, drag queens.

BLUE PLATE

163 W. 900 South, SLC, 801-462-0967. waterwitchbar.com Three of Utah’s leading bartenders join forces in this charming tiny bar. Whether you want a classic drink, a draft or glass of wine, or a cocktail custom-designed to your taste, this is the place to belly up.

323 S. Main St., SLC, 801-433-1371. whiskeystreet.com This stretch of Main was once dubbed “Whiskey Street” because it was lined with so many pubs and bars. A 42-footlong cherry wood bar encourages you to bend the elbow.

275 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-433-0589. zestslc.com Zest offers hand-crafted fresh juice cocktails with the same emphasis on local and organic ingredients as the food—try an original concoction like the Straw-bubbly Lavender Martini.

147 W. Broadway, 801-363-2739, squatters.com, 2110 Highland Dr., 801-783-1127. wasatchbeers.com Salt Lake’s original breweries merged to form Utah Brewers Cooperative— Squatters and Wasatch are the most popular watering holes in Salt Lake.

273 Trolley Square,SLC, 801-521-8917. desertedgebrewery.com The constantly changing variety and Beer School set Desert Edge apart from all the others.

936 S. 900 West, SLC, 385-270-5972. levelcrossing.com Opened by home brewer and photographer Christ Detrick, Level Crossing is long on games (like darts), good food and of course good beer.

254 S. 200 West, 801-521-7446. redrockbrewing.com A longtime favorite for tippling and tasting—The pub draws on 45 recipes for its rotating selection.

412 W. 600 North, 801-657-6942. toastedbarrelbrewery.com Look for seasonal releases of vintage aged sours and high alcohol barrel-aged beers.

1722 Fremont Dr., 801-467-0909. uintabrewing.com Founder Will Hamill says,“We make beer. Period.” Uinta produces certified organic beers and beer in corked bottles.

936 S. 300 West, 385-270-5972. tfbrewing.com TF stands for Templin Family; brewmaster Kevin Templin has a long history in Salt Lake’s beer scene. Expect meticulously made German-style beer and don’t miss game night.

94 E. 7200 South, Midvale, 801-5665474, bohemianbrewery.com Enjoy the lagers beloved by Bohemian’s owners’ Czech forebears, following the ancient Reinheitsgbot or German Purity Law.

825 S. State St., 801-906-0123. epicbrewing.com Epic exclusively brews high-alcohol content beer. The brewing facility moved to Colorado, but you can still buy cold beer to-go at the taproom.

2160 S. West Temple, 435-200-3009. shadesofpale.com A mom-and-pop brewery supplying many local restaurants—check the website—stop by their tap room.

865 Main St., 801-906-8604. properbugerslc.com From the same proper folks who brought you the Publick House, Proper Brewery and Burgers hugely expands the brewing capacity of the original and adds a burger emporium.

320 W. 800 South, 801-487-2337. fisherbeer.com Fisher takes its name from a brewery originally founded in 1884, but the brews and low-key atmosphere are strictly right now. One of the few in town that has cask ale occasionally.

30 E. Kensington Ave., 385-227-8982. rohabrewing.com The name comes from the owners two names: Rob Phillips and Chris Haas, former brewer for Red Rock Brewery.

608 W. 700 South, 801-215-9165. kiitosbrewing.com A rising star, Kiitos brews are on several menus around town. But if you stop by the brewery to taste, you can play pinball, too.

BY JEREMY PUGH

BEAR LAKE OFFERS one of Utah’s most scenic vistas. As you crest the hill of Logan Canyon into Rich County, the lake sprawls out into a vivid, sparkling blue jewel defining the valley that bears its name. If Delicate Arch is southern Utah’s Mona Lisa, then Bear Lake is northern Utah’s Girl with the Pearl Earring.

But beware. Bear Lake’s stunning blue waters are said to hide a great serpentine beast, as wide as a man and, depending on the account, anywhere from 40 to 200 feet long. The creature’s head is alternatively described as a betusked walrus or a toothy alligator, both bearing giant eyes, set widely apart. The beast has conical ears (“like a pint glass”) and an indeterminate number of legs, is awkward on land but can swim, as one written account has it, “faster than a locomotive.”

The local lore, even today, has it that the depths of Bear Lake have never successfully been fathomed, and it is within these deepest, coldest depths that the creature lurks, hidden from the eyes of man. Down there. In the dark. That’s where the Bear Lake Monster waitals.

But Bear Lake’s depth has been measured plenty, says the late Ted Alsop, the affable and beloved Utah State University professor of physical geography, from whose lips I first heard tell of the beast. Alsop used the story to debunk the myth that the lake’s depths had never been plumbed and to artfully describe the scientific difference between a crater lake and a lake, like Bear Lake, created from a “dropped-down graben.” (Which sounds equally monstrous, really: Watch out child, or the Graben will get you!)

“It was a story made up by drunk Mormons,” Alsop, who passed away in 2017, told his freshman classes year after year. “The lake is 280 feet deep at bank full, and no, it’s not a crater lake, although there are crater lakes in the area…,” etc.

But the legend (and all legends like it: Loch Ness, Sasquatch) persists because these tales of fearsome, left-behind creatures are vestigial holdouts from the time when we were fighting for control of this world.

They live on in our deep cortex. The feral, fight-or-flight memories of a time when we named the monsters and mastered them. But on a darkened shore of a silvery lake, these long-forgotten fears spring forth as a primal response to errant and suspicious splashes amid the lapping waters.

And we can easily see in our mind’s eye the scaled beast breaking the water’s surface, gliding in the moonlight in stern warning. It is a shadow of what we once encountered and conquered, and it waits with the patience of eons in its dark, murksome home to rise from the waters and take back what we took.