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.

BY AVREY EVANS

WHEN YOU HEAR A NAME like “The Grand America,” what words come to mind? Luxurious, certainly. Bougie, perhaps. Expensive, historically accurate. While these descriptors are some that the venerable hotel has worked to identify with for just over 20 years, they are now extending a hand to another audience. Their newest dining space, Laurel Brasserie & Bar, opened its doors last November and is already raising eyebrows with its approachable menu prices and uninhibited quality.

Upon entering Laurel Brasserie & Bar, you’re met with the noise of bustling bargoers, kind waitstaff and the scent of fresh-baked pizza. The joint bar and dining room maintain the integrity of The Grand America, without the blueblooded personality that can make some (me included) feel like they are trespassing on a highbrow dinner party. The interior is decidedly casual, with upscale modern-day touches reminiscent of an East Coast eatery. The bar area features a two-sided service station that splits an informal barstool-only space and a more private area lined with swanky booths and a fair share of flatscreens. A bay of windows flood the space with light and offer glimpses of the luminescent bar to passersby across the stress.

Food and beverage offerings focus on classic European cuisine with an American approach. Early birds can enjoy traditional breakfast items, or grab a quick coffee-to-go at their in-house patisserie Bonne Vie, open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Lunch is served on the weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with menu highlights including Potato Gnocchi, Short Rib Beef Sandwich, and Nicoise Salad, all for under $20. The dinner menu is ostensibly filled with delicious dishes like the Brined Bone-In Pork Chop and the Pan Seared Branzino, but the real star of the show is the Happy Hour menu.

For food, the happy hour menu offers both snacks and full-size meals. The Margherita pizza is well worth its $8 price, and the Pumpkin Arancini (a rice fritter stuffed with mozzarella and aioli) is a can’t-miss favorite. Another tip: Don’t sleep on the Pigs in a Blanket.

Everyone’s favorite time of day gets a little sweeter with a $10 cocktail in hand, and most would be surprised to learn that Laurel Brasserie & Bar offers just that. Their reasonably sized drink menu comprises ten cocktails using local spirits and fresh ingredients. The Smokey Paloma was my personal favorite (adding mezcal to any drink is a win in my book). Other stars were the Clover Club and the Great Basin Sour. The libations menu also addresses the nondrinkers by offering four delicious mocktails that use more than two ingredients.

Laurel Brasserie & Bar is a welcome addition to the downtown dining scene, and succeeds at providing a grand experience without the lavish price tag. Visit the bar 11 a.m. to midnight everyday, and stop in for happy hour 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily.

PHOTOS COURTESY GRAND AMERICA

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. albislc.com 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. barxslc.com 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, 385-259-0905. 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 #190, 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.

7321 Canyon Centre Pkwy., Cottonwood Heights, 385-9004315. eightsettlersdistillery.com The distillery is entrenched in and inspired by the history of the Cottonwood Heights area and so are the spirits. Take home a bottle from the store or stay and enjoy a taste of the past at the themed, on-site restaurant.

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.

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.

69 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.

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.

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.

7 E. 4800 South, Murray, 801-266-2127. Icehausbar.com Ice Haus has everything you need from a neighborhood bar and a purveyor of German cuisine: a wide selection of pub fare and plenty of seating in the beer-hall inspired location. The menu has a strong number of vegan options.

55 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-532-2068. lakeeffectslc.com An eclectic bar and lounge with a fine wine list and full menu. Live music many nights; open until 1 a.m.

152 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-953-0156. curryupnow.com/mortarandpestlebar A small cocktail-forward bar on Edison Street that draws a big crowd on weekend nights. Best to go early.

48 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.

837 S. Main St., SLC, 801-906-8418. Instagram: @thepines.slc From the owners of Dick N’ Dixie’s, The Pines is an elevated neighborhood bar with a cool interior and even cooler bartenders. Stop by to taste their solid range of brews, or visit the bar on a weekend for a new wave discotheque.

16 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595. popslc.com Post Office offers craft cocktails, multicultural small plates and the largest selection of Japanese Whisky in the state. Ask for a “special delivery” if you’re up for a boozy adventure.

5 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-477-7047. quartersslc.com Nostalgic for all those Gen Xers and gamer geeks, Quarters features retro gaming pinball and a game

Forget Pappy, Japanese whisky is the next thing

BY JEREMY PUGH

EVERY DAY SOME FINANCE BRO on an expense account discovers there’s something other to drink than Bud Light and Jägermeister and has to tell me about it. Yeah. Bro. Say “the angel’s share” again and order the table another round of $75 Pappy Van Winkle shots. Thanks. I’ve had more ounces of whiskey than days this 25-year-old Goldman Sachs account exec has been alive and there’s not enough of it in the world to tolerate listening to him saying “notes of leather” one more time. Would ordering a shot of Beam drive him away?

Bro. Forget Pappy. Japanese whisky (no “E”) is the new, although not new, thing and one Salt Lake bar is ahead of the curve. Post Office Place has always had Nipponese leanings,being the next-door sibling of Takashi. But POP General Manager Rich Romney and Beverage Director Crystal Daniels have taken that inclination to the next level and built out a full library of Japanese juice. They back it up with a deep knowledge of the intricacies of booze from a country 5,000 miles away.

Daniels found her passion for Japanese whisky and rice whisky (more on that in a minute) when, like all of us, her palate finally grew up. “When I was young I drank a lot of Scotch because I thought it was badass.” What she discovered with Japanese spirits,

Post Office Place 16 W. Market St., SLC popslc.com

however, was a wide spectrum that ranges from delicate to intense. “I used to think I needed something that would punch me in the face, but now I enjoy spirits that whisper to me.”

Daniels didn’t stray that far from her youth, actually. See, the roots of Japanese whisky come from Scotland. In the 1920s, Japan was one of the biggest markets for Scotland’s famous spirits and two men, Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru, set out to make Japanese whisky. Taketsuru traveled to Scotland to learn from the masters and brought back the knowledge that would meld Scottish technique with Japanese fastidiousness at Japan’s first distillery, the Yamazaki Distillery.

“Eventually, Japanese whisky would taste more in common with Irish whiskey than Scotch,” Romney says. “The Japanese like to consume whiskey with food and the early distillers learned to make their own spirits more nuanced, less aggressive.”

But wait, there is more. It’s called “Rice Whisky” and paradoxically you can only get it in the United States—Takashi even has its own label. Rice whisky is made from shochu, a distilled rice (or grain) spirit made in Japan, but in Japan, there are rules about what shochu can be and it can’t be whisky, even though it can. An enterprising importer saw that shochu makers were trying new things, aging the spirit in various casks for example, but couldn’t sell their variations in Japan, and thus “rice whisky” arrived in America as a whole new category of spirit.

And all of this, a new frontier of whisky, is waiting for you at Post Office Place. A good place to start is POP’s Japanese Whisky Wednesdays when every pour is 20% off. Daniels and Romney will be there as your guides.

“I always ask someone who hasn’t tried a lot of Japanese whiskys what their preference is from Bourbon to Scotch, and can help them discover something familiar but entirely new,” Daniels says.

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

called Killer Queen. Drink a sling—or order a La Croix with a shot poured into the can.

155 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-532-2068. lakeeffectslc.com 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. This rare respect and a top notch bar makes this a very unusual hare.

7 S. Rio Grande, The Gateway, SLC, 801-456-1223. seabird.com 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, 801-532-4452. bodegaslc.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.

7350 E. 200 South, Huntsville, 801-745-2002. shootingstar-saloon.business.site More than a century old, this is gen-you-wine Old West. The walls are adorned with moose heads and a stuffed St. Bernard. Good luck finishing your Star Burger.

63 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-203-4124. varleyslc.com A craft cocktail bar and lounge situated right next to its companion restaurant The Ivy. The modern aesthetic pairs well with a classic cocktail and conversation.

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, 801-581-1000. 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.

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-foot-long cherry wood bar encourages you to bend the elbow.

69 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-641-6115. whykikibar.com A tropical beach-themed club to getaway at with a fruity drink in a tiki glass (or bowl!) or shake it on the dance floor. Don’t miss Taco Tuesday or the drag shows regularly hosted there.

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

2496 S. West Temple, SLC, 385-270-5752. levelcrossingbrewing.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, 801-410-4028. toastedbarrelbrewery.com Look for seasonal releases of vintage aged sours and high alcohol barrel-aged beers.

1722 S. 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, 801-566-5474. 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.

154 W. Utopia Ave., 435-200-3009. shadesbrewing.beer A mom-and-pop brewery supplying many local restaurants—check the website—stop by their tap room.

857 S. Main St., 801-953-1707. properbrewingco.com From the same proper folks who brought you the Publick House, Proper Brewery and Burgers hugely expands the brewing capacity of the original.

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.