That's the Spirit
Photography: Mark Maziarz
For almost a century and a half (since 1870, to be exact), Park City hasn’t had a distillery in town. At least, we haven’t had a legal distillery. But with the opening of the High West Distillery & Saloon in December 2009, the days of whiskey and rye are back—in splendid style.
Housed in the historic Ellsworth J. Beggs House and National Garage, High West fuses what may well be a one-of-a-kind concept—the ski-in gastro-distillery—with Park City’s rustic charm. Founders David and Jane Perkins oversaw the transformation of the historic, wood-framed structures (the house was built in 1914; the livery stable/garage preceded it in 1907) into a distillery, restaurant and bar, while preserving 85 percent of the structures’ original materials in order to maintain the property’s historic registry designation. New additions include a gleaming, 250-gallon copper still, installed in a glass-fronted breezeway between the two original buildings, and a wood trestle reclaimed from the waters of the Great Salt Lake, which serves as the distillery’s bar.
Less immediately visible, but just as essential to the operation, is a full working distillery. Having already begun testing and refining High West’s spirits in a Salt Lake City warehouse, distiller Brendan Coyle helped oversee construction of the facilities here, including a subterranean processing room awash in the warm aromas of “mash”—grains fermenting in huge tanks. Visitors can tour the distillery, attend tastings, drop into the package store to purchase the award-winning spirits (see list at right) or hit the bar to enjoy a specialty cocktail along with a fresh-baked soft pretzel made with spent grain from the distilling process. One sip of the Dead Man’s Boots—Rendezvous Rye with tequila, fresh lime and ginger beer—and you’ll realize the pleasures of the Old West gone “haute.”
If you stop at cocktails and a pretzel, though, you’ll be missing out on the full experience, because the restaurant side of the High West operation is every bit as enticing. After your guided tour, treat yourself to a full-on meal in one of the restaurant’s many dining areas—ranging from the big, open livery stable to an intimate upstairs dining room. Executive Chef James Dumas’s menu changes from week to week, incorporating what’s in season and whatever house-cured Black Angus beef or Berkshire pork the chef has ready.
But the focus always remains on the use of spirits, effectively the “salt and pepper” of the cuisine here. A fresh Bibb lettuce salad might come with a subtle but distinctive vodka lime vinaigrette; a dry-rubbed tri-tip might be braised in cider whiskey and served with spicy slaw and roasted fennel. Not only do these preparations bring out the flavors of the food, but they also make for perfect pairings with the house’s signature beverages: a few sips of High West Bourye, a cunning blend of bourbon and rye, paired seamlessly with the tri-tip. Other recent entrées have included cod glazed with black coffee and bourbon and oven-roasted duck glazed with maple and cracked pepper alongside a wild rice corn pancake. Similarly spirit-infused desserts are also intoxicating at High West: a butterscotch budino (pudding) with whiskey crème fraîche practically made me swoon.
For diners who don’t enjoy spirits—although this is a great place to reconsider that presumption—High West offers a fine selection of wines, including about 30 by the glass. Whatever your beverage choices, this restored, revived landmark makes a great new place to raise a glass to the rich Western heritage of Park City.
High West Spirits and Awards
High West – Rendezvous Whiskey
Double Gold 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Top 10 New Whiskey for 2008 Malt Advocate magazine
95 points John Hansell, Malt Advocate magazine, August 2008
93 points Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible, 2009 edition
High West Vodka 7000'
Gold Medal International Review of Spirits, September 2009
Silver Medal 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
92 points Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel magazine, November 2008
91 points (Exceptional) – Beverage Testing Institute, September 2009
Highly Recommended Paul Pacult, Spirit Journal, September 2009
High West Rocky Mountain Rye Whiskey – 21 Year Old
89 points John Hansell, Malt Advocate magazine, Fall 2009
High West Rocky Mountain Rye Whiskey – 16 Year Old
86 points John Hansell, Malt Advocate magazine, Fall 2009
High West Bourye (a blend of bourbon and rye whiskeys)
90 points John Hansell, Malt Advocate magazine, October 2009
High West 7000' Peach Vodka
89 points (Highly Recommended) – Beverage Testing Institute, September 2009
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