City Weekly Best of Utah 2020

Best of Utah 2020: Libations & Bars

38 reader-voted winners in libations & bars, from the City Weekly Best of Utah 2020 poll.

Ask Ave: What won Best of Utah 2020 for Libations & Bars

• Best Bar BenefactorTy Burrell

  We're all going to remember the first few weeks of the COVID shutdowns as a time of extreme uncertainty. We collectively didn't know enough about the virus, we didn't know if we had it and…

• Best Bar MenuWhite Horse

  A modern American brasserie, White Horse hits it out of the park in everything from shared plates, snacks, sandwiches and steaks. The Egg 'n' Chips—potato chips, 63-degree egg, malt vinegar… — Runners-up: Purgatory, Piper Down

• Best Bar PatioGracie's

  As patrons tentatively made their way back to bars and restaurants during the summer, it was helpful for the locations to have an attractive outdoor setup. That's been a significant appeal… — Runners-up: Hog Wallow, Green Pig

• Best Bar RenovationBrickyard Bar

  For years, Lumpy's on Highland was a staple in the local bar scene, though years of partying caused wear and tear on the building. Now under new management and fresh off a quarter of a…

• Best BarbershopJed's

  Barber Shop Did an extended quarantine and months without human interaction leave you a little too comfortable with a scraggly beard or unkempt hair? Get back to your confident 2019 self at… — Runners-up: Salt Lake Barber Co., City Barbers

• Best Beer ArtUinta Brewing

  Way back before Utah even conceived of a vibrant beer/distillery scene, rocker Rod Stewart sang "Every Picture Tells a Story." That notion is forever true at Uinta Brewing, where every can…

• Best Beer BattlersBewilder Brewing Co.

  Utah homebrewers know Cody McKendrick and Ross Metzger of Salt City Brew Supply fame. They opened their years-long dream, Bewilder Brewing, in mid-December 2019. Then, 2020 happened and…

• Best Beer SelectionThe Bayou

  Though some other local venues have taken up the digital menu model for viewing taps, there's no contesting that The Bayou still started it first, and they've still got the hefty beer… — Runners-up: Beerhive Pub, Beer Bar

• Best Beers That Don'tTaste Like Beer

  Shades Brewing Breweries know that they have the attention of beer fans; it's the beer-averse folks they'd really like to woo. The brewery that has found the most success at bridging the…

• Best BreweryFisher Brewing Co.

  There are many ways to create a successful business model. But it takes real insight to find a formula that fires on all cylinders. Fisher fans not only find the beer delicious, they also… — Runners-up: Shades Brewing, TF Brewing

• Best Brewery Crawl—South DowntownEpic, Proper, TF, Fisher, Kiitos

  It goes without saying that the recent SLC brewery boom has given us a shload of great beers, but it's also provided us a safe and efficient way to patronize breweries on foot, bike or…

• Best Brewery Crawl—South Salt LakeRoHa, Level Crossing, Saltfire,

  Shades, Grid City A few years ago, you could barely do a two-brewery crawl in South Salt Lake. Now, there's a tight cluster of craft beer producers who are eager to have you bumping around…

• Best Brewery Where You Can Restock Your SauceSaltFire Brewing

  This is a roundabout way of shouting out one of the many fine breweries in the South Salt Lake area that now seems to be full of them. Among all the breweries down that way, SaltFire…

• Best BrewpubSquatters

  Nobody had made beer in Salt Lake City since Lucky Lager closed up their west-side brewery in 1967. The thirsty folks of SLC would have to wait 22 more years for Jeff Polychronis and Peter… — Runners-up: Red Rock Brewing, Wasatch Brewery

• Best Cheap Drinks in OgdenHistoric Place

  There's no better bang for your buck in Ogden than Historic Place, a dive bar that derives its name from Historic 25th Street. Pints are just a couple bucks, and Jack and Cokes are a paltry…

• Best Craft CocktailsWater Witch

  When Water Witch first opened a scant three years ago, it was touted as some kind of stylish "NYC-style bar," whatever that means. Since then, though, it's become quite the SLC staple… — Runners-up: Lake Effect, Bar X

• Best DistilleryHigh West Distillery

  Utah's original post-Prohibition distillery put the Beehive State on the world's whiskey scene when it debuted with Top Ten honors at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits competition. Since… — Runners-up: Ogden's Own, Sugar House Distillery

• Best Dive BarJohnny's on 2nd

  You can't find a better bang for your buck in Salt Lake—home to the $4 shot and a beer, Johnny's on Second has the best deal in town, bar none. Regulars of the downtown bar frequent the… — Runners-up: Cheers to You, Twilite

• Best Drink SpecialsBig Willie's

  Among the frustrating Utah law landmines for clubs is for them to sell drinks at special pricing. Oh, it can be done, but it's a nightmare. Enter Big Willie's. Not only does this Ballpark…

• Best Evidence of Responsible DrinkingTwilite Lounge

  While driving past many a cherished dive in this city, one might be concerned by the sight of folks smoking hella cigs outside on the patios, all while standing very close to one another…

• Best Foamy BeersGrid City Beer Works

  Wait. What? Foamy beers? That's normally a thing that will get a bartender knocked on his ass—but not at this new South Salt Lake brewery. Grid City Beer Works absolutely revels in their…

• Best Hand-Crafted SpiritsSugar House Distillery

  Where once there were no local distilleries in this high and dry desert, Utah is now home to kegs of craft spirit makers. In beautiful metal stills, the artisans of Sugar House Distillery…

• Best Hard CiderMountain West

  When Jeff Carlton and Jennifer Hamilton relocated to SLC from Pennsylvania, they were taken aback by the lack of local hard ciders available to Utahns. Mountain West Hard Cider became a…

• Best Holy Matrimony of Beer and PizzaLevel Crossing Brewing Co.

  Utah is lucky to have so many distinguished and award-winning local brewers. While you cannot go wrong with any of the beer choices at Level Crossing (made impeccably better thanks to their…

• Best LGBTQ BarThe Sun Trapp

  There aren't many LGBTQ bars in SLC (boo!), but Sun Trapp is a reliable favorite among the queer scene in SLC, not only for its weekend party atmosphere, but for things like its patio… — Runners-up: Try-Angles, Metro Music Hall

• Best Local BeerKiitos Brewing

  Kiitos Brewing saw their popularity blossom when they launched their Coconut Stout and Coffee Cream Ale, now staples on most bar taps. They have a plethora of other year-round beers—if… — Runners-up: Uinta, Shades

• Best New BarRedemption Bar

  and Grill If your religion is sports, then you can be saved at Redemption, a new sports bar in Herriman. Redemption is housed in a newly built modern structure, featuring a killer patio on… — Runners-up: Bewilder Brewing Co., Grid City Beer Works

• Best Ogden BarFunk 'n' Dive

  A city on the rise for young Utahns, Ogden has seen a revitalized nightlife scene with installations such as Funk 'n' Dive. A collaboration between business partners Dave Morris and Bridget… — Runners-up: Harp and Hound, Brewskis

• Best Oldest Bar in Town (or So They Say)Willie's Lounge

  "Give 'Em Hell Harry" was president when Willie's Lounge opened in 1948. And the neighborhood fixture on South Main has carried the earthy "what the hell" attitude into the 21st century…

• Best Park City BarNo Name Saloon

  Home to the No Name Saloon, Park City's Alamo Building, resembling the Alamo, was built in 1905. The bar was even known as the Alamo for decades. Today, it's home to those craving a cold… — Runners-up: The Spur, The Cabin

• Best Public Art300 West Memorial Portraits

  This tumultuous year included public protests around the country drawing attention to police violence against people of color, including right here in Salt Lake City. Among the other… — Runners-up: Spiral Jetty, Atlas - Sril Art

• Best Public Golf CourseMountain Dell Golf Course

  This well-maintained golf course offers gorgeous scenery without needing to spend a lot on the sport (or the view). It's a short 20-minute drive from Salt Lake City for some peaceful… — Runners-up: Bonneville, Bountiful Ridge

• Best Salt Lake Valley Bar (Not Downtown)Hog Wallow

  Everyone who has ever been to Hog Wallow knows that sitting out in the trees and foliage of their outdoor patio is as comfortable as outdoor seating gets. It's like being in your own… — Runners-up: Ice Haus, Prohibition

• Best Sports BarLegends

  For a while there in the spring and early summer, American sports had all but vanished. When they came back with a vengeance—virtually all of the major sports leagues at once—Legends… — Runners-up: Green Pig, The Huddle

• Best Unique SpiritsHolystone Distilling

  When entering a market with a new product, a serious challenge is finding a niche. Holystone Distilling's answer was to not only find a niche, but to produce new products. Their Bosun's…

• Best View & BrewBrewvies Cinema Pub

  There were few COVID-19 yearnings these past months like those of longing to sit back at your favorite theater to watch a movie. After a pause, Brewvies is back at it, once again serving up…

• Best Way to Have Your Beer and Eat It, TooBohemian Brewery's Pilsner-Battered

  Fish & Chips Fish and chips fans, this one's for you! Bohemian Brewery doesn't cut corners when it comes to their pub fare fave, hand dipping cold-water halibut (or salmon, should you…

• Best Wine ListBTG Wine Bar

  It's been quite the year for BTG Wine Bar. A move to a new location, COVID and an earthquake that broke windows didn't deter BTG, which is currently open and pouring more than 75 wines by… — Runners-up: Pago, Cucina