City Weekly Best of Utah 2021

Best of Utah 2021: Libations & Bars

49 reader-voted winners in libations & bars, from the City Weekly Best of Utah 2021 poll.

Ask Ave: What won Best of Utah 2021 for Libations & Bars

• Best $2 DrinksBongo Lounge

  Since the Legislature wants to control how much liquor constitutes a drink at bars, we'll get an ounce no matter where we go. This is why we love dive bars—$2 drinks at the Bongo is our…

• Best 9th & 9th Bar BitesEast Liberty

  Tap House Aside from East Liberty Tap House's adorable 9th & 9th patio, the food is amazing and much of it is gluten-free. Our true love? Their chorizo-loaded french fries. They also have…

• Best Bar AmbianceThe Lake Effect

  Immaculately curated cocktails and food prepped with intention is just what you'll find at the stylish Lake Effect. We were happily surprised to find they stocked a gin that we drank in…

• Best Bar BrunchPiper Down

  There is no shortage of boozy brunch locations around town, but the folks at Piper Down have really gone above and beyond with their community building—and it helps that their brunch menu… — Runners-up: Green Pig, Purgatory

• Best Bar LongevityDesert Edge Pub

  & Brewery Desert Edge opened its doors in 1972 as a small watering hole serving Coors to college students fixated on the new trend of electronic video games and weekend folk or bluegrass…

• Best Bar MakeoverBrickyard Bar on Highland Drive

  The old Lumpy's underwent a massive renovation and transformed into the gorgeous Brickyard Bar. It is still a great neighborhood sports bar, but it also brings in fantastic local music acts…

• Best Bar MenuWhite Horse

  Returning to the top of the list, White Horse does a great job serving up enchanting bar foods. Sure, you'll find some of the old standbys like a bacon cheeseburger (wagyu beef, of course)… — Runners-up: Whiskey Street, The Bayou

• Best Bar PatioGracie's

  We love heading to Gracie's tiered patio to grab a drink and meet with friends. The food and beverages combined with the downtown city views just give off a vibe of contentment. Plus… — Runners-up: The Hog Wallow Pub, The Green Pig Pub

• Best Bar RescueThe Sidebar

  The Walker Building in downtown Salt Lake once housed Walker Bank, which was owned by the Walker family who developed the Walker Lane area in Cottonwood and built a beautiful mansion there…

• Best BarbershopSalt Lake Barber Co.

  Need a beard trim? Want to learn how to treat your facial hair so that it's softer? Maybe you're looking for a haircut that doesn't set you back a week's wages? Step into a chill barbershop… — Runners-up: Jed's Barber Shop, City Barbers

• Best Basement BarO'Shucks Bar & Grill/Ahh Sushi

  You can get down at the Salt Lake location of O'Shucks because it's downtown and downstairs in a brownstone at 22 E. 100 South. That coolness alone is worth a nod. But they also serve…

• Best Beer and PizzaLevel Crossing Brewing

  What's a better American combination than beer and pizza? Level Crossing hits the mark in both those categories with their award-winning brews and brick oven pizza. Their Suss It Out, a rye…

• Best Beer LabelingRed Rock Brewery

  Since breaking dirt in 1994, Red Rock Brewery has amassed more than 100 regional and national awards. Their beers are on draft at many local bars and restaurants, but whenever possible…

• Best Beer SelectionThe Bayou

  In 2001, when The Bayou opened its doors, the idea of a craft beer bar was still a pretty novel concept. This bar that specialized in craft beers from around the world was an immediate… — Runners-up: Beerhive Pub, Beer Bar

• Best Beer SidesEmigration Brewing Co.

  Little known fact: Utah's first brewery was built at the mouth of Emigration Canyon in 1865 by one Henry Wagener. Emigration Brewing Co., located next to Ruth's Diner, tips its hat to the…

• Best Brew PubSquatters

  Many brew pubs have opened since Squatters debuted in 1984. Only Squatters has had the staying-power and selection to keep its legend alive in the hearts of Salt Lake's beer faithful. The… — Runners-up: Red Rock Brewery, Wasatch Brewery

• Best BreweryT.F. Brewing

  Owner/head brewer Kevin Templin has been building his reputation in Utah's craft beer scene for the past 20-plus years with various breweries in Salt Lake County. When Templin decided to go… — Runners-up: Fisher Brewing Co., Shades Brewing

• Best Brewery MerchandiseFisher Beer

  If you're even somewhat active in Utah's drinking and nightlife scene, you'll have seen someone sporting a distinctive Fisher Beer logo on their hat or shirt. The iconic, bold red…

• Best Brewsie MarriageUinta Brewing and Nomad Eatery

  When the popular Nomad Eatery moved crosstown to set up at Uinta Brewing, it was clear good things were happening. What could possibly be better than the pairing of some of Utah's best…

• Best Craft CocktailsWater Witch

  Returning champs in this category, Water Witch doesn't just serve the best craft cocktails, their delivery and presentation is second to none. Try the flaming mai tai for an impressive and… — Runners-up: Bar X, Under Current

• Best Day DrinkingWith Locals

  Junior's Tavern Not long ago, a couple from Bangor, Maine, settled onto well-worn cushioned stools at Junior's Tavern. The guy surveyed the joint: A small but comprehensive selection of…

• Best DistillerySugar House Distillery

  Utah's distillery scene is booming with more than a dozen distilleries statewide. Since its inception, Sugar House Distillery in South Salt Lake has endeared itself to Utah's spirituous… — Runners-up: High West Distillery, Ogden's Own Distillery

• Best Dive BarJohnny's

  If you go to this SLC dive often enough, you become family, or at least kissing cousins. The bartenders keep the bar but also the people, which is good since Johnny's beer selections (that… — Runners-up: Willie's Lounge, Bongo Lounge

• Best Hard CiderMountain

  West Cider Mountain West prides itself in using local ingredients from the region to make its highly acclaimed hard apple ciders. We especially love the barrel-aged Stillwater Cider. With a… — Runners-up: The Hive Winery, Etta Place Cider

• Best In-Store Gelato BarHarmons Grocery

  Ten Harmons grocery stores in the Salt Lake area offer gelato bars as part of their in-store cafes. Eighteen Harmon's gelato flavors regularly rotate, explains bakery manager Tynan Montano…

• Best Innovative Brewery MenuGrid City Beer Works

  Besides the fact that Grid City is one of the best new breweries in town, their food is amazing—and, in particular, their default vegan menu (in a twist, all non-vegan items are the ones…

• Best Late-Night DrinksDuffy's Tavern

  With the friendliest of bartenders, it is truly a good time there. No frills—no need for them there. You can even order a delicious veggie grilled cheese, cheesesteak sandwiches and other…

• Best LGBTQ+ BarSun Trapp

  A perennial Best of Utah winner, Sun Trapp has the charm of a dive bar with its old school decor, but it can just as easily turn into a party bar and dance club when the music is right. The… — Runners-up: Why Kiki, TryAngles

• Best Local BeerShades' Pina Colada Sour

  Owners Alexandra Ortiz and Trent Fargher began brewing as Shades of Pale (shortened to Shades later on) with modest means and supplies. Fast forward to a decade later, and it's become a… — Runners-up: TF Brewing Ferda, Bewilder Kolsch

• Best Local Company to Go PublicTraeger Pellet Grills

  On July 29, 2021, Jeremy Andrus, CEO of Traeger Grills, rang the opening bell at the NYSE. Traeger's IPO opened above the planned price at $22 a share, with the ticker name "Cook". Andrus…

• Best Locals Only BeersCraft by Proper

  One of Utah's staple craft breweries, Proper Brewing Co. has blossomed into five diverse locations. There's the original brewery, Avenues Proper, Stratford Proper, Proper Burger and Craft…

• Best Mobile Bartending ServiceThe Hammered Copper

  An eco-friendly, traveling bartending service? Yes! The Hammered Copper is into beautiful, creative, delicious drinks. Plus, they teach classes and serve at weddings and corporate events…

• Best Neighborhood BarA Bar Named Sue

  A Bar Named Sue (Sue's for short) has a stronghold in Holladay and Midvale, and it's easy to see why. Each have diehard regulars at their weekly bingo, trivia and other themed nights, and… — Runners-up: Dick n' Dixie's, Brickyard Bar

• Best New BarIvy & Varley

  The lounge vibe at Varley (the bar connected to The Ivy) is on point, serving up craft cocktails, delicious snacks and shareable plates. The Thai coconut curry mussels and grilled beet… — Runners-up: Aces High Saloon, The Palace

• Best New Drag Bar/Tiki Bar FusionWhy Kiki

  When we heard about one of the new bars downtown, we thought it was "waikiki," a tiki bar. But it's Why Kiki. Turns out it's a tiki bar, but it's a drag bar, too! Island-themed drinks are…

• Best Non-Downtown BarThe Hog Wallow Pub

  Hog Wallow is where people post up before and after hitting the slopes in Big Cottonwood Canyon, including celebrity guest and nearby resident Post Malone, who is often spotted at the… — Runners-up: Ice Haus, Prohibition Bar

• Best Ogden BarFunk 'n Dive

  Self-proclaimed as Ogden's "five star dive bar", Funk 'n Dive is a no frills, good-time bar that patrons have flocked to for years. Partners and longtime friends Bridget Gordon and Dave… — Runners-up: Brewskis, The Angry Goat Pub & Kitche

• Best Park City BarNo Name Saloon

  No Name Saloon is one of those Park City bars that gets packed because, yes, it's on Main Street, oozes with local history and serves incredible buffalo burgers and craft beverages, but… — Runners-up: The Cabin, O'Shucks

• Best Public ArtSpiral Jetty

  When the late artist Robert Smithson spied the Great Salt Lake's blood red waters and stark, barren northeastern shore, he knew he had found the perfect spot to construct his massive… — Runners-up: Black Lives Matter murals, Tied: Gilgal Sculpture Garden, Squatters' mural

• Best Public Golf CourseBonneville Golf Course

  With its hilly terrain and challenging greens, Bonneville is one of the most popular golf courses in Utah. Just five minutes from downtown, it's become the go-to spot for a full 18, quick 9… — Runners-up: Mountain Dell, Bountiful Ridge

• Best Salsa BarTaco Taco

  This authentic taco shop was created by the owners of the erstwhile Cannella's. Their affordable meat and veggie tacos reach new heights courtesy of their fresh, loaded salsa bar. Taco Taco…

• Best Salt Lake City BarThe Green Pig Pub

  Why do Salt Lakers so love the Green Pig? Well, for one thing, there's a rooftop patio, just the place where friends want to hang. There's pub food that's made from scratch daily (kudos for… — Runners-up: Gracie's, Ivy & Varley

• Best Smoky Blend of WhiskeysCampfire by High

  West Distillery Aptly named Campfire, this blend of scotch, bourbon and rye whiskeys has a definite smoky note that is sure to warm you up while you sip it neat or mix it up in a cocktail…

• Best Sports BarLegends Pub & Grill

  As much as the cable companies want to believe that Utahns are proximity fans of "nearby" teams such as the Raiders or Broncos in the NFL or Diamondbacks and Rockies in MLB, Utahns by and… — Runners-up: The Huddle, The Break

• Best Sugar House Brewery CrawlHopkins, Craft by Proper, Wasatch Breweries

  Sugar House is bursting at the seams with an influx of new apartments and congested streets. But for those that rack up the miles on bikes or on their two feet, it's the perfect place to…

• Best Utah Beer Festival AdditionBeers of the World

  The 11th annual Utah Beer Festival, Utah's largest beer sampling event—one, in fact, sponsored by City Weekly—kicked off in August after a year hiatus. Held at The Gateway in 2021, the…

• Best Utah County BarThe Owl Bar

  Located 13 miles northeast of Provo, this 1890's bar is an easy winner because it's so cool. Not only does it have a wild origin story (wild as in it hosted Butch Cassidy's Hole in the Wall… — Runners-up: ABG's Bar, Strap Tank Brewery

• Best White WhiskeyDented Brick Distillery

  If these walls could talk! Dented Brick, named after a shootout that left impressions in the bricks of a weller's house where the distillery now resides, has one helluva story to tell with…

• Best Wine ListBTG

  Maintaining the spot at the top is no small feat, but BTG has managed yet again. Offering a whopping 75 wines by the glass, cocktails, beer and small plates, it is safe to say there is… — Runners-up: Tuscany, Pago