PARK CITY, UTAH (March 2, 2012) - High West Distillery and Saloon, Utah's first legal distillery since 1870, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as a semifinalist in the "Outstanding Bar Program" category in February 2012. High West was one of only 24 bars nationwide and the only Utah establishment to be nominated for the award.
"We're delighted and humbled to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation," High West proprietor David Perkins said. "We bring to our restaurant the same passion, joy and craftsmanship that we do to our distillery and the whiskies we make."
The Beard Awards are a culinary equivalent to the Pulitzer Prizes, representing the highest honor that a North American chef, bar or restaurant can attain. They are named for James Beard, a cookbook author and teacher who championed American cuisine. Final nominees for the Beard Awards will be announced March 19 at a ceremony in Las Vegas. The nominees will be announced live on Twitter (@beardfoundation).
High West's Beard nomination is the latest in a list of significant accolades for the restaurant and distillery, which opened just five years ago. Whiskey Advocate Magazine named High West its 2011 "Whiskey Pioneer of the Year," readers of Salt Lake City Weekly voted High West the "Best Park City Restaurant," and the distillery and its products have been featured in publications ranging from Wine Spectator and the Wall Street Journal, to Huffington Post, Delta Sky Magazine and the Boston Globe.
To learn more about High West's line of handcrafted spirits and cuisine, contact Christa Graff of Graff Public Relations, LLC, at 435-640-7921 or christa@graffpr.com.
About High West Distillery & Saloon
High West Distillery and Saloon is Utah's first legal distillery since 1870. Located at exactly 7,000 feet above sea level in Old Town Park City, it is the world's only ski-in gastro-distillery. High West's passion is crafting distinctive and delicious whiskeys and marrying them with outstanding victuals. High West whiskeys have received numerous awards and accolades and in 2011 Whiskey Advocate Magazine named the distillery its "Whiskey Pioneer of the Year." The High West Saloon, located adjacent to the distillery, is a Zagat rated, family-friendly, full-service restaurant and bar that was voted "Best Park City Restaurant" by readers of City Weekly in 2011. Visitors can enjoy contemporary Western comfort food next to High West's hand hammered 250-gallon copper pot still in a renovated 100-year-old livery stable and Victorian mining-era home. High West's renovation of the buildings earned the 2010 Utah Heritage Foundation Award for Adaptive Use, and both structures are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. High West products are available in 29 states throughout the U.S., as well as in Australia, Canada, China and the United Kingdom. They are available for retail purchase seven days a week and on holidays. For more information and to find where to buy High West products near you, please visit http://www.highwest.com/.