Salt Lake City has a surprising collection of incredible local breweries and distilleries that are on par with, if not excelling, their counterparts across the country. Here, we’ve rounded up a wide range of alcohol-related events and activities in Salt Lake from festivals and classes to exclusive tastings and tours. No matter your budget and personal tastes, you’re sure to find an event that will quench your thirst.
Hosted by local Salt Lake UnderGround’s monthly print publication, SLUG Mag’s 6th Annual Brewstillery is back on June 15 from 2 p.m.–7 p.m. outside at Artspace City Center! The family-friendly beer and spirit festival will feature tastings of the best brands from local brewers and distillers. Since only local drink purveyors are invited, this event is a great way to learn about Utah’s up-and-coming craft breweries and craft distilleries. Local food trucks, live music, and local artisans round out the lineup. Expect to sample from over 40 different participating Utah breweries and distilleries. Ticket options for both drinkers and non-drinkers (and free entry for kids 12 and under) are available, meaning Brewstillery has something for everyone. Attendees can also “Drink Pink” by purchasing a pink Planned Parenthood commemorative mug with a portion of the proceeds going directly to Planned Parenthood of Utah.
The 13th annual Utah Beer Festival will take place on August 17 and 18 from 2 p.m.–8 p.m. at Granary Live. Hosted by the Salt Lake City Weekly, Utah Beer Festival is the largest drinking event in Utah, featuring over 200 different beers, ciders, hard seltzers, and kombucha cocktails including local, regional, and international varieties, as well as food trucks and live music. A general admission ticket includes festival entry, 10 drink punches, and a sample mug.
Oktoberfest at Snowbird returns annually from mid-August to mid-October every Saturday and Sunday (and Labor Day) from 12 p.m.–6 p.m. This all-ages German festival features over fifty varieties of beer, including both traditional, German-style, and other beer selections from Utah-based breweries. With free admission, delicious German food, local vendors, live music, and unbeatable mountain views, Oktoberfest is one of the largest (and most popular!) festivals in Utah.
The Utah Brewers Guild Wild West Collab Fest is an all-ages, family-friendly festival designed and created by craft brewers. Taking place on June 8 from 1 p.m.–6 p.m. at Woodbine Food Hall in Salt Lake City’s Granary District, the festival will feature collaboration brews focused on promoting community within the craft beer industry. With brand new, one-off collaboration draft beers created by Utah Brewers Guild members for attendees to sample, this is sure to be a unique festival you won’t want to miss!
Caputo’s offers a wide variety of pairing and tasting classes each month, from events focused on various wines to gin, tequila, ciders, and more. The classes are taught by different cocktail and spirits professionals and food and wine educators. They focus on elements of wine and liquor including their production, cultural importance, history, and the unique flavors and notes of each drink. With a vast selection of classes held at several Caputo’s locations throughout the Salt Lake area, there’s something for everyone. Make sure to register early—they do sell out.
Founded by certified Sommelier and internationally recognized educator, Jim Santangelo, The Wine Academy of Utah pairs wine and cocktail tasting and education with fun local spots. Classes range from a monthly wine-tasting class at the Tracy Aviary, which partners with a different local restaurant each month, to coworking spaces and bars as far away as Logan. Each class focuses on a different category of wines, cocktails, spirits, and more.
Cocktail Collective Cocktail and Spirits Education
After starting out offering virtual cocktail classes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cocktail Collective now offers a plethora of in-person classes, both private and public, as well as purchasable upcycled glassware and cocktail kits. Public classes range from overall bar basics, to classes on the history and creation of specific cocktails, to infusion jars. Cocktail Collective’s private classes can include local charcuterie, themed trivia, and custom keepsake gifts.
Bitters Lab, Utah’s first premium cocktail bitters company, offers a huge selection of both virtual and in-person cocktail and mixology classes, all focusing on different themes and types of drinks. With classes ranging from frozen drinks to summer cocktails, and themed workshops such as “the disco era” and “women in history,” Bitters Lab combines their famous bitters with fascinating drink history and a community of like-minded people. Bitters Lab even offers a variety of non-drink recipes for their bitters that include salad dressings, marinades, cookies, and more!
Tea Zaanti, Sugarhouse’s favorite tea and wine cafe, holds wine night events every other week from 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Each wine night features two different wines to taste and discuss, along with insights from local vendors, in-house wine experts, or the winemakers themselves. Each ticket includes two sample pours and a tasty snack from Tea Zaanti’s own shelves. With live music and a cozy atmosphere, Tea Zaanti is the perfect spot to meet new people and enjoy a glass (or two!) of wine.
Holystone Distilling, a luxury, veteran-owned distillery in Murray, offers private tours and tastings of their distillery and premium spirits. With options for combined tours and tastings or tastings only, the distillery staff will walk you through their production process and give you an inside look at the facility, followed by a guided tasting. Holystone Distilling is open for walk-in bottle sales, where you can also pick up some branded merchandise or cocktail supplies.
If you enjoy checking out local breweries but don’t want to be limited to just one or two spots, the Salt Lake Brewery Pass is perfect for you! Guided by a mobile pass, you can take yourself on a tour of fifteen different breweries and brewpubs around the Salt Lake area to get a taste of local ales, ciders, porters, and more. Each pass gets you a $5 credit at each of the participating breweries that can be used toward any beverage, food, or merchandise.
If you’re looking for a guided tour experience of Salt Lake City’s top breweries complete with great food (and beer, of course!), transportation, and a look at the inner workings of several breweries, all while exploring the Salt Lake area, you’ll love City Brew Tours! With options for smaller introductory tours, larger all-inclusive tours, and even private tours for special occasions and groups of all sizes, City Brew Tours has a tour for everyone and every occasion.
