Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City's cocktail scene rewards drinkers who know where to look. The cocktail bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Downtown, Sugar House, 9th & 9th, Marmalade all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
DOWNTOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Salt Lake City's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
DOWNTOWN · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Beer hall next door to Bar X (also Ty Burrell). Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
DOWNTOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Whiskey-focused cocktail bar with one of the country's longest American whiskey lists. Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
9TH & 9TH · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Boutique cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu. Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
DOWNTOWN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail-and-American-food bar inside a heritage building. Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
NORTH SALT LAKE · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage live-music dive bar in a converted gas station. Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Salt Lake City or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten cocktail bars that any serious drinker in Salt Lake City would tell you to put on the list.
Salt Lake City's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Beer hall next door to Bar X (also Ty Burrell). Order: High West rye Manhattan. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Salt Lake City? See our guide to the best cocktail bars worldwide, or compare cocktail bars city by city. Or find cocktail bars near you.