During the course of starting a magazine in Park City, we’ve spent a lot of time down in Utah. I love our trips down there, especially because we now have another community in which we can find great foodie products: home-made cheeses, speciality salsas and booze.
Earlier this year, we met the gang behind Beehive Gin, three friends and colleagues who wanted to get in the business of making spirits. With so many in the West trying their hands at whiskey, the group decided to make gin. Their goal was simple. “Gin shouldn’t taste like a citrus drink, and it shouldn’t taste like cleaning fluid,” they say. Today they are making small batches on a small still, measuring and macerating botanicals by hand, distilling, bottling and labeling in a facility in south Salt Lake City.
They gave us some bottles to use for events like the recent Generation Farms pop-up dinner and magazine photo shoots (stay tuned for next summer’s issue). Now we keep fielding the same question: “Where can I find it?” I’ve even had people text me to bring them back a few bottles. Unfortunately, Beehive Gin isn’t yet in retail stores in the area. But, you can find cocktails made with them at Local Restaurant (the Hive 75 features the Jack Rabbit gin, process, black tea demerara syrup and lemon) and The Rose.
So next time your down in Utah, look for a bottle or two to bring home. The Beehive website is full of great recipes. I personally like this one.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Jack Rabbit Gin
- 3/4 ounce honey syrup (honey mixed with equal parts water)
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
- Lemon wedge
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the lemon wedge.
