High West Distillery: Utah's First Legal Distillery Since Prohibition
High West Distillery in Park City, Utah, was the first legal distillery in Utah since 1870, and it began with a 250 gallon still in a restored livery stable.
At a glance
Location: 703 Park Avenue, Old Town Park City, Utah
Founded: 2006 by David Perkins, a former biochemist, and his wife Jane
Distilling began: 2007, after the family moved to Park City in 2004
Saloon: opened 2009, billed as the world's first and only ski in gastro distillery
Second site: High West Distillery on Blue Sky opened in 2015
Owner: sold to Constellation Brands in 2016, according to trade press
Award: named Distiller of the Year by Whisky Advocate in 2016
The story
David Perkins had his whiskey moment in 2001 while visiting a Kentucky distillery with Jane, seeing parallels between fermentation and distilling and his own work in biochemistry. They chose Park City for his love of the Old West and Utah's little known whiskey history.
The original distillery and saloon sit in a historic livery and garage building. The horseshoe in the High West logo honours a shoe found during its renovation.
Heritage timeline
The official About Us page sets out the High West story through dates.
1884: Park City is incorporated
1933: Utah provides the 36th vote to end Prohibition
2001: David Perkins has his whiskey moment on a Kentucky distillery visit with Jane
2006: High West becomes Utah's first legal distillery since 1870
2009: the High West Saloon opens in Park City
2015: High West Distillery on Blue Sky opens
2016: named Distiller of the Year by Whisky Advocate
The Saloon
The official site notes that a saloon was often the first building to open in a new Western town. High West Saloon sits at the bottom of Park City Resort's Quittin' Time ski run next to the Town Lift and calls itself the world's first and only ski in gastro distillery. The address is 703 Park Avenue, one block off historic Main Street.
The building behind the brand
The Ellsworth J. Beggs House was built in 1914 and is described on the site as one of only a few two storey Victorian pyramid houses in Park City. Beggs was a master carpenter who also built the Summit County Courthouse, and the City bought the house in 1997.
The livery that houses the distillery started as a stable for the workhorses that pulled ore carts. Beggs rebuilt a smaller livery in 1907. It became a garage as cars arrived and operated until 1942. The horseshoe in the High West logo honours a shoe found during the renovation, and the layered National Garage and Sinclair signs were preserved when the building was revitalised in 2008.
Is High West the first distillery in Utah?
High West says it became Utah's first legal distillery since 1870 in 2006. Wikipedia describes it as the first legally licensed distillery in Utah since the end of American Prohibition.
Who owns High West?
Constellation Brands bought High West in 2016, per trade press. Founder David Perkins stayed on as an adviser.
Can you visit?
Yes. The High West Saloon in Old Town Park City is next to the Town Lift at Park City Resort.
Range
The current range is not listed here yet. See the official site for the latest bottlings.
Official website
Facts in this profile come from the High West official About Us page, read on 20 October 2026, and public reference summaries. Gaps: the range, ABVs and prices were not on the page, and the Constellation Brands ownership comes from trade press. The site age gate is run by Constellation Brands' system, which is consistent with that but is not an ownership statement. Whisky Clan does not publish tasting notes in its distillery profiles.
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