Photo Credit: High West Distillery

High West Distillery is known for their award winning whiskeys drank regularly around the country. And their saloon, right next to the town lift in Park City, Utah, is widely recognized as one of the best après ski bars in the world. However, what you may not realize, unless you have been there and experienced the world’s only ski in ski out gastro-distillery for yourself, is just how good their food is. So good, in fact, that they were invited last fall along with five other renowned Park City chefs to collaborate on a dinner at the James Beard House. This year, it was High West Distillery’s time to shine as they were hand-picked to return to create a purely High West dining – and imbibing – experience for James Beard guests.

“It is an absolute honor to prepare a meal at the renowned James Beard House,” High West Executive Chef Michael J. Showers said. “We are thrilled to bring High West’s unique alpine cuisine and a selection of our finest spirits for guests to imbibe, savor and enjoy.”

High West Distillery Delivers a Culinary Journey to Remember

Thrilling indeed as I was fortunate enough to experience this delectable pairing dinner first hand. Having been to to High West Saloon a couple of times, I knew full well that the food would be delicious and the whiskey divine. However, I was blown away how well they paired together. Making it a point to have a sip of whiskey with each bite it was impressive to see how both the food and the spirits complimented each other. This was particularly true of the smoked trout whose barrel smoked flavor played off the spicy notes of the double rye.

Through and through, High West delivered a night to remember. They more than lived up to their acclaimed culinary billing while cementing their status as, not only, one of the top après ski bars but one of the best restaurants in the U.S.