High West Rendezvous Rye

Named "Distiller of the Year" by Whisky Advocate magazine in 2016, High West Distillery was founded just 10 years earlier in 2006 by David Perkins and his wife, Jane. David, a former biochemist, was inspired to open his own distillery after taking a distillery tour and seeing the parallels between the fermentation and distilling process and his own work in biochemistry. David and his family started their new venture in 2004, relocating to Park City, Utah, where they began distilling in 2007. They chose Park City because of David’s love of the Old West and Utah’s little-known whiskey history. High West began with humble roots, with a small, 250-gallon still and saloon located in an historic livery stable and garage. What was once a small operation in downtown Park City has grown to be an internationally recognized brand with four unique locations. In 2015, High West opened its distillery in Wanship, Utah, which serves as space for educational whiskey tasting, pairings, and tours, and houses a 1600-gallon copper-pot still. The original saloon continues to operate as a must-visit gastro-distillery, featuring alpine-inspired western fare. Alongside the original still, the Nelson Cottage offers unique whiskey-paired dinners, and the Saloon at the Salt Lake City airport allows for some last tastes of High West on the way out of town.