The Utah Foodie has reached our one year anniversary, and to be honest, we’re a little blown away. It feels like yesterday when we sat down with our first guests from Whiskey Street and Forage, and we dove headfirst into the thriving and inspiring Utah food scene. 

While we often focus on the entrepreneurial spirit and passion that these small business owners have, something that is not always obvious is their overflowing creativity. Whether it’s a unique take on a traditional dish, finding local partners that have the same vision, or even deciding on the look and color of a jam, a lot of energy is put into creating art in the form of food or beverages.

This creativity is especially apparent at Beehive Distilling, one of the first four distilleries in Utah. Founded by Chris Barlow, Erik Ostling, and Matt Aller, Beehive Distilling originally began as a fun idea that was discussed amongst these three friends. But once the idea was in Erik’s mind, he couldn’t let it go. What followed was research, research, and more research, and the realization that their idea could very much become a reality.

And a reality it became. Beehive Distilling opened their doors in January 2014 and quickly established themselves as a craft distillery that had two primary focuses: Make good gin and make it look good. After 35-40 test batches, Jackrabbit Gin was created, and their popularity spread.  Join us on The Utah Foodie as we sit down with Erik and Chris to discuss the history of distilling in Utah, and how gin uniquely stands out from other liquors. We’ll also dive into how their work as marketers, photographers, and creatives influenced their approach to launching Beehive Distilling.

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This episode of The Utah Foodie was hosted by Chase Murdock and produced by Ryan Samanka. Visit our episode archive on Ventricle Presents, and stay connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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