Water From The Wasatch Front: The Most Important Ingredient For Utah Distilleries

The Wasatch Front is a land of contrasts: towering mountains and wide valleys, bitter cold and scorching heat, “The Greatest Snow on Earth” and some of the worst drought conditions in the nation. These geographic variations are not only scenic; they also play a vital role in the state’s distilling industry. The high elevations impact flavors and aging processes, the fluctuating hot-cold cycles influence overall quality and the extreme dryness helps spirits develop their distinctive flavors.

However, water is one of the most important geographic ingredients for Dented Brick Distillery and Ogden’s Own Distillery. Water along the Wasatch Front has a high mineral content, and trace minerals such as calcium and magnesium give spirits a unique flavor profile that could be described as robust, smooth or loamy, depending on the spirit. More than just an ingredient, water also shapes the day-to-day lives of the founders and their businesses, enabling them to craft spirits that reflect the essence of Utah’s history and geography.

Marc Christensen and Timothy Smith, founders of Dented Brick and Ogden’s Own, respectively, both ended up in Utah by chance. It was also by chance—in serendipitous moments—that they found the water sources that are so important to their distilleries.

Coincidentally, Dented Brick’s location was previously owned by well driller Ron Larsen, who created the on-site artisanal well that provides the distillery with pure, bacteria-free water. The Larsen family’s history is significant to the distillery’s identity as the grandfather was a water witch, a person who uses a dowsing rod to find underground wells. While scientific evidence shows this doesn’t work, it adds a touch of mystique to the origins of Dented Brick’s water.

This artisanal well also influences Christensen’s desire to “live purposefully” and to have spirits that “reflect … that existence.” He chose to operate a distillery in Utah, despite the legal complications that come with the state’s strict alcohol laws, because of the joy he receives from the outdoor lifestyle. 

Christensen also adds that climate change further drives his unique approach to distilling. “The snow has such a relationship with our water source and our well that it really ties this whole [living purposefully] thing together for us,” he says. “With global climate change … the type of snow we get is changing, the type of avalanches we get has changed. Spring comes a lot earlier, so that affects our water source for our spirits and we can see the difference seasonally in the minerality in the water.”

“The snow has such a relationship with our water source and our well that it really ties this whole [living purposefully] thing together for us.”

Ogden’s Own also receives its water from snowpack in the Wasatch Mountains. The distillery previously sourced water from “The Stump,” an artisanal well in North Ogden. However, the distillery had to shift to a new water source because the well was donated under the condition that it wouldn’t be used for commercial purposes. Fortunately, Smith’s father-in-law offered a solution—a spring in Ogden Canyon on his property with identical mineral content to The Stump.

Smith now hikes several hundred yards to the spring every week—whether rain, sun or snow is forecasted—and carries out five gallons of water. While Smith could run a pipeline to the distillery, he says the process of carrying out the water himself has “changed his life” because this shift in the water source coincided with a health scare, which was an eye-opener for Smith to prioritize his health.

“Having to … hike water [out] and walk on the trail—watching out for rattlesnakes, and every now and again, I’ll see a cougar—it just keeps me connected to Utah.”

His weekly water trek has since turned into a “therapeutic experience.” With the stresses of running a business, he says, “having to … hike water [out] and walk on the trail—watching out for rattlesnakes, and every now and again, I’ll see a cougar—it just keeps me connected to Utah. When you say ‘the geography,’ it’s just absolute beauty. It’s a great, grounding experience,” he says.

Visit dentedbrick.com and ogdensown.com to learn more about the distilleries and their products, including Dented Brick’s barrel-aged whiskeys and popular Glitter Disco-Nut Coconut Rum as well as Ogden’s Own’s infamous Five Wives Vodka.

Read more about local distilleries and breweries here:
Waterpocket Distillery: Crafting Booze With History
New Breweries: Chappell Brewing and Helper Beer