Funky, Fun & Girly: Spritz! Brings the Sparkle to Salt Lake’s Queer Nightlife

Sometimes the best ideas start thousands of miles from home. For Lizzie Jacobs, owner of Spritz! in downtown Salt Lake, a trip through Europe planted the seed for what would become one of the city’s most exciting, up-and-coming cocktail bars.

While traveling through Italy, Spain and France, Jacobs discovered something simple but memorable: sitting at small neighborhood bars, sipping spritz cocktails and chatting with friends. That experience stuck with her. “I had my first Aperol Spritz over there, and it was so yummy,” Jacobs says. When she returned home to Salt Lake, she realized something was missing. “Nowhere really has this downtown. There are certain bars that have a rendition of it, but it didn’t taste the same. And the atmosphere wasn’t the same either.”

“I wanted to bring in a super fun, funky, girly, more intimate space where you can have conversations with your friends.”

That realization sparked an idea that would soon become reality. While sitting at a bar in Barcelona, Jacobs remembers thinking that Salt Lake could use a place like the ones she had been experiencing abroad. When she returned from her trip, she didn’t waste time. Jacobs contacted a realtor and began the process of turning the idea into a real space. Spritz! officially opened in May 2024, introducing a cocktail concept that stands apart from much of Salt Lake’s bar scene.

Rather than trying to replicate a high-energy nightlife environment, Jacobs envisioned something more relaxed and social. “I wanted to bring in a super fun, funky, girly, more intimate space where you can have conversations with your friends,” she explains. In many parts of Europe, drinking culture revolves around connection rather than chaos, and Spritz! was designed to reflect that same laid-back approach.

As the name suggests, spritz cocktails are the centerpiece of the menu. Classic drinks like the Aperol Spritz, Hugo Spritz and Limoncello Spritz anchor the lineup, offering crisp, sparkling flavors that have long been staples of European aperitivo culture.

While beer tends to dominate much of Utah’s bar landscape, Spritz! focuses on lighter, effervescent cocktails that encourage slow sipping and conversation. The menu also includes espresso martinis, matcha martinis and rotating seasonal offerings. Jacobs introduces holiday-themed drink menus throughout the year and even rotates a monthly “espresso of the month” to keep things fresh.

“It’s really fun to see women wanting to get together, meeting each other and having fun.”

But while the drinks draw people in, it’s the atmosphere that has helped Spritz! carve out its identity. Jacobs, who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, didn’t originally set out to create a queer-centered bar. Instead, that aspect of the space developed naturally after opening. “I never intentionally made it to be that way,” she says. “But then I started getting a bunch of inquiries about events, and it’s grown into such a space for that, which is awesome.”

Today, Spritz! has become a popular gathering place for women and members of Salt Lake’s queer community. The bar regularly hosts drag events, themed watch parties and community gatherings that encourage people to connect. One of the most popular weekly events is a RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing party, hosted by drag performers. The events bring fans together to watch the show while enjoying drinks and commentary from the hosts, creating an energetic but welcoming environment.

Beyond drag nights, Spritz! also hosts movie nights featuring queer films and gatherings organized by local women’s groups. Jacobs says seeing these communities come together in the space has been one of the most rewarding parts of opening the bar. “It’s really fun to see women wanting to get together, meeting each other and having fun,” she says.

Jacobs continues to reinforce that inclusive atmosphere, openly identifying Spritz! as a queer-owned and woman-owned business. In a city where bar culture often leans toward beer and louder nightlife scenes, Spritz! offers something a little different: sparkling cocktails, comfortable conversation and a space where people can gather, relax and connect. Much like the European bars that inspired it, Spritz! proves that sometimes the best nights out don’t need flashing lights or booming music –– just a yummy drink and good company.

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