Boozetique’s Picks

Four years ago, Ivy Earnest and Josh Stippich moved into a quaint Broadway storefront to open E3 Modern. Outfitted with high ceilings and eclectic furniture, the shop became home to Stippich’s sculptural audio horn speakers, which gently infuse tunes through the space. When Earnest headed to the nearby State Wine Store, she says, she realized that the only place to purchase a wine bag was at the dollar store, “so I just jumped in and started buying little things to sell.” Wine bags led to bricolages of cocktail and wine accessories, arranged gracefully on the modern shelves and tables throughout the store—many of which were designed by the adroit Stippich.

Soon, the Boozetique at E3 Modern, the stylish Salt Lake emporium of cocktail accoutrements, was in full force. “Every single year, Boozetique gets bigger and bigger,” says Earnest. Now, the chic, neon cursive of the Boozetique sign on the shop’s large storefront windows has become an icon of downtown Salt Lake and its progressive cocktail scene. Read on for just a few of Earnest’s cocktail-making favorites, and be sure to watch for her all-local must-haves.

Basics and Bestsellers

Whether you’ve only become recently acquainted with the art of the cocktail or you’re a bonafide connoisseur, Boozetique has its visitors covered with the basic necessities. The shop’s sundry offerings range from swanky, gold French cocktail shakers and the classic, copper Moscow Mule mugs to elegant glasses and local-brewery coasters.

For those who might pick up one of Boozetique’s how-to guidebooks or recipes for cocktails, turn toward some of the shop’s bestselling ingredients to easily elevate any concoction to the next level. Luxardo’s maraschino cherries are as luxe as they sound: Steeped in opaque, sticky syrup, these sour marasca cherries are dense, nutty and fruit-forward. For dirty martinis, look toward Boozetique’s collection of various olives, and for a refreshing Dark ’N’ Stormy, open up the shop’s small fridge to grab an ice-cold bottle of piquant ginger beer, courtesy of local favorite Garwood’s Ginger Beer—a personal go-to for Earnest. All these elements offer a great chance to improvise cocktails, too: “Just like cooking,” says Earnest, “you can make drinks up as you go [and] with what you have!”

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

While Boozetique touts popular cocktail flavorings like the widely used Angostura and Scrappy’s bitters, some of the shop’s biggest cocktail-ingredient stars are all locally made. “I tell people all the time how good these are,” Earnest says, gesturing toward Boozetique’s bitters-testing station, a silver tray stocked with a mélange of the small, charming bottles of aromatic extracts and infusions. You’ve likely seen Bitters Lab’s complex Apricot Vanilla and Habanero Lime bitters at the Downtown Farmers Market, while Beehive Bitters Co.’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Caramelized Orange bitters is one of Earnest’s most high-profile products for locals and tourists alike.

In contrast to the more bitter and sour cocktail enhancers, Utah’s Bottle & Bee and Fizzbloom have some sweet and delightful alternatives. Bottle & Bee’s small-batch artisan syrups range from grenadine to orgeat and lavender honey, while Fizzbloom’s simple syrups—sweetened with cane sugar and stevia—include elderflower and ginger flavors. “Fizzbloom’s rose simple syrup is so good,” says Earnest.

To spice things up in your Sunday-morning Bloody Mary, turn to Boneyard’s Bloody Blend for a bold and satisfying cocktail—just add Clamato or tomato juice and vodka, and be sure to garnish with Aimee’s Home Cookin’s Baconator Johnson Bloody Mary Seasoning. Aimee Toner has more spice-centric tricks up her sleeve, too: Rim your margarita with her cayenne-spiced and citrusy Mambo Margarita Salt, and as you settle into the incoming winter season, stay warm with some mulled cider or wine with Toner’s Germania Glühwein spices.

Hidden Gems

Earnest’s present goal for Boozetique is to continue getting the shop’s name out into the local community. With her continual work of stocking the emporium with modern knick-knacks and cutting-edge cocktail accessories, longtime fans and patrons are sure to find something new each time they step foot into the shop. Malinda Fisher of Desert Rose Jewelry has taken her aesthetic eye and metal-smithing handicraft to present delicate, 12-inch brass cocktail bar spoons. Uinta Rock, based in Duchesne County, molds luminous honeycomb onyx—an intricate stone that ranges in color from sunshine to honey yellow, found only in the Beehive State—into wine chillers, wine racks, coasters and more, keeping the Boozetique shop well-stocked and well-decorated.

It’s clear that folks can head to Boozetique for cocktail goodies, pleasant record tunes amplified through E3 Modern’s sleek audio equipment and monthly local-artist exhibitions (since its inception, Boozetique has been part of Gallery Stroll). What many might not know is that Boozetique is also available for rent as a fabulous event space. The store opens up the space to the back of the building and has hosted business parties, birthdays, weddings, sit-down dinners, wine clubs and more. For rental inquiries and to keep up to date with all things Boozetique at E3 Modern, head to boozetiqueslc.com.