Eight Settlers Spirits sits in a sleek industrial space in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, where founders Adam Stokes and Ryan Csogi turned their friendship and entrepreneurial backgrounds into a craft distillery. The duo launched Eight Settlers in 2018 after years of home distilling experiments, naming it after the eight original settlers who founded nearby Draper. Their 4,000-square-foot facility houses custom copper stills and focuses on producing vodka, gin, and whiskey using locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. The distillery reflects Utah’s growing craft spirits scene, operating under the state’s unique liquor laws while building a reputation for clean, well-crafted spirits. Stokes and Csogi didn’t come from traditional distilling backgrounds – they’re business guys who caught the craft spirits bug and decided to do something about it. They spent considerable time perfecting their recipes before going commercial, working with local farmers and suppliers to create a distinctly Utah product line. The name pays homage to local history while the operation itself represents the new wave of Utah distillers pushing boundaries within the state’s regulatory framework. Their approach combines modern equipment with traditional techniques, focusing on small batches that allow for quality control and experimentation. Visitors find a modern tasting room attached to the working distillery, where you can see the production equipment through glass walls. The space feels more like a contemporary bar than a rustic distillery, with clean lines and a focus on showcasing the spirits themselves. They offer tastings and tours that walk you through their process, from grain to glass, and their staff knows the technical details behind each product. It’s not the largest operation you’ll visit, but that intimacy means you get real interaction with people who actually make the spirits.