The Garten | Outdoor Cider & Beer Garden
Relax, Unwind, and Enjoy!
Where in Salt Lake City can you go to social distance, bring your dog, sit outside, listen to live music, and enjoy a tasty alcoholic beverage? One of the best locations is The Garten — an outdoor cider and beer garden owned by Jeff Carleton and Jennifer Hamilton.
Trent Nelson | Salt Lake Tribune
The Garten is conveniently located at 425 North 400 West adjacent to Mountain West Hard Cider (also owned by Jeff & Jennifer) and about a 5 minute Lyft ride from the heart of downtown. The entrance is welcoming with flowers, trees, and German signage. After checking in with the host, make your way to some tables in the sun or the shade underneath a large canopy. Everything is spaced out to allow for social distancing in a very natural way. Once you’ve been seated, a staff member will promptly greet you to take your beverage order. The menu is full of local options from craft breweries and distilled spirits to dry cider from Mountain West Hard Cider. If you find yourself hungry or wanting a bite to eat, there is a different local food truck each week conveniently parked right next to The Garten to take your order. The Garten is open seasonally Thursday - Sunday during limited hours.
We had the opportunity to chat with Jennifer about how The Garten came to be, how they have handled business with COVID19, and much more.
Trent Nelson | Salt Lake Tribune
Becca: Tell me about the origin story of The Garten?
Jen: Several years ago, Jeff served as a Captain in the US Army and lived in Germany for about three to four years. One of his favorites beverages in Germany was beer and everything about German beer and the traditions of drinking beer. He wanted to have a beer garden. A few years back, Mountain West Hard Cider was hosting 12-season event permits outside to the west of our manufacturing facility. We were overwhelmed with how much the community and patrons were enjoying these events. So, Jeff & I decided to get a full bar license and bring our modern-style beer garden to life. Jeff named it The Garten!
Becca: What is the hardest part of doing business during COVID?
Jen: The hardest part was when we had to furlough the staff. We were able to bring them back in June but the uncertainty has been hard. What’s going to happen in a month from now? It is very stressful. Social distancing has been a challenge but we are doing our best. We take our guests temperatures when they arrive, masks are required, no dancing unless at your table, and party sizes are limited to 8 people max. We don’t want to be ground zero. The Garten has been a lifesaver to be able to open for the public.
Becca: What makes The Garten special?
Jen: We wanted a bar atmosphere that was like coming into our backyard with friends and family. We have a tent for shade and have enhanced the space with greenery. It is a place you can listen to live music and we feature local breweries and distilleries every week. Everything on the menu is made from Utah. Food is also provided by food trucks who are local small businesses.
Becca: What is your favorite drink at The Garten?
Jen: I like the ‘Peachy Keen’ made with Salt City peach vodka, triple sec, lime, peach, cranberry, garnished with a lime and rimmed with sugar.
Becca: What is next for The Garten?
Jen: Make it more of a beer garden by expanding the garden, adding pillars, a dance floor, and eventually adding a food component.
Becca: What is a fun fact that the general public doesn’t know about The Garten?
Jen: We have live music every Thursday. In fact, we discovered a band “The Pick Pockets” who played their first gig here. We’ve kept them around and they play for Cider Pickin’ Thursdays. Another fact the general public may not know is that they can rent our space. It is a multi-use venue that is community-driven and people can reserve the space for small private events at a reasonable price.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about The Garten. In a couple of weeks, we will be posting about Mountain West Hard Cider. Until then, be sure to follow The Garten on social media and go try Jennifer’s favorite drink while soaking up the last few weeks of sunshine.
