{"id":195464,"date":"2026-04-01T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/?p=195464"},"modified":"2026-04-01T16:43:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T22:43:56","slug":"funky-fun-girly-spritz-brings-the-sparkle-to-salt-lakes-queer-nightlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/community\/funky-fun-girly-spritz-brings-the-sparkle-to-salt-lakes-queer-nightlife\/","title":{"rendered":"Funky, Fun & Girly: Spritz! Brings the Sparkle to Salt Lake\u2019s Queer Nightlife"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes the best ideas start thousands of miles from home. For Lizzie Jacobs<\/strong>, owner of Spritz!<\/em><\/a> in downtown Salt Lake, a trip through Europe planted the seed for what would become one of the city\u2019s most exciting, up-and-coming cocktail bars.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cI had my first Aperol Spritz over there, and it was so yummy,\u201d Jacobs says. When she returned home to Salt Lake, she realized something was missing. \u201cNowhere really has this downtown. There are certain bars that have a rendition of it, but it didn\u2019t taste the same. And the atmosphere wasn\u2019t the same either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Comfy
Spritz! focuses on lighter, effervescent cocktails that encourage slow sipping and conversation. Photo: Ashley Christenson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI wanted to bring in a super fun, funky, girly, more intimate space where you can have conversations with your friends.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\u2019t waste time. Jacobs contacted a realtor and began the process of turning the idea into a real space. Spritz!<\/em> officially opened in May 2024, introducing a cocktail concept that stands apart from much of Salt Lake\u2019s bar scene.<\/p>\n

Rather than trying to replicate a high-energy nightlife environment, Jacobs envisioned something more relaxed and social. \u201cI wanted to bring in a super fun, funky, girly, more intimate space where you can have conversations with your friends,\u201d she explains. In many parts of Europe, drinking culture revolves around connection rather than chaos, and Spritz! <\/em>was designed to reflect that same laid-back approach.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

While beer tends to dominate much of Utah\u2019s bar landscape, Spritz! <\/em>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 \u201cespresso of the month\u201d to keep things fresh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really fun to see women wanting to get together, meeting each other and having fun.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

But while the drinks draw people in, it\u2019s the atmosphere that has helped Spritz!<\/em> carve out its identity. Jacobs, who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, didn\u2019t originally set out to create a queer-centered bar. Instead, that aspect of the space developed naturally after opening. \u201cI never intentionally made it to be that way,\u201d she says. \u201cBut then I started getting a bunch of inquiries about events, and it\u2019s grown into such a space for that, which is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
Jacobs openly identifyies Spritz! as a queer-owned and woman-owned business. Photo: Ashley Christenson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today, Spritz!<\/em> has become a popular gathering place for women and members of Salt Lake\u2019s 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\u2019s Drag Race<\/em>\u00a0viewing 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.<\/p>\n

Beyond drag nights, Spritz!<\/em> also hosts movie nights featuring queer films and gatherings organized by local women\u2019s groups. Jacobs says seeing these communities come together in the space has been one of the most rewarding parts of opening the bar. \u201cIt\u2019s really fun to see women wanting to get together, meeting each other and having fun,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Jacobs continues to reinforce that inclusive atmosphere, openly identifying Spritz!<\/em> as a queer-owned and woman-owned business. In a city where bar culture often leans toward beer and louder nightlife scenes, Spritz!<\/em> 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<\/em>! <\/em>proves that sometimes the best nights out don\u2019t need flashing lights or booming music \u2013\u2013 just a yummy drink and good company.<\/p>\n

Read more about local spirits:
\nNotes of Viridescence: The Hottest Hi-Fi Bar in SLC<\/em><\/a>
\n<\/strong>Thieves Guild Cidery Rolled a Nat 20 On Their Charisma Check<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rather than trying to replicate a high-energy nightlife environment, Jacobs envisioned something more relaxed and social for Spritz. … read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":195495,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[13038,340,23136],"tags":[31933,31934,1756,31935,31932,23903,31931],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195464"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}