Following Butch Cassidy’s Whiskey Trail Across Wyoming

Butch Cassidy, one of Wyoming’s most famous outlaws, was known for his daring robberies, quick wit, and occasional taste for whiskey, Cowboy State Daily reports.

While historians debate how much he actually drank, one recorded instance confirms that he was fined for public drunkenness in Sheridan in 1893—a rare documented moment of Cassidy indulging in spirits.

Across Wyoming, numerous towns claim ties to Cassidy’s legacy—where he hid out, danced, saved a life, or pulled off a prank—but surprisingly few have capitalized on the idea that he drank whiskey there. From Rock Springs to Sheridan, there’s a trail of saloons, stagecoach stops, and infamous escapades that suggest Cassidy was no stranger to a good drink.

While some claim Cassidy was not much of a drinker, accounts from friends, lawmen, and newspaper reports suggest otherwise. He was once fined $1 for public intoxication in Sheridan under the alias George Cassidy, and other stories recount him sharing drinks with fellow outlaws and playing pranks fueled by liquor.

Whiskey, particularly rye whiskey, was the most popular drink of the time in the West. Some saloons even offered medicinal whiskey cocktails, blending liquor with willow bark tea for supposed health benefits. Cassidy’s Mormon upbringing also ties into this, as early Mormon settlers distilled their own whiskey, which was widely used for trade and medicinal purposes.

Though many of Cassidy’s legendary hideouts have disappeared, a few historic Western saloons remain:

• The Occidental Hotel (Buffalo) – Cassidy reportedly visited multiple times in the 1890s.

• The Cowboy Bar (Meeteetse) – Located near areas Cassidy frequented.

• The Sheridan Inn (Sheridan) – Opened around the time of Cassidy’s public intoxication fine, and its Open Range bar offers a selection of over 30 whiskeys, including Bulleit 95 Rye Frontier Whiskey, a modern take on old-time cowboy liquor.

Beyond documented fines, Cassidy’s drunken escapades range from saloon shootouts to reckless stagecoach rides. One story recounts Cassidy and his friends getting drunk in Embar, then boarding a stagecoach, only for the brakes to fail as they careened down a mountain pass. Another tells of him accidentally shooting a sleeping man named Whiskey Tom, then paying his medical bills in remorse.

Whether Cassidy was a frequent drinker or just an occasional participant in the rowdy saloon culture of the Wild West, his legacy of whiskey and adventure lives on. Today, those looking to toast the outlaw spirit can follow his trail from Rock Springs to Sheridan, raising a glass in the places he once roamed.