Utah Alcohol Regulations

[Admin]

You experienced the difference between a restaurant license and a bar license.

[snowave]

yes, I understand that now, Admin... However, the average visitor (and my nerves and liver) could probably care less about what the gov't of Utah designates it as .

[Admin]

My point was that virtually every state issues different types of liquor licenses, each with their own quirks and limitations.

[snowave]

I get that... My point is, Utah takes the cake for making it inconvenient for the avg visitor to get a drink. (at least in the 40+ states I have visited).

[Marc_C]

On our trip to CO last week, we stayed at the Ogden Marriott. After driving for 10 hrs, I was as a bit wired. I forgot our flask of whiskey on the counter at home that we usually bring for such occasions, so I headed to the "bar" downstairs for a shot. Well, the only way I could enjoy a shot was to order food. And, even if I did that, I couldn't take it upstairs to my room to finish watching the Ducks/Kings hockey game. Luckily, at intermission I was able to run next door to Brewski's (I think) and was able to get my fix and un-wire.

This is the kind of thing that still drives me nuts about Utah. As I've said before, I think if you live there, you get used to the non-sense and find your ways to deal with it so it's not as big of an issue. But as a visitor, it's still a PIA sometimes to just get a drink.

I will also say that in all my travels, the coffee makers in many hotels around Utah are a joke compared to most places I've stayed.

end rant...

It has to do with the kind of liquor license the hotel bar has, obviously a restaurant and not tavern license, but here's just a few examples to keep things in perspective: you couldn't have taken that drink back to your room in Connecticut, either, as CT prohibits bar sales for off premise consumption after 8pm.
Regarding that license thing - I've stayed at hotels in both Colorado and Idaho where the hotel bar had only a wine and beer license, no liquor.

Recall that until sometime in the 2000's you couldn't have more than one drink at a time in Vermont. If you ordered a beer and a shot, you had to consume one of them first before the bartender would give you the other. It is still illegal in VT to have a drink in your hand on a dance floor. In Maine, until 1997, you couldn't take home an unfinished bottle of wine.
There are many, many state liquor laws that are just as odd and restrictive as Utah's. Yes, we do have a couple of truly bizarre ones, but mostly it seems we just have more than the other states.
Your rant is misguided, IMO.

Regarding the coffee makers in hotel rooms - I've never seen a difference based on location; they all kinda suck. The quality of the coffee maker depends far more on the price point/luxury level of the hotel.

[snowave]

I know you and Admin do your best to insist Utah's liquor laws are not all that different than many other states. However, I still respectfully disagree.

Anyway, Cheers.

[Marc_C]

I know you and Admin do your best to insist Utah's liquor laws are not all that different than many other states. However, I still respectfully disagree.

Oh, don't get me wrong - there are quite a few of our laws that are nothing but bizarre, punitive, and not based in reality and are quite unlike those in other states; the Zion curtain, a waitstaff must carry your drink for you when moving from bar to table, the hard limit on how much alcohol a drink can contain, crap like that.
What happens though is that visitor's often complain about the ones that have more in common with other states - your experience with wanting to take a drink out of the Utah bar and the similarity of Connecticut laws being a great example - which then morphs into the stereotype of "Utah laws are so much more restrictive" and, especially, "you can't get a drink in Utah". It's the incorrect stereotypes that Admin and I take issue with.

At least we don't have dry counties like a dozen other states.

[Marc_C]

Until this week, drinking a Bloody Mary with your eggs in NYC on a Sunday morning wasn’t something you could legally do, thanks to an archaic Prohibition-era law forbidding the practice. The New York Daily News reports that this week, New York's governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the "Brunch Bill," which will now allow the sale of alcohol at restaurants and bars beginning at 10AM on Sundays. Additionally, restaurants will be able to apply for “special occasion” permits 12 times a year that would allow them to begin selling the hard stuff at 8AM.

Also, in Massachusetts, happy hours and drink specials of all kinds are still completely banned. In Pennsylvania you still can’t buy more than 192 ounces of beer (aka roughly two six-packs) at a time. In Idaho only one liquor license per 1,500 residents may be issued. In New York, liquor and wine stores can't also sell beer, and grocery stores that sell beer can't also sell liquor.

[socal]

In Pennsylvania you still can’t buy more than 192 ounces of beer (aka roughly two six-packs) at a time.

Huh? I lived in PA for 20 years growing up. They sell Kegs, cases, 30 packs, etc.

[Marc_C]

In Pennsylvania you still can’t buy more than 192 ounces of beer (aka roughly two six-packs) at a time.

Huh? I lived in PA for 20 years growing up. They sell Kegs, cases, 30 packs, etc.

That's because PA, as one of the 17 control states, has as confusing a set of laws as many others, including Utah.
In short, it depends where you purchase the beer.
From Wikipedia:

Beer may only be purchased from a restaurant, bar, licensed beer store, or distributor. Beer distributors mainly sell kegs of beer and cases. A beer distributor is also allowed to sell any package intended for resale by a PLCB-approved brewery containing any variety of bottle/can arrangements greater than or equal to 128 ounces. Six and twelve packs, along with individual bottles such as 40 ounce or 24 ounce beers, are sold at bars, restaurants, and licensed retailers. A license granted to a bar or restaurant permits the licensee to sell up to 192 fluid ounces of beer per purchase. For larger quantities one must go to a beverage distributor which sells beer only by the 12-pack, case or keg. Beverage distributors (which also sell soft drinks) may sell beer and malt liquor, but not wine or hard liquor.

[socal]

In Pennsylvania you still can’t buy more than 192 ounces of beer (aka roughly two six-packs) at a time.

Huh? I lived in PA for 20 years growing up. They sell Kegs, cases, 30 packs, etc.

That's because PA, as one of the 17 control states, has as confusing a set of laws as many others, including Utah.
In short, it depends where you purchase the beer.
From Wikipedia:

Beer may only be purchased from a restaurant, bar, licensed beer store, or distributor. Beer distributors mainly sell kegs of beer and cases. A beer distributor is also allowed to sell any package intended for resale by a PLCB-approved brewery containing any variety of bottle/can arrangements greater than or equal to 128 ounces. Six and twelve packs, along with individual bottles such as 40 ounce or 24 ounce beers, are sold at bars, restaurants, and licensed retailers. A license granted to a bar or restaurant permits the licensee to sell up to 192 fluid ounces of beer per purchase. For larger quantities one must go to a beverage distributor which sells beer only by the 12-pack, case or keg. Beverage distributors (which also sell soft drinks) may sell beer and malt liquor, but not wine or hard liquor.

Yes, PA does have some weird laws that's for sure. Just wanted to clarify your initial comment wasn't correct. I'd assume in may other states a restaurant or deli can't sell kegs either, maybe I'm wrong though.

[Marc_C]

I'd assume in may other states a restaurant or deli can't sell kegs either, maybe I'm wrong though.

Yep, but it really does depend on the state. Part of the dealing to get the 21st amendment passed (repeal of prohibition) was a states rights issue, thus states were allowed to set their own laws regarding alcoholic beverage sales and consumption. As a result we have 53 sets of alcoholic beverage laws:
50 states
federal
military bases
protectorates (Guam, American Samoa, USVI, PR)

A lot of them still include many that were passed in 1933 and now antiquated, rarely if ever enforced, and often downright goofy: bars in Nebraska must have a pot of soup or stew available during operating hours. Some other state (I forget) prohibits allowing your horse to drink beer.

Exhaustive listing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_the_United_States

Condensed version:
http://www.legalbeer.com/liquor-laws-by-state

Interactive version:
http://www.stateliquorlaws.com/