liqour laws change in utah

[jasoncapecod]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_ ... iquor_laws

 

[Admin]

I was wondering about how long it would take someone here to comment. I was deliberately avoiding being the first to do so.

In a nutshell:
1. No more private clubs -- they'll be bars here just like everywhere else.
2. New restaurants cannot have sit-at bars. I suspect that restaurateurs will simply open a separate facility under the same roof. Existing establishments will be grandfathered in.
3. Zion curtains at existing restaurant bars will be eliminated.
4. DUI penalties will be strengthened.

All takes effect July 1.

 

[rfarren]

1. No more private clubs -- they'll be bars here just like everywhere else.

That sucks, more people will start skiing Utah instead of Colorado. It's better when everyone thinks that Utah is a backwater hell-hole where you can't buy booze.

2. New restaurants cannot have sit-at bars. I suspect that restaurateurs will simply open a separate facility under the same roof. Existing establishments will be grandfathered in.

Sorta of lame, but hey, blue laws exist everywhere. Anyways, smart business owners will find creative ways around this one.

3. Zion curtains at existing restaurant bars will be eliminated.

What were Zion curtains? Whatever they were, it sounds nice that they are getting rid of them.

4. DUI penalties will be strengthened.

That should be done everywhere.

 

[socal]

The changes don't really seem to do all that much for tourists (except for seeming a little less strange to first time visitors).

Now if they could figure out a way for me to get a real drink (more than 1oz of liquor) it would be perfect. Maybe bring back the sidecars that they got rid of in the last few years? Some of my group ordered margaritas. 1oz of tequila and 10 or so of sour mix just looked horrible. After my last trip I took notice of how my typical drink (kettle one and soda) is poured around here. There's 2x-2.5x as much vodka in my drinks around here than in SLC. I'd pay $20 at the door if they'd pour me a real drink since I end up ordering a whole lot more than usual at cheaper, but still expensive prices ($7+ per drink).

The whole private club thing never really bothered me. After paying $15 for a cheese burger the $4 membership fee for me and my group never really bothered me. The Zion curtain thing, who cares if they pour behind a window or not.

 

[Admin]

The changes don't really seem to do all that much for tourists (except for seeming a little less strange to first time visitors).

That's critical to our tourism industry.

Now if they could figure out a way for me to get a real drink (more than 1oz of liquor) it would be perfect.

That happened last year, when it went to 1.5 oz. at the same time that they eliminated sidecars. Some places still pour 1 oz. as before, but then you should take your business elsewhere if that bothers you.

Some of my group ordered margaritas. 1oz of tequila and 10 or so of sour mix just looked horrible.

You're ordering margaritas in the wrong place. In addition to the comment above regarding some places still pouring 1 oz., when made properly (i.e. not made by adding margarita mix alone to tequila) you could end up with significantly more booze than 1.5 oz. through the use of "flavorings." Ever notice how a slew of bottles behind the bar are marked with that big orange "flavorings" label? The 1.5 oz. applies to the primary liquor -- other "flavorings" can be added to create mixed drink. So, order a margarita made with tequila, sour mix, Cointreau, etc. and you can actually get a rather potent cocktail.

 

[flyover]

From the Yahoo article, linked above:

Bilyard, originally from Richland, Wash., said the changes should make Utah look a little more normal.

:lol:

Question: Are restaurants allowed to serve hard liquor without charging membership fees under the current laws? I ask because I can think of at least one popular establishment that will serve a margarita with your meal without requiring club membership.

More importantly, does anyone know if the new laws will allow liquor stores to sell strong beer cold?

 

[Admin]

From the Yahoo article, linked above:

Bilyard, originally from Richland, Wash., said the changes should make Utah look a little more normal.

There were plenty of comments like those floating around the local media as the changes were being debated.

Question: Are restaurants allowed to serve hard liquor without charging membership fees under the current laws?

Yes, but a patron in an establishment with a restaurant license must order an item of food (any item -- even nachos or cheese and crackers) with a liquor order. Membership fees only apply to private clubs, not to restaurants.

More importantly, does anyone know if the new laws will allow liquor stores to sell strong beer cold?

AFAIK the fact that they don't serve it cold is a matter of policy, i.e. not installing coolers, not law.

 

[flyover]

AFAIK the fact that they don't serve it cold is a matter of policy, i.e. not installing coolers, not law.

Sheeesh, for expensive liquor stores (I know, I know, its the taxes) they sure are cheap. :wink:

Interesting though. The lack of coolers in Utah liquor stores seems so uniform I just assumed it was the law.

 

[Admin]

Sheeesh, for expensive liquor stores (I know, I know, its the taxes) they sure are cheap. :wink:

Actually, for hard liquor and wine I find the prices to be fairly comparable to what I was paying on the East Coast. Prices for a typical 1.75l are within a dollar or two.

Beer, however, is a different story. As Marc_C has often pointed out, when it comes to shipping what is essentially lots of extra glass and water, you have to figure how far it was shipped to justify the cost. As a result, excellent beers that were quite expensive on the East Coast, such as Anchor Steam or Sierra Nevada, for example, are a relative bargain in liquor stores here. Stuff that is shipped quite a distance, such as that Sam Adams swill, is much costlier than it is back East.

 

[Marc_C]

AFAIK the fact that they don't serve it cold is a matter of policy, i.e. not installing coolers, not law.

Sheeesh, for expensive liquor stores (I know, I know, its the taxes) they sure are cheap. :wink:

Interesting though. The lack of coolers in Utah liquor stores seems so uniform I just assumed it was the law.

Actually, it is, indeed, illegal to have coolers in the state liquor stores.

There are the laws we know about as consumers - the ones we directly deal with; there are an amazing amount of other laws regarding all sorts of minutia.

 

[rfarren]

There are the laws we know about as consumers - the ones we directly deal with; there are an amazing amount of other laws regarding all sorts of minutia.

Utah is not alone in that predicament. When I lived in Indiana there was a law where you couldn't sell refrigerated soda in a liquor store.

I've never been much of a drinker, but I've never noticed anything all that weird when drinking in Utah. Does Sandy have looser laws than SLC proper, or are these state laws?

 

[Marc_C]

Does Sandy have looser laws than SLC proper, or are these state laws?

Nope. All exclusively state laws. We are one of the 18 control states in the country.