Thrillist: Utah's Liquor Laws

I see that I can never ever live in UTAH!!

 

What a sad sad insane place. Maybe someday they will join the rest of us, but changing laws about demon alcohol is a long tough road.

 

So anyone on here from Utah? How does the 1.5 ounces of liquor thing work with a beer that essentially is classified as a liquor?

Do I need to be drinking my DIPAs by the shot glass?

 

So I just looked it up on Utah's website - beer above 3.2% is not quite the same thing as liquor. Rather, it is classified as "Heavy Beer." - http://abc.utah.gov/laws/law_residents.html

I think I may start referring to some of my beers the same way.

 

lol just lol at states rights.

Interesting article, though, OP.

 

You think the states laws are tough, try being a student at BYU.

 

I lived in SLC two years. Don't kid yourself, they destroy Colorado with skiing, but the liquor laws blew ass. The article doesn't mention some of the really annoying ones, like you're only allowed to have one drink in front of you at a time. You can be at a pub (Desert Edge in my case), and the waitress will ask if you want another beer. Of course, you'll say yes, and when she brings you the next one, she'll take away the one in front of you, no matter how much is left. The other law that sucked ass was that beer was treated like liquor. Anything over 3.2 was sold by the bottle and taxed by the bottle. It was only sold at state liquour stores, and could not be refrigerated. So, if you wanted a 6-pack of a premium beer, you bought 6 individual bottles (min $2 each in the late 90's), and the fuckers were sitting out at 90 degrees all the time. Driving to Wyoming or Nevada seemed a lot more realistic then.

 

Epic moved here because Utah sucks!

 

People tell me it's better now than when I lived there, but I don't understand how the breweries there work, either. Epic's move (or expansion) to Denver says a lot, imo. It was fucking crazy to go to a brew-pub, and if you ordered a stout, an ipa, an amber or a porter, and they were all 3.2% How the fuck does that work?

 

They sell a lot of beer out of state; also a lot of 4% ABV draft locally. SLC is a relatively normal place but you can travel to another planet by driving 30 minutes or so.

 

No thanks.

 

Not really sure what you are asking here. Say I go into Squatters (a brewpub) I can order a beer above 4% ABV (bottled), but you have to get something to eat with it. If I go to Uinta brewery, they cannot serve you a brew over 4% as far as I know, but it's been along time since I've been there (they do serve food). You can go into Squatters, Uinta, Moab Brewery, Rooster's and buy any beer (bottled) over 4% ABV to go. The thing that really piss'es me off is that I cannot get a brew on tap that is over 4% ABV. By the way Epic SUCKS!

 

So what you're saying is that you can't buy a fresh pint of beer at a brewery. That is the definition of suck. Do they get to sell the beer directly to the customer, or do they have to sell it to the state of Utah, buy it back, stick a green sticker on it, and then sell it to the customer?

 

No, where did I say that. You can go into Uinta, Wasatch breweries and buy any beer they have for sale to go. You can go into any brewpub or brewery and have a 4% ABV brew to drink their. You can also go into any brewpub and/or brewery and buy their over 4% ABV brew to go, but to drink it there you need to buy something to eat. Some of the beers (over 4% ABV) are for sale at the SLS, just depends on what the brewery/brewpub decide's to sell to them (DABC). Usually the brewpubs sell there 4% higher ABV brews to the public at a higher cost then if the SLS sells them.

 

To make it simple. Any beer sold in a bottle (4% ABV or higher) is available to the public one way or another. Like I said, what SUCKS is that any beer over 4% ABV is not available on-tap, but only in a bottle. Again Epic Brewery SUCKS!

Cheers!

 

Ha, I don't even want to live in Utah!

 

Utah is insanely beautiful though. Landscape like no other place on earth. Great for a visit.

 

For the beer yes, if you are an outdoor person it's one of the best places on this planet to explore.