I’m no one to tell what people what to believe, but Utah has some of the most restrictive and crazy laws surrounding alcohol and it’s sales of such. Recent Utah law changes are restricting beer and liquor sales throughout the state, at what cost? Tourism and entertainment? Restaurant sales? These restrictions are industry killers.
Lets talk curtains. Zion Curtains.
These “curtains” have been employed previously, and new laws will be bring them back. They are meant to literally hide the bartender and taps and bottles from view as they pour the alcohol.
Senate President Michael Waddoups, a Republican and LDS member, has said that bar-like restaurants encourage underage drinking because “listening to the shaking of the drinks and the sights can make drinking attractive.” Despite the need for tourism, he says, “We are not going to become Las Vegas or New Orleans.”
Here are some more legal restrictions:
- A 1 year restriction on the issuance of liquor licenses to restaurants that sell full strength beer IN VIEW of customers.
- You aren’t allow to sell doubles (double mixed drinks etc)
- No drink specials, happy hours, or discount pint nights
- All bars must employ ID scanners to verify the age and identity of the drinker.
These restrictions are considered for forward progress. Restrictions before included forcing individuals to buy private club memberships in order to drink! They would then give you airplane bottles and have you mix your own drinks.
I would be interested to find data on under age alcoholism caused by the clinking of glasses. [USAToday]
pic: Salt Lake Tourism
I’m not sure how to appropriately react to this. On one hand, I understand that 99.9% of the state is Mormon and practices the religion to the letter of the law. On the other hand, this is also a culture of people who would probably love to add caffeine onto the list of the 7 deadliest sins. Like you, I’m not one to tell someone what to believe but I find their mindset here completely laughable. If I had a drink for every time I heard the rattle of a martini shaker or the sound a cool, delicious malted beverage makes whilst it penetrates a tall chilled mug then I would be hammered 90% of the time. What laws like this say is that the state doesn’t trust anyone’s judgement to make sound, intelligent choices about their life and how they choose to entertain themselves in social settings. Of course, let’s not also forget that Utah is home to some of the best winter activities in the country and I’m very curious as to how this is going to affect tourism in the long run.