booze laws (Utah)

[Jay Lepreau]

Come to USENIX and find all all about it thru bitter experience.
Actually, it's not so bad here.  We will be providing a guide in the
packet you get upon registration, or else a short verbal guide.

1. The only alcohol sold without any unusual restrictions is 3.2 beer,
in supermarkets, "beer bars", and restaurants.

2. You can't get "normal" hard-liquor-by-the-drink except at "private
clubs," but you can join most clubs for just a week, I think, at a
special discount tourist rate or something.

3. Instead of bars, restaurants have on-site "micro state liquor stores"
which sell mini-bottles at the standard price.  You order your setup
from the waiter or waitress, but have to leave the table to buy your
booze.  Or you can bring your booze with you.  Same goes for wine: a
rather steep corkage charge, but you can always bring your own or buy it
there.  A place can only do this only if it is a legitimate restaraunt,
but I'm not sure how strictly that is enforced.

4. Beer stronger than 3.2 (which means better, unfortunately, such as
imports) has to be bought at a state liquor store, *by the bottle*,
which makes it very expensive.

5. There aren't very many full-size state liquor stores.  I think
the legislature was about to pass a law a few years ago prohibiting
liquor stores within some short distance, like 200 yards, of a school
or church, when someone discovered that outlawed practically all of them
in Salt Lake City!  State store prices aren't too bad, except for
beer, and there is one fairly decent state wine store.

One effect of all this is that you save a lot of money at fancy
restaurants because you can bring your own wine.  Another is that
drinks can be very stiff, cause mini bottles are pretty big.

Guess I just wrote the guide.  I won't swear to it's accuracy though,
I drink at home...

Jay Lepreau
Univ of Utah