Alcohol laws of Utah
Encyclopedia
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. A person must be 21 years old to buy or consume alcohol. The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Utah. It has its headquarters in Salt Lake City....
(UDABC) has regulated the sale of alcoholic beverages since 1935, two years after the end of prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. Utah is one of 18 control states
Alcoholic beverage control state
Alcoholic beverage control states, generally called control states, are those in the United States that have state monopoly over the wholesaling and/or retailing of some or all categories of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits....
, meaning the state has a monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over the wholesaling and/or retailing of some or all categories of alcoholic beverages.
Current Utah law sets a limit of 3.2 percent alcohol by weight (4 percent by volume) in beer sold at grocery and convenience stores and at establishments operating under a "beer only" type license, such as taverns, beer bars and some restaurants. Beer over 3.2 percent by weight (4 percent by volume) is available in State Liquor Stores and Package Agencies and at clubs and restaurants licensed to sell liquor. In commercial facilities, the time at which alcohol may be served is limited, and alcohol may not be sold any later than 1 AM under any circumstance.
Background
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to which a majority of Utahns belong, teaches its members against the consumption of alcohol. Because of this traditional Mormon belief and the large population of Mormons in Utah, the alcohol laws of Utah have generally been strict.2002 Winter Olympic Games
During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (UDABC) relaxed enforcement of Utah's alcohol laws. This helped lead to less restrictive laws that came into effect in May 2003. This came after complaints, particularly after an incident in which an International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
official complained.
2009 efforts for reform
Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr.Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for...
(in office 2005-2009), a member of LDS church, had been a proponent of loosening of alcohol laws. He believed reform would be favorable to the state's tourism industry.
These changes turned out to be favorable to Utah, especially during ski season. Perhaps the most popular among tourists and locals was the 2009 disbanding of private clubs. Effective in June 2009, bars and clubs were no longer required to charge a cover, or a membership fee, which made liquor more accessible to tourists and locals alike.
Even though homebrewing
Homebrewing
Homebrewing is the brewing of beer, wine, sake, mead, cider, perry and other beverages through fermentation on a small scale as a hobby for personal consumption, free distribution at social gatherings, amateur brewing competitions or other non-commercial reasons...
of beer and wine had been popular for many years in Utah, with multiple retail and even wholesale outlets for purchasing supplies, and ingredients, there was no law forbidding it or allowing it on the books. In March 2009, homebrewing for the citizens of the state was made legal.
Current Utah Laws as of November 2011
These are the current laws according to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Link to Current Laws. These laws include restaurants and clubs being prohibited from serving beer until 11:30AM and not after 1:00AM. As you will see from the link above, restaurants either have full or limited liquor licenses which makes a difference to some when deciding where to have dinner or get drinks.Criticism
Critics have derided the state's strict laws as "irrational."Other critics have said that it is a challenge for new bars to even obtain a liquor license.