In a change from decades of state alcohol policy, Utah has changed its arcane liquor laws to be more in line with the rest of the country. Gone is the so-called “Zion Curtain,” behind which a mixologist had to hide his or her mad skills. So I guess the Coyote Ugly chain of tourist bars plans to open its next location in the ski resort town of Park City. This is an example of the law of unintended consequences. I’m sorry, Utah. This is now what you have to look forward to.
The law was a result of the Mormon-dominant culture in Utah. The barrier was meant to foil temptation, of course, the idea being that if a hapless patron saw a drink being mixed right before his eyes, he would fall upon it as with the thirst of a dying man crossing the Utah wastelands. The thing is, as implemented, the curtains were kind of, well, screwy. As this NPR story reveals, in at least one Salt Lake City bar, Faustina, the curtain was glass. So you could actually see the naughty bartender at his forbidden work. Hmmm.
Utah’s famed private clubs — their version of bars — are also falling by the wayside, but that’s not until July 1.
There are a couple of quirky restrictions. Among them: New restaurants will have to build a separate mixing area to hide alcohol from minors. (Are people really that at risk of temptation just because they catch sight of a bartender pouring gin and tonic together and squeezing in some lime?) That one came from the Utah chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which also unsuccessfully lobbied for surveillance cameras in every bar, keeping records of bar patrons, and selling beer, liquor, and wine in state liquor stores at room temperature. The national MADD organization was quick to disavow the local chapter as overzealous; the chairman pointed out that MADD has no interest in re-establishing Prohibition, it just doesn’t want people to drive drunk.
Utahans will have some adjusting to do (see Coyote Ugly, above). Tourists on the other hand will not. And tourism and business travel both are a big part of the state’s economy. Come on, admit it — when you think of Utah, only three things come to mind: Mormonism (and polygamy), that big Salt Lake, and its weird liquor laws. By updating the last, Utah and the rest of us can move on to other things.
A few years ago I had a layover in the Salt Lake City airport on my way from Austin to Northern California. At a restaurant in the terminal, I ordered a beer w/my meal and was carded. As it was my 50th birthday that very day, I felt a mixture of amazement, chagrin, and pleasure.
Great post. I always learn something new on Bizmology. I’ve never been to Utah, so I wasn’t aware of any of this. (And I thought Pennsylvania had tough blue laws!)