This State Has the Most Bizarro Drinking Laws. And Yes, Happy Hour Is Illegal


You might be in for a surprise at local bars if you aren’t familiar with Utah’s drinking laws.

Utah is having a reality television moment, thanks to the salacious storylines of both Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, plus the recent debut of Bravo’s Sold on SLC series.

By the time you’re a few episodes into Secret Lives, it’s hard not to want to try a custom Swig order for yourself. By the end of a season, you might be convinced it’s time to give “Utah curls” a spin. But before you start booking flights to the Beehive State, you’ll want to plan ahead for those vacation cocktails. Drinking fuels plenty of controversy on these SLC-based reality shows, and it fuels plenty of confusion for first-time visitors looking to get a drink at a local bar.

“Guests are surprised by quite a bit when they come to Utah,” says Benjamin Hoerst, director of operations at Snowpine Lodge in Alta, Utah. From how many drinks you can buy at a time to the amount of alcohol content allowed in drinks, the local drinking laws can catch visitors by surprise.

“The best advice I can give to travelers looking to enjoy [alcohol] in our beautiful state is to trust your bartender,” Hoerst says. “These incredible creators know our laws better than anyone, and they have found some incredible ways to craft strong and enjoyable beverages while bending, not breaking our laws.”

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To that end, we asked Hoerst and two other Utah-based industry pros to break down the state’s most surprising drinking laws. Here’s what to know before you go.

Heavy Pours Aren’t a Thing

You might be able to schmooze your way into a heavy pour at your favorite bar back home, but you won’t find heavy-handed bartenders in Utah.

“Guests are surprised by quite a bit when they come to Utah,” Hoerst says, “and the Berg pour control system is usually their biggest surprise.”

The Berg system regulates how much alcohol is poured into a drink. According to Utah regulations, a mixed drink can include 1.5 ounces of a “primary liquor” and up to one ounce of a “flavoring liquor.”

“These rules are perplexing to our guests and they often don’t believe us,” Hoerst says, or they “think the bartenders are scamming them. In nine years, I’ve had that conversation a few hundred times.”

Establishments can get creative to create cocktails that don’t break the law, though. At Snowpine Lodge, “The Loophole” cocktail includes 1.5 ounces of Buffalo Trace bourbon and an ounce of Blanton’s bourbon to create a law-abiding Old Fashioned.

“This is a great and legal workaround to a common problem: our guests not feeling value in their cocktails,” Hoerst adds. When in doubt about your drink’s alcohol content, ask–and trust–your bartender.

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Happy Hour Is Illegal

Speaking of higher prices, you won’t find special discounts like happy hours at Utah bars.

“If [a bar] wants to run a happy hour or other alcohol special, they have to run it all day long and it can’t currently be on the menu,” says Brooks Kirchheimer, co-founder and co-owner of Leave Room for Dessert Eateries, which owns several restaurants in Salt Lake City and Park City.

While you won’t see happy hours in Utah, you might see “Appy Hours,” which applies the happy hour concept to appetizers instead.

Speaking of prices, there are no wholesale discounts for bulk alcohol purchases in Utah, so bars and restaurants are paying retail prices for your favorite beer, wine, and alcohol. This means you might see slightly higher pricing than you’re used to back home.

One Drink at a Time

Waiting in a long line at the bar is reason enough to buy two drinks to avoid another wait, but this won’t fly in Utah.

“You can only order one drink at a time, even at a bar,” says Kristen Slater, event director of Park City Wine Festival. The “one drink” law means no buying rounds to bring back to your friends, either, and if you want to order more than one drink for yourself, you’ll still have to adhere to only having one drink at a time.

“If you order a shot and a beer at a bar, they’ll give you the shot to finish first and then your beer,” Slater explains. “And if you order another round at a restaurant and it arrives at your table before you finish your first drink, the server cannot put it down.”

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Yes, You’ll Need Your ID

If you haven’t been carded in years, you might find yourself flattered when you go to bars in Utah. “Bring your ID everywhere,” Hoerst says. “Most bars will require staff to scan all IDs, no matter the age. And in restaurants, they’ll ask for IDs for anyone who appears to be under the age of 35.”

And if you’re traveling to Utah from another country? “We cannot accept your home county’s driver’s license,” Hoerst explains. “It must be a passport. Pictures of passports and IDs can’t be accepted, either.”

The state penalties for venues that violate these rules are quite heavy, Hoerst adds, so bringing proper identification is key.

Drinking at a Restaurant? Order Food

Not only do visitors need to familiarize themselves with the state’s drinking laws, but you’ll also need to remember that different laws apply to different venues, depending on their license. Drinking at a restaurant, for example, will be a little different than drinking at a bar.

“There are three basic licenses a restaurant may be granted: beer and wine, restaurant, or bar,” Kirchheimer says. “A restaurant license requires a guest to have the ’intent to dine,’ meaning they must have some sort of food on their bill with an alcoholic beverage.”

Another rule to note is you’ll have to keep your distance from where the bartenders are pouring drinks when at a restaurant.

“With a restaurant license, anyone under 21 has to be at least 10 feet away from where the alcohol is being dispensed,” Kirchheimer explains.

Boozy Brunch? Not so Much

Brunch and booze often go hand-in-hand but in Utah? Not so much. According to state law, restaurants can serve alcohol from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. If you’re planning a boozy brunch during your trip, sleep in and get your drink on closer to noon.

Lower Limits for DUIs

While you should never be driving under the influence period, it’s worth knowing the local law. In many states, the legal limit for blood alcohol content while driving is .08%, but in Utah? That limit goes down to .05%. “Definitely plan shuttles or safe rides,” Slater says.

Ahead of the Trend: Mocktails

While many of Utah’s drinking laws may catch visitors by surprise, the state is ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest bar trend: mocktails.

“A major national trend, particularly among young people, is consuming less alcohol,” Kirchheimer says. “Our beverage menus prominently feature creative mocktails, spirit-free cocktails, and non-alcoholic beer.”

As alcohol-free “drinks” continue to gain popularity, Utah’s drinking laws might not seem so surprising in the future.

“In other words, Utah and the rest of the country are converging in their drinking habits,” Kirchheimer says.












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