Utah’s strange booze laws

Utah is known for having some of the strictest booze laws in the country, for example this little gem.

The “Salt Lake Tribune” reports undercover alcohol enforcement agents will no longer issue citations to restaurants that serve drinks to customers before they order food.

To clarify, it is technically against the law in Utah to order an adult beverage at a restaurant while you ponder the menu.

The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control had created an uproar in the dining and tourism industries in recent weeks after The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the agency and its compliance officers were warning eateries and their owners that employees were violating Utah law if they served alcohol to diners as they perused menus or before they were seated at tables, even with reservations.

Why the change of heart all of a sudden?  This might provide a clue.

But on Tuesday, just days before tens of thousands of out-of-state visitors descend on the state for the opening of the Sundance Film Festival and later the Outdoor Retailers Winter Market trade show, Utah’s liquor cops are backing off.

The violations had carried fines of $500 to $3,000 and license suspensions from five to 30 days.

All is not well though, Lt. Troy Marx of the State Bureau of Investigation told the paper: “We’ll be looking to make sure people order.”