New drinking laws in Utah

Having traveled to Utah several times for the Sundance Film Festival, I was glad to read recently that Utah has eliminated their archaic liquor law that requires drinkers to be members of a club. This ridiculous law required purchasing for a few dollars a "membership" in order to buy a drink. Utah has other liquor laws, similar to other states, that regulate the strength of drinks that can be purchased at a bar versus with a meal. I don't believe these laws have changed. The article mentions a law requiring restaurants to mix drinks out of the view of children. Apparently, common sense still escapes this state. The reason suggested for the change was the lost tourism dollars caused by people shunning this backwards state.

FYI: Europeans Drinking in the US

This weekend, Harvard Square was hosting a local Oktober Fest, and I met a few Europeans at the John Harvard's Brew Pub. They wanted to sample a few of the local brews, but were turned away by the bartender. Many bars will not accept any foreign forms of identification other than a passport. The patron was baffled by the bartender's insistence that he show his passport, which he was not carrying on him. Unfortunately, even though he didn't look anywhere near 21 years old, US liquor laws can put a great burden on bar owners and their employees to strictly enforce age identification laws when serving alcohol. Perhaps, one day American culture will change to yield more common-sense alcohol policies, but until then knowing the law is important to enjoy a cold brew.