Marc_C
Active member
Curious as to what kind of contraband. Makes sense for some types, not so much for others.jojo_obrien":2l7zs434 said:
Regarding that Time piece referenced in the Faux News report - one small paragraph, 3 poorly worded statements that help convey misconceptions.
Certainly true. But also certainly true in many other states as well - some with far more restrictive laws, like entirely dry counties. So to single out Utah is a bit disingenuous.Time":2l7zs434 said:
Most people don't realize that in Utah the alcohol content of beer is measured by weight. In the rest of the country it's done by volume. So when folks hear "3.2%" they compare that to nominal 5% by volume of Bud and think it's very weak and "watered down".Time":2l7zs434 said:
Facts:
3.2% by weight = 4% by volume
Guinness on tap in Ireland is 3.3% by weight
If you want the same amount of alcohol that you get in 12oz of PBR (which is about 5.1% by vol)from elsewhere in a Utah beer, you would need to consume an extra 0.85 oz of the Utah beer - a few drops more than half a shot.
In Colorado for example, beer sold in locations other than a liquor store must be no more than 3.2% alcohol by volume, not weight like in Utah. IOW, Colorado convenience store beer has significantly less alcohol than Utah beer.
Look in any bartenders recipe book and you'll see that the majority of cocktails are based on one shot (aka jigger) of primary liquor - a shot is 1.5 ounces. What Time meant was do you like a large drink. It's true, ours cannot be those huge things you get in Vegas that are the equivalent of 2 or 3 normal cocktails, but they certainly can be just as strong. Our drinks are also metered by a device, meaning no pouring by eye by the bartender. This actually helps bars maintain their costs and profits.Time":2l7zs434 said:
That's correct, but that refers to restaurants. Bars with a full liquor license do not have that restriction, nor do venues with a tavern (beer and wine only) license. But realistically, who really goes to a restaurant just to get a drink? And many restaurants have a specific bar area where there is no food requirement. Again, a true but somewhat misleading statement.Time":2l7zs434 said:
I'll be the first to champion softening our laws and also first to admit that we do indeed have many confusing and arbitrary regulations (eg: the number of different kind of licenses), but that Time paragraph just helps perpetuate the stereotypical misconceptions. If people think it's restrictive now, they would have been shocked what things were like pre-Olympics when I moved here in 2000. Of course I moved from a state where selling beer for off-premise consumption was illegal after 8pm. Grocery stores had a lockable canvas cover or cage or something that they pulled over the beer shelf at 8pm. That was Connecticut. I was also used to a ski state where when I started skiing, it was illegal to have more than one alcoholic beverage in front of you at a time, so things like a shot and a beer weren't available. If you had a beer and ordered a shot, the bartender would take away your beer and keep it behind the bar until you finished your shot. That was Vermont. Fortunately that restriction was eliminated sometime in the mid/late 90's. The point is, there are equally whacked restrictions in other states. Yes, we probably do have more of them, but many affect the bar and restaurant owners far more than the customer.
[Why am I writing about drinking laws on an early season powder morning? I no longer find skiing in single digits or, especially, negative temperatures appealing or enjoyable.]
[Admin: maybe we can make this post sticky or put it in a FAQ or something since the same stuff comes up every winter.]
. No more or less likely than any time during the ski season. A Salt Lake Valley inversion is very likely to accompany that high pressure dome when it occurs between December and early February. So no surprise we're seeing it this week, as we did during the sustained December dry spell 2 years ago. March has the same frequency of high pressure/clear skies in the mountains, but inversions are extremely rare then.