Liquor Laws Affecting Residents
and Visitors
General
Info
Legal Age
Wine, Liquor, and Beer
Beer
Restaurants-Full Service
Restaurants-Limited Service
On-premise Banquet and Catering Facilities
Private Clubs
Airport Lounges
State Liquor Stores
Package Agencies
Single Event Permits
Temporary Beer Permits
Private Parties
Metered Dispensing
Wine Service
Brown Bagging
General Info
The sale and service of alcoholic beverages is regulated by the
State of Utah. Alcoholic beverage control is a concept that Utah
shares with other states and countries. Utah's liquor laws are based
on the general philosophy of making alcoholic beverages available
in a manner that reasonably satisfies the public demand. In this
respect, however, the state does not promote or encourage the sale
or use of alcohol.
Legal
Age
A person must be at least 21 years of age or older to purchase and
consume alcohol in Utah.
The following is a summary
of how residents and visitors to Utah may obtain alcoholic beverages.
Wine,
Liquor, and Beer Full liquor service is available in licensed
restaurants, banquet and catering facilities, airport lounges, and
private clubs. Patrons may order liquor by the drink, wine by the
glass or bottle, and beer in bottles, cans and on draft. Packaged
liquor, wine, and heavy beer (over 3.2%) are available in State
Liquor Stores and Package Agencies.
In restaurants
with full service liquor licenses, liquor, wine and heavy beer
(over 3.2%) may be served from noon to midnight. Beer (3.2%) is
available from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Patrons must be dining in
the restaurant in order to be served an alcoholic beverage. Patrons
may be served at their table or in a waiting area. There are approximately
525 licensed restaurants in Utah, and most are located in the Salt
Lake, Park City, Ogden, and Provo areas.
In
restaurants with limited service liquor licenses, wine, and
heavy beer (over 3.2%) may be served from noon to midnight. Beer
(3.2%) is available from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Limited restaurant
licenses may not sell distilled spirits.
An on-premise
banquet license allows the storage, sale, service, and consumption
of liquor, wine, heavy beer, and beer for contracted banquet activities
on the premises of a hotel, resort facility, sports center, or convention
center. It also allows for room service in hotels and resorts. Alcoholic
beverages may be sold on any day from 10 a.m. until 1 a.m.
In private
clubs, liquor, wine, heavy beer, and beer may be served from
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Clubs sell alcoholic beverages with or without
food, and patrons may be served at a bar or table. Many clubs provide
live entertainment.
Although clubs are primarily
for members and their guests, most clubs offer temporary "visitor
card" memberships for a nominal fee (usually $4 for three weeks).
The visitor card allows the visitor and up to seven of his/her guests
to use the club. There are approximately 340 private clubs that
offer full alcoholic beverage service. Most are located in the Salt
Lake, Park City, Ogden, and Provo areas.
In airport
lounges, liquor, wine, heavy beer, and beer may be served from
8:00 a.m. until 12 midnight. Alcoholic beverages may be sold with
or without food, and patrons may be served at a bar or table. Airport
lounges are located at the Salt Lake International Airport.
Packaged liquor, wine, and
heavy beer 'to go'is sold at 37 full service state
liquor stores. There are also 90 package agencies that offer
a more modest selection of these products. Package agencies
are often located in smaller cities and towns, and in hotels and
resorts for customer convenience.
Utah offers a world class wine
selection at three specialty wine stores located at: 255 South 300
East and 1863 East 7000 South in Salt Lake City; and 1901 Sidewinder
Drive in Park City. Several other state stores also offer expanded
wine selections.
Beer
Beer establishments sell beer to customers in a variety of venues.
These include taverns, lounges, cabarets, nightclubs, cafes, bowling
alleys, golf courses, etc. Approximately 500 businesses sell beer
for consumption on the premises. Almost half are located in the
Salt Lake and Park City area. The hours for beer sales in these
establishments are 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Beer may be purchased
without ordering food, and is sold on draft and in bottles and cans.
Beer sales to go are also allowed.
Packaged beer is also available
at supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores. The maximum alcohol
content is 4.0% by volume (3.2% by weight) for beer sold in taverns,
beer establishments, and stores.
"Taverns" are beer
bars, parlors, lounges, cabarets, and nightclubs where the revenue
from the sale of beer exceeds the revenue of the sale of food. Minors
are not allowed on the premises of a tavern.
Single
Event Permits
Single event permits are available from the Utah Alcoholic Beverage
Control Commission for groups that want to sell liquor, wine, beer,
and heavy beer at temporary (five-day) events. These are available
to a bona fide partnership, corporation, limited liability company,
political or religious organization, or incorporated association
(including a recognized subordinate lodge, chapter or other local
unit) that is conducting a civic or community enterprise or convention.
The permit allows for the sale of alcoholic beverages to the general
public, or to the organization's own invited guests for the duration
of the event.
The permit allows for cash
bars and the sale of alcohol for fund
raising purposes. Permits are issued by the commission once a month.
Application must be made by the 10th of each month and the fee is
$100.
Temporary
Beer Permits
Temporary event permits for the sale of beer (3.2%) are issued by
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission for on-premise consumption
at a temporary event that does not last longer than 30 days. Permits
are issued by the commission once a month. Application must be made
by the 10th of each month and the fee is $75. This permit is in
addition to any that are required by a city, town, or county in
which the event is held.
Private
Parties
Individuals and organizations hosting private social, business,
or recreational events or functions are not required to obtain a
permit from the state if the event is not open to the general public,
and alcohol is provided to invited guests without cost.
Metered
Dispensing
Utah law requires restaurants, private clubs, and airport lounges
to use a metered dispensing system that is calibrated to dispense
no more than one ounce of primary liquor in a mixed drink. Secondary
alcoholic flavorings may then be added to a mixed drink as the recipe
requires not to exceed a total of 2.75 ounces of spirituous liquor.
Wine
Service
Restaurants (full and limited service), on-premise banquet licensees,
private clubs, and airport lounges may serve wine by the glass (5
ounces) or by the bottle.
"Brown
Bagging"
"Brown Bagging" is a term-of-art that refers to the practice
of bringing alcoholic beverages into an establishment that is open
to the public for consumption on the premises. This practice is
generally prohibited, however there are three exceptions. 1) A person
may bring bottled wines onto the premises of a full service, or
limited service restaurant or private club liquor licensee (at the
discretion of the licensee) and consume the wine. 2) Alcoholic beverages
may be brought onto and consumed in limousines and charter busses
under certain restrictions. 3) A person may bring onto any premises,
have, and consume any alcoholic beverage at a privately-hosted event
(private party) that is not open to the general public (see
http://www.le.state.ut.us/%7Ecode/TITLE32A/TITLE32A.htm
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