Sunday, May 1, 2016

Alcohol in Utah...

Alcohol in Utah...  This is the last post in my series that's aimed at the attendees of the National Field Spaniel Association, which is in Logan, Utah (12 miles north of us) starting in late May.  People will be coming from all over the country to attend this, so many of them will not be familiar with Utah's ... somewhat odd ... laws and customs regarding the consumption of alcohol.

Buying and drinking alcoholic beverages in Utah is a bit different than in most other U.S. states.  First thing to know: you must be 21 years old to legally imbibe (or purchase) any alcoholic beverage.  Though Debbie and I are so ancient we can't even remember being 21, we're told that this law is quite strictly enforced.  Retail sales of any drink containing more than 3.2% alcohol is restricted to the state liquor stores.  These stores are actually owned by the state, and the selection in them is decent, but limited (especially for nicer wines and liquors).  The only state liquor store in Cache County is located at 75 W 400 N in Logan, about 8 blocks away from the fairgrounds (see the green pin on this map).  It's open from 11 am to 10 pm, Monday through Saturday (and of course it's closed on Sunday).

A high proportion of Cache County's residents are members of the LDS (Mormon) Church, and the church's Health Laws prohibit the consumption of alcohol (along with tobacco, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs – but not caffeinated sodas or chocolate).  The proportion of LDS members in Logan is a bit lower (around 80%) than the rest of the county, but still very high.  Not all LDS members obey the Health Laws, as seems evident from the rather brisk business the state liquor store does.  Nevertheless, the general community attitude toward alcohol consumption is disapproving.  Probably because of this, it is extremely unusual to see any public consumption (outside of approved venues) or even the slightest indication of public inebriation.  We've lived here for over two years now, and we have yet to see a public drunk – or smelled stale urine in the alleyways.  This isn't all bad :)

You can also drink in many restaurants, because Utah's liquor laws (and more) allow alcohol only when served with food (with a few exceptions).  Some of these restaurants have licenses for just beer, just wine and beer, and some for full-service bars.  Debbie and I do most of our drinking at home :), so we have limited experience with the drinks at restaurants.  Cafe Sabor and Elements both have full-service bars (and Cafe Sabor is known locally for their margaritas).  Jack's Wood-Fired Oven, Callaway's, and Le Nonne all have beer and wine (and Le Nonne has a decent wine list compared with most local joints).

As far as the more, er, traditional sort of alcohol-fueled night life, the only place around here we've even heard of is Mulligan's (see the yellow pin on the map).  The two people who have mentioned it to me did so disparagingly, and their 2.5 star review on Yelp isn't encouraging.  Logan is most definitely not known for its nightlife :)

The complete list of liquor licenses in Cache County (Smithfield and Richmond are towns just north of Logan):

BLACK PEARL ASIAN BISTRO & SUSHI BAR
2095 N MAIN BLDG A UNIT C
LOGAN
BUFFALO WILD WINGS (LOGAN)
43 E 1400 N
LOGAN
CAFE SABOR (LOGAN)
600 W CTR ST
LOGAN
CALLAWAY'S
54 N MAIN
SMITHFIELD
CHILI'S SOUTHWEST GRILL (LOGAN)
1427 N MAIN BLDG C
LOGAN
CRUMB BROTHERS
291 S 300 W
LOGAN
EAGLES 3114 (LOGAN)
170 W 900 N
LOGAN
EL TORO VIEJO
1111 N MAIN STREET
LOGAN
ELEMENT RESTAURANT
35 E 640 S
LOGAN
FIREHOUSE PIZZERIA
682 S MAIN ST
LOGAN
GALLERY CAFE @ BIRCH CREEK G.C.
550 E 100 N
SMITHFIELD
GAUCHO GRILL OF LOGAN
633 S MAIN
LOGAN
GIA'S RESTAURANT & FACTORY PIZZERIA
119 S MAIN
LOGAN
HUHOT OF LOGAN
660 S MAIN ST
LOGAN
IRON GATE CONCESSIONS
550 W 1000 S
LOGAN
JACKS WOOD-FIRED OVEN
256 N MAIN ST
LOGAN
JIM'S GRILL
101 N MAIN ST STE A
SMITHFIELD
KABUKI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE
461 N MAIN ST
LOGAN
LD'S CAFE
39 W MAIN
RICHMOND
LE NONNE
129 N 100 EAST
LOGAN
LOGAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
710 N 1500 E
LOGAN
LOGAN STEAKHOUSE
2427 N MAIN ST
LOGAN
MULLIGAN'S
33 FEDERAL AVE
LOGAN
NOODLES & CO. (LOGAN)
1430 N MAIN ST
LOGAN
OASIS RESTAURANT
235 S MAIN
LOGAN
OLIVE GARDEN (LOGAN)
1220 N MAIN ST
LOGAN
RIVERWOODS CONFERENCE CENTER
615 S 80 E
LOGAN
SIZZLER # 439 (LOGAN)
1165 N MAIN
LOGAN
SULTAN'S TAVERN
205 S MAIN
LOGAN
TAKARA SUSHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT
55 W 1000 N
LOGAN
TANDOORI OVEN
720 E 1000 N
LOGAN
TEXAS ROADHOUSE (LOGAN)
42 E 1400 N
LOGAN
THE BEEHIVE GRILL
255 S MAIN
LOGAN
THE BULL'S HEAD
1111 N 800 E
LOGAN
WHITE OWL
36 W CENTER
LOGAN

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