Utah moves to limit on-premise servings - Brief Article

Modern Brewery Age, March 8, 2004

AP--The Utah Legislature is moving to limit the amount of beer people can order at a table to one liter per adult. State law already bans patrons at restaurants and bars from ordering more than one drink at a time. Now lawmakers are moving to prohibit mugs containing more than a liter of beer.

The Utah House of Representatives approved the change last week. It was part of 134 pages of amendments to the state's expansive liquor laws, which control everything from the precise metering of mixed drinks to the disposition of private wine collections.

The House made a few revisions to Senate Bill 58 before returning it to the Senate for a final legislative vote.

Rep. Ty McCartney, a Salt Lake Democrat, said the bill will make it illegal for a restaurant patron or club-goer to order a pitcher of beer for friends until every one of the friends has arrived at a table. Visitors to Utah will find that rule bizarre, he said.

Republicans said the one-liter rule would cut down on alcohol consumption. McCartney said people still can "just order one liter after one liter after one liter."

He called it "an artificial attempt" to limit over-consumption.

"This is not bizarre to tell people we want to serve them beer one liter at a time," said Rep. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George. "A liter is a fair amount of beer. A pitcher is quite a bit of beer."

Urquhart said one liter "is a good place to draw the line."

Legislators are making no changes to Utah's cumbersome membership system for full-service liquor clubs.

Patrons still have to sign up to become members and pay dues before imbibing at a saloon. Dues are $4 for three weeks or $12 a year.

Utah's tight controls on liquor come from its Mormon heritage. Mormon followers are told to avoid alcohol.