After last month’s beer issue we found that some local beer drinkers were upset that a few breweries were not into changing the allowable alcohol percentage in beer sold at grocery stores unless it was raised to eight or nine percent. And some, so upset by this, are calling for boycotting some local brands.
I think these measures are unnecessary and far too severe. We are all on the same team and we all have the same objective. We want to see Utah’s wacky liquor laws improved. We would agree that it probably wasn’t the best negotiating tactic to call for high-point or nothing, nor was the dialogue on this issue clear, cogent and unified.
But the good news is that Utah grocery stores and convenience stores will no longer be carrying 3.2% beer but 4.0% beer! Cheers to that baby step! And congrats to the state legislature for passing this.
A special thank you to State Senator Jerry Stevenson, who is now Utah’s liquor-policy czar. He appeared on our newly launched Utah Stories podcast and explained the reasoning behind increasing the liquor content. He said that this ended the practice of a few breweries who were watering down their Utah beer to meet state standards. Further, the measure would allow rural convenience stores —who sell up to 40% big-brewery beer—to remain financially viable. We won’t convince more people to drink craft beer by forcing a monopoly.
Our April issue is a salute and cheers to the ladies. Remember Mother’s Day is May 12th, but mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters deserve a cold beer, hot coffee or a glass of wine with some time to relax every day.
