With the 2034 Winter Olympics coming to Salt Lake City, Utah is going to catch the international gaze in a way it hasn’t experienced since the 2002 Winter Games. The Beehive State’s liquor laws were a hot topic then, and they likely will be again in 10 years.
Bar and brewery owners let The Salt Lake Tribune know what their wish lists are as far as liquor policy goes, and what they hope to see alcohol-wise during the upcoming Games. In a reader poll and on the social platform X, Tribune readers also told us which of Utah’s liquor laws they would like to see changed.
The most ubiquitous wish from the reader poll? Being able to purchase wine in grocery stores. “We have beer, no reason not to have wine,” Maryann Martindale said. Out of the 45 responses on the online poll, almost half of them asked for this, with a few people saying they would like to not have to make multiple stops when getting supplies for dinner.
Another popular request was allowing direct purchases from out-of-state wine and liquor producers and, in that same thread, allowing wine club memberships.
“The wines sold in our stores are generally from large producers,” Lee Kapos said. “Allowing wine club memberships would give us the opportunity to enjoy smaller-batch wines from boutique wineries.”
(Note: You can make special orders through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services, known as DABS, for items that state liquor stores don’t stock or list. However, you must order items only by the case through this service, and your order will arrive at the liquor store of your choice, not at your own home.)
Six respondents said they wanted more bars and more liquor licenses available, with one person saying the population quota set by the Utah Legislature, which determines the number of liquor licenses DABS can distribute, is “arbitrary.”
As of July 1, the calculation is one bar license per 9,778 people, and one full-service restaurant license per 4,281 people, as written in state statute.
Jessie Hicks said the per capita limit on bar licenses “makes no sense, is based on no real data or studies, and limits economic growth.”
Deborah Merrill added, “The number of liquor licenses for bars and restaurants shouldn’t be limited like it is. It’s anti-business, and suppresses job growth.”
One part of Utah’s liquor laws that several respondents said they would like to see changed is the proximity restrictions between liquor stores, package agencies, bars and restaurants, and “community locations,” defined as churches, public or private schools, public parks, public playgrounds or libraries.
David Kirk said the restriction “hinders building restaurants in prime locations — and I don’t even drink!”
Finally, one respondent on X said that the state of Utah should not be in control of liquor sales.
“Utah should deregulate liquor sales,” Parker McCumber said. “Allowing private business to compete would drive competition and better prices. It’s time to trust adults and embrace liberty by ending state control over liquor sales.”
