Many visitors think you cannot drink in Utah. That is not true.

[Benny Profane]

From Sunday's NYT. I deleted the skiing part, 'cause, like, you know...
November 13, 2005
Going to
Salt Lake City

By MELISSA SANFORD
WHY GO NOW Three years after the 2002 Winter Olympics brought international attention to Utah, Salt Lake City is at a crossroads: trying to appeal to non-Mormons by promoting a cosmopolitan atmosphere, while maintaining the traditions that make it a religious capital for millions. One thing it has going for it is location: the Wasatch Mountains surrounding the city are already covered with snow, and there are seven ski resorts within a half-hour's drive.

Most Mormons still do not drink alcohol, Utahans have the largest families in the country, and polygamy was legal here until 1890. (A sect living in southern Utah even continues the practice in defiance of church and state law.) Most Utahans are proud of their heritage, but if visitors look closely, they will see that residents are also quick to chuckle at aspects of the state's history. For instance, one of the most popular beers here is called Polygamy Porter. And although night life is becoming more active every year, it is more subdued than in other major cities.

WHERE TO STAY The Hotel Monaco, (1) 15 West 200 South, (801) 595-0000, www.monaco-saltlakecity.com, is a modern hotel and a historic landmark that is part of the Monaco chain owned by Kimpton Hotels. The building was originally constructed in 1924 as a bank and was converted into a hotel in 1999. Between 5 and 6 p.m. guests can have free shoulder massages and wine in the hotel lobby. Guests can bring their pets, and the front desk will even lend out goldfish. Rooms start at $179, $109 on weekends, based on double occupancy. The hotel's restaurant, Bambara, offers dinner entrees ranging from $18 to $32.

The Grand America Hotel, (2) 555 South Main Street, (801) 258-6000, www.grandamerica.com was built to add luxury accommodations to the city's hotel stock in advance of the 2002 Olympics. It was designed to look like a classic European hotel with golden sconces, ornate ballrooms and high ceilings. Most of the guest rooms have Carrara marble bathrooms and mountain views. Rooms are $259 during the week and $219 on the weekends, double occupancy.

The Parrish Place Bed & Breakfast, (3) 720 East Ashton Avenue, (888) 832-0869, www.parrishpl.com, is a small bed-and-breakfast in a residential neighborhood. The house was built in 1890 by George Cannon, who is rumored to have lived there with two of his three wives, the owner said. The guest rooms have the original tile work and stained glass from Mr. Cannon's era. Rooms start at $89 for double occupancy.

WHERE TO EAT After years of cooking at the summer farmers' market, Miguel Gutierrez, a popular local chef, opened a year-round restaurant this year. At Junior's, (4) 230 South Main Street, (801) 364-1002, Mr. Gutierrez and his wife, Josefa, serve carne asada tacos ($1.50) tamales ($2) or burritos with rice and beans ($5.50). At lunchtime this tiny downtown restaurant is packed.

Two brothers, Scott and John Ashley, are the new owners of Michelangelo Ristorante, (5) 2156 South Highland Drive, (801) 466-0961. Scott Ashley starts each day by preparing fresh pasta and bread. At night he is the head chef in the kitchen, where he cooks staples of Italian cuisine like pasta Bolognese ($12). This busy restaurant is in the basement of a minimall and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Silver Fork Lodge, (6) 11332 East Big Cottonwood Canyon, (888) 649-9551, a bed-and breakfast known mostly for its restaurant, sits in the Wasatch Mountains. It is a few minutes from Brighton Ski Resort, www.brightonresort.com, and Solitude Mountain Resort, www.skisolitude.com. Diners can linger by the fireplace, eat hearty dishes like brisket ($15.95) and look out large windows.



WHAT TO DO DURING THE DAY The Pioneer Memorial Museum, (12) 300 North Main Street, (801) 532-6479, has an enormous collection of unusual items, some from the days of the original Mormon pioneers. Inside the museum you can find a stuffed two-headed lamb that was preserved decades ago. The museum also has a large collection of crafts from the turn of the previous century, including delicate decorative flowers woven from human hair. The museum is free, but donations are welcomed.

Despite a bribery scandal that surrounded the awarding of the 2002 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City, its residents remain proud of their role as hosts. Visitors can relive those glory days at Olympic Cauldron Park, (13) 451 South 1400 East, (801) 581-6606, where photographs capture the opening ceremony in which New York City firefighters carried the American flag from the World Trade Center, and the ice skater Sarah Hughes glided to gold. An eight-minute film presents the event's most memorable moments. The museum is free; the film costs $3.

Visitors can see art galleries in historic warehouses and local artists at work on Pierpont Avenue (14) between the streets 200 and 300 South. Nearby is UTah Artist Hands, (15) a gallery at 61 West 100 South, (801) 355-0206, www.utahands.com, which features local art including hand-painted greeting cards starting at $4.50.

YES, FREE Missionaries give tours of the home of Brigham Young, the first governor of Utah and leader of the Mormon Church. Mr. Young lived in the Beehive House, (16) 67 East South Temple, (801) 240-2681, from 1852 to 1877, part of the time with Lucy, one of his 19 wives. The house is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Beehive House near Temple Square, (17) the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Family History Library, (18) 35 North West Temple, (801) 240-2331, where anyone can search for ancestors in one of the world's largest genealogy collections.

WHAT TO DO AT NIGHT Many visitors think you cannot drink in Utah. That is not true, although there are some confusing liquor laws. Bars here are called private clubs. All are welcome, however, as long as they pay a temporary membership fee (about $5). In most clubs you can order any type of drink, and smoking is allowed.

The Red Door, (19) 57 West 200 South, (801) 363-6030, serves more than 40 types of martinis ($6 to $8) and has a fully stocked bar for other spirits. In this dimly lighted club, upscale night owls lounge on couches while listening to loud ambient music.

The Tavernacle Social Club, (20) 201 East 300 South, (801) 519-8900, is a piano bar crowded with residents who enjoy a beer (drafts $3 to $7; cocktails $4 and $8) and a song. Here, the highlight of the evening is a group singalong accompanied by two and sometimes three piano players. The best nights to visit are Wednesdays through Saturdays, when the dueling piano show is in full swing.

For visitors with slightly more elevated musical tastes, Salt Lake City has a resident symphony led by Keith Lockhart, the conductor of the Boston Pops. During the week of Jan. 14, Mr. Lockhart will conduct the Utah Symphony and Opera, (21) Abravanel Hall 123 West South Temple, in a production of "La Rondine" by Puccini (801) 355-2787. Tickets cost $12 to $70.

WHERE TO SHOP For the last 15 years, the Blue Cockatoo, (22) 1506 South 1500 East, (801) 467-4023, has sold funky gifts at reasonable prices. The store carries handmade magnets ($3); handmade earrings ($30); hand-blown glass bud vases ($35); and sculptures by local artists ($150).

The 900 South and 900 East neighborhood has a large selection of boutiques. The Children's Hour, (23) 914 East 900 South, (801) 359-4150, sells faux-fur coats ($78) and matching booties ($36) for little girls. For boys, the shop sells Kenneth Cole Reaction dress shirts, pants, and Ultrasuede jackets (the clothing set costs $68). The store also carries children's books and gifts.

A couple of blocks up, Hip & Humble, (24) 1043 East 900 South, (801) 467-3130 sells luxury bed and bath items. The smell of Provençal soaps ($4 to $8) greets customers as they walk in. The store sells soft robes ($59), pillow shams ($50), and linen duvets ($125 to $325.)

HOW TO STAY WIRED The main branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, (25) 210 East 400 South, (801) 524-8200, offers a free hour of high-speed Internet access per day. Visitors must present a picture ID to receive a temporary pass. The library is in a striking building, with a four-story high wall of rounded glass. For serious work, the best place to sit is in the technology center.

>YOUR FIRST TIME OR YOUR 10TH No trip to Salt Lake is complete without a drive through the Wasatch Mountains. Venture into Big Cottonwood Canyon, (26) on the highway that bears that name, for mountain views, snow-covered trees and rivers. Signs posted at the bottom of the canyon will alert you to road conditions.
HOW TO GET THERE Delta has a hub in Salt Lake City, so it is usually fairly easy to find flights here. From Kennedy Airport, nonstop round-trip tickets were priced at about $300 for early December. American, Continental and Southwest also fly into Salt Lake International Airport.

GETTING AROUND Downtown Salt Lake City is easy to navigate with public transportation. City streets are on a grid system centered on the Mormon Temple. The address of a building three blocks southeast of the temple would be 300 South 300 East. The city's light rail train, TRAX, is clean and reliable. An all-day pass for TRAX and public buses costs $3.50. A rental car is more convenient for exploring outlying areas.

[stump832]

I don't know. Seems far-fetched.

[Arty50]

Have fun ordering a double.

[Lynx]

maybe you should have deleted everything but the skiing part cause, i donno, that shit it pretty boring to read through. Those of us who live here know it's not really that hard to get drunk, and those people who don't live here and won't because they are scared of the drinking laws make it better for the rest of us.

but sont listen to me, i'm drunk.

[MacDaddy]

Boring!

It reads like a cheap ad!

It should read "how to get a drink in UT with out getting hassled" then the author should change the entire context. but what do I know I'm still buzzed from last night!

Thanks for sharing

[Dirty Hoar]

Have fun ordering a double.

Jeez everyone, leave us Utah drunks alone. We have NO PROBLEMS getting our drink on!!!
Liquor store - Pros - Yep, they sell liquor. The same stuff you get. That includes 6% beer. Cons - they're closed on Sunday
Clubs - Quite many in fact and hot chics to boot. Pay for a membership or weasle your away around it. Not a problem.
Want to order a double in a club? That's easy: 1 margarita with a side-car please. Hmmm, that was hard.
Every corner store sells 3.2 beer 7 days a week. Believe it or not... it still gets you drunk just fine and really doesn't take much more.
So sorry all you Utah haters, our perceived drinking problems really aren't as bad as people like to think they are. No shortage of AA members here.

By the way, I am not a drunk. I just play one now and then.

[Ski Monkey]

Liquor store - Pros - Yep, they sell liquor. The same stuff you get. That includes 6% beer. Cons - they're closed on Sunday
[/SIZE]

This was never a problem for me since in MN you had to buy all of your liquor and beer at the liquor store and they are closed Sunday. I think it was just in the last few years when they started selling some beer a gas stations.

Regardless, seeing some of the posters times from last night and realizing how blasted they were I'm impressed with the level of coherency. Kudos everyone.

[Red Baron]

The liquor laws in Indiana were way stranger in some ways; no liquor/wine sales on Sunday (same as Utah) but there, they roped off the aisle in the grocery store - and no cold beer at all, anywhere (at retail) , 7 days a week. Bars and restaurants, excluded, of course.

[Nohillsnearby]

The liquor laws in Indiana were way stranger in some ways; no liquor/wine sales on Sunday (same as Utah) but there, they roped off the aisle in the grocery store - and no cold beer at all, anywhere (at retail) , 7 days a week. Bars and restaurants, excluded, of course.

The aisle isn't roped off any more. In fact, at the Meijer I shop, the moved the beer and liquor to the next aisle after the frozen foods.

Oh, and South Carolina sucks even more-you can't buy alcoholic drinks in restaurants on Sunday. Found that out because I wanted a Wallaby Darned at Outback one time.

[Benny Profane]

Ha! just thought I'd grab a quick quote from a boring "data" article for tourons, and didn't think I'd start something. I thought the hotel info was more important.

Here's another strange drinking situation for skiers - Utah (well, we know), and Vermont (eastern dirtbag upper middle class proto athletic hippie frat thing), have the same law: only one drink at a time [no shot and a beer ]

[AKBckntry]

...only one drink at a time [no shot and a beer ]

Somewhat, but not completely true. There are ways to get more than one drink at a time, at restaurants no less. One of my friends achieved this at Chili's not too long ago.

I can also verify the "able to get drunk at will" from my experiences. My friends (all underage) can get beer very easily, and consistently. Some of them party as much as five nights a week. Others play beer pong and go through a few dirty thirties a night.

[Bum Z]

Ha! just thought I'd grab a quick quote from a boring "data" article for tourons, and didn't think I'd start something. I thought the hotel info was more important.

Here's another strange drinking situation for skiers - Utah (well, we know), and Vermont (eastern dirtbag upper middle class proto athletic hippie frat thing), have the same law: only one drink at a time [no shot and a beer ]

You can have more than one drink at a time, legally, in restaurants. 2 containers is the limit, and one liquor drink. (restaurants) So, you can order a shot and a beer, or have two beers. 5 oz. of wine is the max, unless you buy a bottle. In clubs, you can have 2 drinks, so you can order a double. You'll just pay double.

Ignore everything I just posted. Drinking is illegal in Utah. Go to Colorado or Tahoe, where they have alcohol.

[MacDaddy]

Jeez everyone, leave us Utah drunks alone. We have NO PROBLEMS getting our drink on!!!
Want to order a double in a club? That's easy: 1 margarita with a side-car please. Hmmm, that was hard.
By the way, I am not a drunk. I just play one now and then.

Actually! If you order that "side-car" and you "throw it” in your Margarita it will taste like shit! and if your bartender gets cute, and mixes it for you, he will lose his job, plus cost the bar at least 15,000 pesos in fines!

Bartenders are no allowed to mix/shake in "side-cars", thus your Margs and Martinis are, but thimble size weaklings of the standard!
Its all about Money, not god! God is money!
Alcohol is evil, but money from alcohol is good! get it?

fuck the semen!

in the words of TREY and Matt "dum de dum dum dum"


Don’t hate d' player hate d' game!

[iceman]

Silver Fork Lodge, 11332 East Big Cottonwood Canyon, (888) 649-9551, a bed-and breakfast known mostly for its restaurant, sits in the Wasatch Mountains. It is a few minutes from Brighton Ski Resort, www.brightonresort.com, and Solitude Mountain Resort, www.skisolitude.com. Diners can linger by the fireplace, eat hearty dishes like brisket ($15.95) and look out large windows.

I've eaten at the Silver Fork a lot and while it's not terrible for dinner (breakfast is actually very good), I can't believe that it is one of only three restaurants mentioned. Can't decide whether this is silly or scary.

[Buzzworthy]

For the record, I have never been drunk in Utah.

[cj001f]

Every corner store sells 3.2 beer 7 days a week. Believe it or not... it still gets you drunk just fine and really doesn't take much more.

Twice or three times (Russian Stouts) as much isn't much more

[alpinepronghorn]

...the front desk will even lend out goldfish.

Does no one else find this a little left of weird?

[Dr. Gaper]

Do they make a 3.2 version of Guiness?

[Bum Z]

Do they make a 3.2 version of Guiness?

Guinness is 3.2. The 3.2 is the % by weight, which is roughly equal to 4.0% by volume, which is a more common measuring method.

Guinness is listed at 4.0% on this site: http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/calories.php

So, the answer to your question is, yes.

[Dr. Gaper]

Then I think I should be OK in SLC!!!

[Dirty Hoar]

Twice or three times (Russian Stouts) as much isn't much more

I'm not going to get all scientific here, I'm just going by experience. Let's compare Utah Bud Light against regular Bud light. If I drink 6 regular Bud Lights how many Utah Bud Lights am I going to have to drink to get the same buzz? Personally, I really can't tell the difference with the mainstream domestic beers. What percentage of alchohol does regular Bud Light have anyway? I don't think it's 6% is it? I thought it was like 5% or something. Now I can definitely tell the difference between Utah 3.2 and a true 6% beer like New Castle Brown Ale for example.
My point is... Do you really think there is that much difference between domestic Utah beer and regular domestic beer besides the labeling? And exactly what is the difference in labeling?

[SteepnDeep]

I can purchase booze 24x7 here in the great corrupt state of Illinois, which is nice...

It appears their is no reason to tip for a cocktail in Utah, correct?

[MacDaddy]

I really can't tell the difference with the mainstream domestic beers. What percentage of alchohol does regular Bud Light have anyway? I don't think it's 6% is it? I thought it was like 5% or something. Now I can definitely tell the difference between Utah 3.2 and a true 6% beer like New Castle Brown Ale for example.
My point is... Do you really think there is that much difference between domestic Utah beer and regular domestic beer besides the labeling? And exactly what is the difference in labeling?

No difference in labeling except for the sometimes obvious identification that the beer is 3.2% by weight on either the top of the can or the box it came in.

Bud Light in its original recipe is made at 4.2% by volume. So by comparison Like Bum Z said, a beer that is 4.0% by volume is about 3.2% by weight.

IMO you are getting a slightly different "basterdized" product and in some cases you compromise flavor by adding more water and carbonation to make up the difference!

Here is a list of domestic beers and their original gravities by Volume

Budweiser (U.S) 5.0
Bud Light 4.2
Bud Ice 5.5
Bud Ice Light 4.1
Busch Busch 4.6
Busch Light 4.2
Coors Original 5.0
Coors Light 4.2
Coors Extra Gold 5.0

Corona Light 4.5
Imported Corona Extra 4.6 in Mexico its 6.0
Guinness Draught 4.0

[Mtn Man]

Here's another strange drinking situation for skiers - Utah (well, we know), and Vermont (eastern dirtbag upper middle class proto athletic hippie frat thing), have the same law: only one drink at a time [no shot and a beer ]

That changed last year Benny, you can get a shot and a beer in VT now. Just like there's no smoking in ANY bar in VT starting this year, I don't mind that one.

B)

[schuss]

Is it bad that the bar I frequent most serves mostly beers above 7%, up to 13+?