Beer, booze and Olympic revenues

Feb. 4 - Utah’s drinking laws are perhaps the toughest in America, but the Mormon-dominated state has loosened up a bit for the Olympics, paving the way for what may be the most inebriated six weeks in Utah history. Hoping not to seem too backward, Utah is responding to record demand by stockpiling hundreds of thousands of cases of booze and planning a downtown festival. But don’t expect too raucous a party.

InsertArt(1359930)UTAH ISN’T A DRY STATE, but it’s about as close as you can get in the United States. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Utah has lowest alcohol consumption per capita of any state, at just over half the national average (for those who want to see how they measure up, that’s 2.19 gallons of booze a year per person, as compared to just 1.25 in Utah).

To get such low consumption, Utah mixes one-part religion, one-part regulation with a dash of public education.

No doubt the biggest factor is that Utah’s citizens don’t want to drink. Sixty-three percent of the state’s residents are Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which forbids drinking. Alcohol is considered unhealthy spiritually and physically by the church.

DRINKING CLUBS FOR THE DEVOTE

Since 90 percent of the state’s office holders are Mormon — including the governor and the entire congressional delegation — it’s not surprising that the state’s drinking laws are unusually strict.

Bars, for example, can only serve watered-down 3.2-percent alcohol beer (most American beers have at least 4 percent alcohol). No liquor, wine or “heavy” beer. To get that, you need to join one of the state’s 302 “private clubs” — which are basically full-service bars, except you need to buy a membership or a two-week temporary visitor card for $5. You can also visit one of the 489 restaurants in the state with liquor licenses, but you must order food to get a drink.

Up until August, restaurants weren’t even permitted to advertise wine and cocktails on menus, nor were servers permitted to ask customers if they wanted a drink with their meals. That changed after a federal court ruled the laws violated First Amendment freedom of speech rights.

“Many people associate revelry and partying with alcohol, but that’s simply not necessary,” George Van Komen, chairman of the Alcohol Policy Coalition. “Drinks may not be as available, as freely as some people might like. But it’s a compromise we feel is important to keep drinks away from our young people and to keep the public safe.”

BUSINESS LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Visitors will also discover they can’t buy wine, liquor or “heavy” beer in grocery or convenience stores. The state handles all such sales from 76 liquor stores it owns and runs — and, of course, takes the profits. This isn’t that unusual — 18 other states control liquor sales to some degree.

But it’s a big business for the state, and one sure to profit from the 70,000 people per day expected for the three-week long Olympic Winter Games. In fiscal year 2000, the state sold $138 million worth of alcohol — and pocketed $64 million in profit.

State alcohol sales are already up 6 percent, says Ken Wynn, director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Wynn is expecting sales this year to increase by millions of dollars. To meet the demand, the state has been stockpiling more liquor than ever. The department has already packed 350,000 cases into one warehouse designed to hold just 250,000 cases.

“We’ve never seen business like this before and it probably won’t slow down until March,” Wynn said. “We just hope we’re prepared to handle the demand.”

Visitors cannot legally bring alcoholic beverages into the state, or even import them. They must buy them from the state. The department, though, accepts special orders, and several countries have already put in theirs. Germany’s Olympic delegation, for example, ordered 585 cases of a pilsner, Bitburger, and a lager, Koestritzer Schwarzbier. The 14,040 pint-sized bottles of beer will be served up at a German hospitality house planned at the Park City Racquet Club.

“We’ll special order anything anyone wants,” Wynn said.

HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH

No alcohol will be permitted inside the Olympic Park. Utah prohibits drinking in public buildings, parks, stadiums or squares, except for special events.

Several exceptions will be made for the Olympics. Salt Lake City leased Gallivan Plaza to Anheuser Busch brewery, though only 3.2 percent beer will be served.

But the big event will be the city-sponsored Downtown Festival in Washington Square, right in front of Salt Lake’s City-County Building.

“Initially there was concern about opening this up,” said Van Komen. “As you know, at many events around the country, carousing and breaking of the law and even violence have broken out. I don’t see that happening here.”

To prevent that from happening, Van Komen and the city surveyed special events policies around the country and borrowed the strictest practices. Drinks will be served in only one self-contained area; alcohol will be served in specially-colored cups so police can easily spot minors drinking; there will be separate lines for checking identification and buying alcohol; and festival-goers can only purchase one drink at a time.

On top of that, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission banned Irish coffee and hot chocolate laced with schnapps from the square, fearing the drinks would be too attractive to underage drinkers. For the outdoor Festival, the commission approved brandy in specially labeled cups, spiced wine and 3.2 percent beer.

“Certainly there are going to be some restrictions and hoops people are going to have to go through,” said Alcohol Beverage Control Commission Chairman Nicholas Hales. “But I don’t think anyone will leave Salt Lake City without being able to engage in the type of partying they want to do.”