WINTER GAMES INSIDER

One of the great untruths about Salt Lake City is the myth that you can’t buy alcohol because of the deep-seated Mormon influence. The first night here, I walked into a brew-pub called Squatters, sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. Pretty simple.

Of course, being the investigative journalist that I am, I felt the need to confirm this fact with multiple sources, such as Zephyr, Metropolitan and Axis.All three establishments offered hassle-free alcohol. Getting a drink in Utah isn’t necessarily the hard part. Serving the drink, and getting drunk, can be difficult.

The numerous regulations set by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control establish a series of hair-splitting rules and also limit the alcohol content of the beverages.

For instance, you can’t have more than one drink in front of you at a time in a restaurant. And a place operating with only a restaurant license can’t serve liquor from behind a bar.

That’s why the P.F. Chang’s here, unlike most restaurants in the chain, doesn’t have a bar. But it does have waitresses who can offer drinks to people while they are waiting for a table.

That’s legal. On the following condition: “The law states you’ve got to express an interest in dining,” said Ken Wynn, the director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

It is, however, one of the regulations that is not strictly enforced.

“We wouldn’t expect a waitress to tackle somebody if they walked in, had a couple of drinks and walked out,” Wynn said.

Another loophole involves sponsorship into what are known here as “private clubs” (you and I call them bars). These are places where hard liquor, wine and beer are sold, with or without food, at a bar or table.

They’re for members only, but tourists can buy a temporary visitor card. Usually they cost $5 for a two-week pass. And members of the club may have up to five guests. What happens is that the bouncers will pair up members with visitors, even if they’ve just met. As in, “This is Steve. He’ll be your sponsor tonight.”

Once inside, it doesn’t mean you’re well on your way to inebriation. Beer in Utah has an alcohol content of only 3.2%, (unlike most beer which is usually about 4%). State laws limit the amount of primary liquor in a mixed drink to one ounce. A special dispenser on top of the bottles regulates the amount poured.

However, there’s no limit on the amount of secondary liquors allowed in a drink, which makes Long Island iced tea especially popular around here.

And, you can order another shot, served in a separate glass and called a sidecar.

These next two weeks are all about hard work, determination and dedication. They will result in Olympic gold medals or a good buzz, depending on the pursuit.

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J.A. Adande