This article originally appeared in the Food print issue, in stands February 2025. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.

Utah’s drinking culture is heavily influenced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In a commonly cited passage of the Doctrine and Covenants, “The use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco and hot drinks is proscribed.”

Religion historically held sway in shaping the state’s liquor laws, which have featured prohibition, one-ounce cocktails and the “Zion Curtain” obscuring bartenders from customer view.

Two-Buck Chuck, Draft Beer and Other Casualties

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) enforces alcohol restrictions in Utah as dictated by the state legislature. They also directly operate the only stores allowed to sell drinks with over 5% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Under this system, wine and spirits cannot be purchased at grocery stores, precluding brands like Costco’s Kirkland spirits from operating in the state. It also discourages local brewers from experimenting with IPAs, stouts or hard ciders, all of which typically feature above 5% ABV and cannot be sold on tap.

Beers over 5% ABV must be packaged before being served to patrons. Canning equipment costs tens of thousands of dollars and the shrink-wrap labeling most small brewers use renders cans unrecyclable.

“There’s so much waste going into landfills, so much additional hardship for small businesses,” said Cody McKendrick, co-owner and managing partner of Bewilder Brewing Co.

McKendrick said he believes part of the issue is with Utah’s legislative makeup. 

“When you have a state that’s less than 50% LDS but over 90% of the legislature is LDS, people that have no insight or experience with alcohol are the ones drafting and writing legislation about alcohol,” he said. “It’s always two steps forward and three steps back.”

The Church’s influence has also directly impacted Bewilder Brewing Co.

In early 2024, the brewery debuted a “Deseret IPA,” triggering a cease and desist from the church for using the word “Deseret,” a word from the Latter-day Saints’ scripture that refers to honeybees and is also used by several businesses owned by the church.

Bewilder discontinued the beer, citing the financial cost of the lawsuit.

Still, “it was probably a net positive,” McKendrick said. “They gave us a lot of publicity at a time that we could use it.”

Sober Soda-Curious

In the absence of traditional drinking culture, unique alternatives have flourished in the Beehive State. 

Perhaps most recognizable are dirty sodas, a combination of soda, cream and various syrups that gained national attention following their appearance on reality TV shows such as “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

Ryann Denison, a former soda shop employee and second-year MIAGE major at the University of Utah, shared her experience working at Crema Coffee and Soda, one of the few Utah dirty soda shops that combines soda with coffee.

“In the presence of Mormon culture, someone had to fill the void of coffee shop culture,” Denison said. “There are so many moms that need the caffeine … Most days, someone had a DoorDash of four 44-ounce Dr. Peppers with coconut at about 8 or 9 a.m. It was always shocking how early the soda rush was.”

While dirty sodas may seem akin to mocktails, Denison considered them a coffee replacement rather than an alcohol substitute. 

“No one’s drinking one tiny glass [of soda],” she added. “Most people get it at 44 ounces. Most people sip on a mocktail. They don’t chug it.”

When asked about soda shop popularity outside of Utah, Denison saw their potential. 

“I’ve talked to so many people who come to the state. They’re like, ‘That’s so weird,’ and then they try it, and it’s so good,” she said. “You have to trust the vision.”

The Allure of 2034

Salt Lake City recently won a bid for the 2034 Winter Olympics, triggering speculation that alcohol laws may further relax. 

“I think it’s a little early to see what’s going to happen nine years from now, but you can definitely feel DABS and the legislature becoming increasingly sensitive to negative publicity regarding liquor laws,” McKendrick said. “They see the value in attracting tourism. There are people that would much rather go to Colorado to go ski because they don’t think they can get a drink in Utah.”

SLC previously hosted the 2002 Olympics, which led to the liberalization of practices such as a 3.2% beer ABV limit.

Michelle Schmitt, director of communications and external affairs for the DABS, declined to speculate on any upcoming changes to alcohol policies.

“The DABS has a very limited role in changes to alcohol policy. The state legislature would be responsible for alcohol regulations and restrictions,” she said.

This article has been updated to reflect the commonly cited quote is from the Doctrine and Covenants, not from the Book of Mormon.

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