Utah parties like it's 1933

"The Utah House voted 58-2 on Tuesday to allow the sale of full-strength draft beer in bars and restaurants, taking a significant step toward eliminating one of the major complaints about Utah's quirky liquor laws," The Associated Press reports.

A good day's work, I say. This isn't the place for a full-blown rant about theocracy and America's last prohibitionist state, but suffice it to say, this is positive news for lovers of craft beer. I scratched my head at this tidbit from the AP article:

"Utah is also the only state that prohibits bartenders from serving cocktails directly over the counter at restaurant bars. A partition usually made of glass known as a Zion Curtain separates the two."

Really?

Utah brewpubs

The New York Times discovered Sunday that brewpubs exist in Utah. The article focuses on Wasatch Brew Pub in Park City, the sort of place where wealthy Times readers might deign to vacation.

The article briefly mentions the two Moab brewpubs, Moab Brewery and Eddie McStiff's.

Drinking in Utah is a bizarre experience, full of byzantine, arbitrary rules that interfere with enjoying a pint. This is what happens when a state allows a fundamentalist religion to determine public policy.

Nevertheless, Soggy Coaster enjoys Moab Brewery, where one can sample a wide range of very good beers and be treated like an adult.

Soggy Coaster does not enjoy Eddie McStiff's. The beer is below-par for craft beer. The atmosphere is even worse: if one wants to drink without eating, one is directed to a segregated, cramped alcove that feels like a corner where a teacher would put a pre-schooler on time-out. Essentially, one is treated as a potential deviant rather than as a guest.

Utah's outdoorsy ethic, tourism and critical mass of young, creative people bode well for the future of craft beer there. Inevitably, the state's rules will loosen up as more outsiders move in. Soggy Coaster looks forward to the day.