A Utah bartender’s video showing the state’s unique liquor control system has the internet doing a double-take. Several people implied the system is regressive and overly conservative.
Some people are pointing out that Utah’s strong Mormon community is at the core of the regulations.
What Is This Liquor Device?
Bartender @insertusername817s732j shows how she has to use a specific device to be in compliance with Utah’s liquor regulations. Her viral video has more than 8 million views.
In the video, she places what she calls an interlock device on the spout of a Captain Morgan rum bottle and pours it over ice. After a few seconds, the device automatically stops dispensing.
“When you work in Utah and their liquor laws are insane so you have to use an interlock device to make a drink,” the text overlay reads.
“Honestly this is wild. But makes it easy to work in a bar as an alcoholic lolololol,” she added in.
Utah’s Mandatory Metering System
What the bartender is using isn’t optional equipment. It’s a state-mandated dispensing system required by Utah law.
According to Utah’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services, all bars, restaurants, airport lounges, banquet halls, and reception centers must use calibrated metered dispensing systems to pour liquor.
The system must be calibrated to dispense no more than 1.5 ounces of liquor per drink. Various types are approved. But they all must meet strict requirements. The device must dispense liquor in calibrated quantities not exceeding 1.5 ounces, have a meter counting the number of pours, and maintain a margin of error no greater than 1/16 of an ounce for a one-ounce pour.
Licensees are responsible for verifying the system meets specifications when installed and maintaining it to approved standards. Failure to maintain the system can result in suspension or revocation of the liquor license.
But the regulations don’t stop there. Utah law limits mixed drinks to 2.5 ounces of alcohol total, with no more than 1.5 ounces being the “primary spirit.” This means bartenders can’t pour you a double. And classic cocktails that call for two ounces of a single spirit need to be creatively reworked. Some bars make smaller cocktails, while others add secondary spirits as “flavorings” to stretch the drink while staying within legal limits.
Utah also has the strictest DUI limit in the country at .05% blood alcohol content. Compare that to the .08% standard in every other state. It’s essentially the equivalent of one drink for most people.
How Mormon Influence Shaped Utah’s Liquor Laws
Utah’s relationship with alcohol is deeply rooted in the state’s Mormon heritage. Today, 55% of Utah residents belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose religious code advises against alcohol consumption. But ironically, according to Clear Water Distilling, Brigham Young—the second president of the LDS Church and leader of Mormon pioneers who settled Utah—actually oversaw the establishment of a distillery.
In 1851, Young founded the Deseret Manufacturing Company. It produced whisky and other spirits. Alcohol served practical purposes for settlers, used medicinally and in social contexts. But by the 1860s, Young’s stance shifted dramatically. And he called for an end to whisky distillation in Utah in 1861.
Throughout the 20th century, Utah maintained some of the strictest alcohol laws in the country. The infamous “Zion Curtain” law (named after the LDS concept of Zion as a group of God’s followers) required restaurants to prepare alcoholic drinks behind frosted glass partitions, shielding the “glamorous” act of bartending from customers who might be tempted to drink after witnessing bottle service.
The Zion Curtain was partially repealed in 2017, though restaurants must now maintain a 10-foot distance between the bar and tables seating anyone under 21.
The state’s liquor control system extends beyond just bars and restaurants. All packaged liquor, wine, and beer over 5% ABV must be purchased from state-run liquor stores, which are closed on Sundays and often close as early as 7pm.
@insertusername817s732j Honestly this is wild. But makes it easy to work in a bar as an alcoholic lolololol.
Commenters React
“If you think thats weird you’ve never seen a zion curtain. welcome to utah,” a top comment read.
“…. in Louisiana I can go through a drive through and get a daiquiri in a to go cup what in the probation era is this,” a person said.
“Note to self, avoid Utah and the massive government overreach,” another added.
BroBible reached out to @insertusername817s732j for comment via comment.