A showcase of Utah booze at Sandy's new state liquor store

Finally, we have a one-stop shop for local booze — and it's remarkable to see our hometown bottles all lined up together.

Driving the news: The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services installed a robust "Utah Proud" section at its newest liquor store, which opened Monday in Sandy.

Why it matters: Many locally made products were purged from shelves in recent years as the state implemented inventory management rules that strictly favored profitability over quality.

• After a leadership shakeup two years ago, state liquor regulators promised to restore some of the shelf space that local products lost.

The latest: Hundreds of bottles from dozens of Utah brewers and distillers line the shelves — a local showcase that surpasses anything previously stocked in the state.

• Of note: Local brews also get pride of place in the store's coolers — the largest refrigerator section in a Utah liquor store since the state began selling cold, high-point beer two years ago.