Utah bartenders could soon sample cocktails under new bill
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Utah bartenders would be allowed to conduct straw tests, a technique used to ensure the quality of a cocktail, under a new alcohol bill released this week.
Why it matters: Bartenders from some of Salt Lake City's most acclaimed establishments told Axios last year that the state was enforcing a ban on straw tests, hindering their creativity and forcing them to upend their bar programs.
Between the lines: No matter how minuscule the amount, sampling alcoholic concoctions behind the bar is classified as illegal consumption under Utah law, with hefty penalties for a first-time violation.
How it works: Straw testing is a common industry practice that bartenders compare to a chef sampling a dish before serving it to a diner.
- A mixologist dips the tip of a cocktail straw into a drink and places a drop or two into their mouth or on a finger in order to taste test it.
- Per our analysis last year, it took 70 tests with a cocktail straw from a 4-ounce drink in a martini glass to fill 1 ounce.
Zoom in: "It's exciting to see," said Jordon Strang, who has bartended at upscale restaurants like HSL and Urban Hill.
- For Strang, a proponent of straw tests, the proposed policy change is a step closer to treating bartenders "as professionals who are delivering an artisanal product to a customer" in a state known for its "archaic" alcohol regulations.
Context: Utah's alcohol laws are set by state lawmakers — most of whom are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who generally abstain from alcohol.
Zoom out: Oklahoma revised its alcohol law last year to permit sampling, allowing businesses to "provide the level of service their customers have come to expect," according to the Oklahoman representative behind the legislation.
The other side: Bar Nohm general manager Clif Reagle told Axios he appreciates Utah's progress on straw testing but warned the bill could raise operating costs, pointing to a proposed state markup on liquor and wine.
- "If getting the ability to straw test comes at a higher price of goods for the business, I would prefer we stay in the same position," he said.
The intrigue: The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Jerry Stevenson (R-Layton), said he included what he calls the "drop in the bucket" measure in the legislation after the restaurant and alcohol industry pushed for it.
- "Apparently, it's important to some people and some bartenders that they're able to test that particular product," he told Axios. "It just kind of makes us more cosmopolitan."