2 weeks ago, I camped in Utah for 3 nights

2 nights at Zion National Park, 1 night just north of Bryce Canyon.

After a long day of hiking in Zion, went to a pub for a beer...  waitress says you can’t just get a beer you have to order food with it?

Also, discussing this back at the campground, was told that beer in Utah is not higher than 4%abv

What’s the deal?  Is this correct/normal in your state?

A restaurant cant't sell you a drink unless you order food, a bar can sell you a drink without food. It depends on how they are licensed.

Restaurants and bars can sell beer stronger than 4%, liquor stores also sell beer > 4%.

Grocery stores and convenience stores sell < 4% beer.

It can be confusing.

Gary

I think it makes sense kinda.

Someone serving you and responsible for you, drink whatever unless driving.

You driving to Kroger because you are not drunk enough at 9pm, you get the cheap shit.

And honestly, most people have stockpiles of everything in Utah. The locals don’t seem to purchase “food” daily like other areas.

In my opinion, the short business hours of the places to buy good beer is the problem. You will be in bed by 9pm in Utah. By law.

Plenty of good beer brewed in Utah.

You just have to goto the State Liquor stores to buy the real stuff.

I go back and forth to CA for work I hit costco in CA and stock up on what I want and stockpile at home

Yes, this is how it works, unless the establishment is a bar and not a restaurant, then you can order beer without food.  Still under 4% ABV though.

Blame the Mormons.

I am not a huge drinker so I am OK with the occasional Coors "Silver Bullet".  Not a big deal at all to me.  I grew up in a dry county in GA with no Sunday beer sales and no liquor store at all in my county.  We somehow managed.

Like I care what you drink. Don’t lump us all together.

Restaurants and bars can sell you stronger beer than 4%, but it's all bottled. If you want high point, ask what they have in bottles. All draft beer in Utah, bars and all, is 4%

Grocery store beer is 4% However the breweries no longer want to make it for the two (2) states that still mandate it by law. Utah is going to have to make a decision on grocery store beer here in the next few years, as the bottlers phase it out.

The majority does.

Any time a bit of legislation tries to wend it's way through, eliminating something simple (like getting rid of no wine sales in grocery stores, or getting rid of the ABV requirements, or removing the idiotic curtains) someone has to come in and muck it all up with some poison pill ridiculous condition.

You might individually have embraced free agency, but  a good number of your fellow Latter-Day Saints  here in Utah have not.

My own family are some of these people, by the way. Happy to infringe, because that infringement lines up with their concept of what should be good and Godly in Zion.

We see the same thing going on with Prop 2. Prohibition runs parallel with many Puritanical religions, it's no different when it's weed or booze or anything else.

I have lived in States that still have dry counties. States that still have club licenses. Counties that just plain didn’t allow liquor sales by the glass at bars. We didn’t have any Mormons.

Well, liquor is quicker...

I guess at some point I decided that the primary intent of me drinking was no longer to get "torn up".  I have had my share of hangovers as a kid.  Now, at 50 years old, I may have a can of beer (two if I am feeling bold) at home.  Maybe one beer if I am out somewhere eating and even then with my meal.  I love a little Scotch on occasion.  I never drink to get drunk.  The alcohol content is of little consequence to me.  Obviously, I am not LDS.  I drink when I want to.  I have coffee when I want to.  I basically am my own person and do as I please.  I try to set a good example for my son.  I believe that you can live right and still be a good person regardless of your faith.  For the record, I think that I believe in the same God that most LDS folks believe in.

I did not move to Utah to change Utah.  I like it.  Quirky beer laws and all.  We are perhaps the only non-LDS family in my neighborhood (at least on the block).  I have neither been shunned or wildly embraced.  We have been treated like "regular" people.  On many occasions when they stop by, I will invite the missionaries to come in and sit down and we will chat.  I am fairly upfront about my faith and I think that they respect that.  I always make it a point to offer them a Cactus Cooler or water and then they are on their way after a few minutes of small talk.  I figure that they are someone's kids and that they are out doing more good than harm.  I always welcome them for that reason.  To me, they are not a bother, they are part of Utah.  I honestly agree with much of the Mormon philosophy and way of life.  There are differences that I can't get around regarding the LDS faith so I just leave it at that.  I remain respectful of their faith and try to be a good neighbor.

Utah has been a great move for my family.  I love nearly every quirky thing about it other than the fact that Smith and Edwards is closed on Sunday!

You had Puritanical religions, which are largely the same in regards to vices.

Birds of a feather, cut from the same cloth, whatever you want to call it.  It's wrong, whomever perpetuates it.

It’s only weird if it’s not your normal. I think it’s weird not being able to buy beer at a gas station like some of our neighboring states. But to each his own?

True...

They usually have a bowl of chips they can put in front of you for 50 cents, so you can drink a beer without eating anything and without losing their licence.