Utah Bars, Breweries, and Odd Drinking Laws

It's been well over a month since I got back from my Utah camping trip, but I have been slightly in denial about that fact. This past weekend I decided to accept that camping season is indeed over, and go through the "coming home" routine. You know; unpacking all the camping gear from the car, downloading all the photos you took, finally washing the comforting smell of campfire from your favorite flannel shirt... I'm not the only one who holds onto that, right?

Yes, fall weather is creeping in, Halloween decorations are going up, and the summer camping season is over. And there are some exciting things coming up; I'll be doing a two day hike up San Gorgonio mountain at the end of the month, and several Oktoberfest events are coming to Southern California, so keep an eye out for those posts! In the meantime, let's reminisce about summer one last time.

I've talked a bit about my time in Zion, but this is The Boozy Backpacker, so let's talk about some places to stop for a drink in Southern Utah. And when I say "some places", I mean "the only places I found", because Utah sure lacks an abundance of places to drink (Southern Utah does, anyway). This may have something to do with the strict state laws that determine how alcohol can be sold and served, but we'll get into that shortly.

After our first day of hiking in Zion National Park, my friend and I drove into town hungry, tired, and ready to kick back. So when we passed Zion Pizza and Noodle Co. in Springdale, we were instantly sold. The restaurant is set in an old church, and aside from tasty pizza and pasta dishes, they also have a beer garden, which gave us a chance to sample beers from breweries in Northern Utah that we wouldn't have a chance to stop at.

I went to the cashier, ordered food for my friend and I, and went back to our table. A few minutes later, my friend went to order a beer. That's when our first surprise came - the cashier told her, sorry, can't sell you alcohol by itself, state law says you have to purchase a food item as well.

Umm, what? This is odd to me, especially coming from Southern California where I am surrounded by breweries that don't have a kitchen. What is the logic behind this? Apparently, this applies to all restaurants that serve alcohol. Maybe restaurants are viewed as a family establishment, and they don't want the "bar crowd" hanging around their family-friendly restaurant environment? I'm sure I'll get some comments explaining this, so, moving on....

Once my friend explained she was with me it was no problem, the cashier added the alcohol to my ticket. The food came quickly and let me tell you, they serve some excellent pizza! Their pasta was pretty tasty too. Even if you don't feel like drinking, I highly recommend stopping by to eat. We also ordered 5 beer samplers, which were an awesome deal at $1 each. By the way, if you're hoping for a strong beer, you won't get it at restaurant. Odd state law #2 - beer served on draft cannot exceed 3.2% alcohol by weight (4% by volume). Again, I suspect this is to keep the bar crowd from getting drunk and rowdy at family establishments, but who really knows.

Anyway, we sampled every beer they had from Wasatch Brewery, because with names like Polygamy Porter and Chasing Tail Golden Ale, how can you refuse? Chasing Tail was by far the favorite. And sitting in the enclosed patio, enjoying some pizza and beer and a view of the entrance to Zion... I mean, does life get any better?

After filling up on beer and carbs, we were ready to head back to camp, but I wanted to stop at nearby Zion Brewery and fill up a growler to take with us. Zion Brewery is the only brewery in Southern Utah, and they are also located in Springdale. Since this was a brewery, I figured they would be licensed as a bar and I wouldn't need to purchase food. I was not correct, and begrudgingly purchased the $3 hot pretzels. I had the growler filled with their Foray Pomegranate, a sour beer, and took it back to camp. By the time we got to camp and set up our tent, a light drizzle came in. We spent the evening in the warm humid air, enjoying the rain, drinking beer and playing corn-hole. We finished the growler pretty quick, and reminiscing on that peaceful summer memory makes me wish I could have a cup now...

We didn't see another brewery, or bar, and not many restaurants until we went to Bryce Canyon. As we left Bryce Canyon and headed back to camp, we saw the Outlaw Saloon in the small town of Hatch. We almost passed it, since they don't have a sign on the building, just a sign they place near the side of the road to let people know they're open. We walked in at about 4:45 pm, and since they didn't technically open until 5 pm, we were the first ones there.

This cowboy bar lives up to it's name, you can literally "saddle up" to the bar and have a seat on their saddle bar stools. They had country music playing, pool tables, and a stuffed bear that I wonder how they acquired. We sat on the regular bar stools and ordered cocktails; my friend had the Spiked Sarsaparilla and I had a Calamity Jane Mule, because, you know, it's a cowboy bar. Don't expect to get too tipsy on the cocktails... Odd State Law #3 - cocktails cannot contain more than 1.5 ounces of a single liquor, or 2.5 ounces of mixed liquors. Utah, what are you doing? We still enjoyed the drinks though.

If you want to try something from a Utah distillery, they serve Five Wives Vodka, and I find it very amusing that breweries and distilleries in Utah don't mind poking fun at polygamists. We ordered steaks, which are served "grill you own" style with all the seasonings you can imagine and a large grill in the next room. After a day of hiking in the hot sun, a steak cooked to my liking was just what I needed.

I started talking to the bartender, who told me the Outlaw Saloon is the only bar in the entire county. So, they must get pretty busy, right? Apparently not, the bartender said, "There's only 200 people in this town, and they all go to temple." He also said the Outlaw is only open during the summer tourist season and closes down in the winter. While talking about the stricter state laws Utah has surrounding alcohol, he filled me in on the Zion Curtain law, which thankfully became history in early 2017. Prior to that, restaurants not licensed as a bar had to prepare alcoholic drinks behind a curtain, wall, or frosted glass partition. I guess lawmakers believed a child watching a margarita get made would crave one, and fall into a downward spiral of Satanism and degeneracy? This seems like a massive headache for restaurant owners, and it's great the law has been overturned, but... won't someone think of the impressionable children??

So there you have it, Utah is a great place for hiking and camping, but don't expect to do much barhopping. That's okay, there's always Las Vegas and New Orleans!