February’s DABS liquor meeting points to a challenging year ahead for Utah

Mar Muntanya interior bar counter

With all the headlines decrying a departing NBA’s labeling of Utah as boring – today’s DABS meeting left one feeling a better phrase might have been, dysfunctional. At least inasmuch in describing the current state of Utah’s stalled liquor policy. Highlighting the enormity of challenges businesses can expect to face this year, today’s DABS meeting … Read more

January’s DABS meeting a quiet one

Bar area at Caffe Molise

After the storied DABS voyage that was 2022, and a particularly choppy end of the year, January’s DABS meeting offered calmer waters; surely a portent of upcoming storms and overly worked metaphors. The headline news right now is the incoming legislative session and what the yearly omnibus liquor bill might hold for business owners in … Read more

Final Utah DABS meeting of 2022 proves an intriguing one

Mar Muntanya interior bar counter

Well that was a head scratcher. Maybe someone was passing around the egg nog, but the final DABS meetup of 2022 left this curious onlooker a smidge confused. Lets start with the main item therein… Bar licenses After some jiggery pokery with the population numbers I believe an extra bar license was conjured up from … Read more

Zero bars granted license at Utah’s September DABS meeting

Counter and bar sapce at Current Fish and Oyster

After last month’s DABS meeting you might recall I posed this not entirely rhetorical conundrum. When tasked with managing Utah’s most precious of resources – that’s bar licenses not water duh – how exactly should a kingmaker act? This month saw one possible course of action come to pass, which is to say, inaction. Demurring … Read more

No new bars granted license – plus mini bottles return

A cocktail bar in downtown Salt Lake City

The headline news – at least according to out of state onlookers and column inches – is the return of mini bottles in the Beehive. Last seen on shelves here in the 1980s, a vote at the July DABS meetup saw their re-instatement approved. Ho hum huh. Miniature liquor bottles of 50ml and wine of … Read more

Liquor license frenzy approaches – mark your calendars

Beer (freepik)

As the clock ticks down to the June DABC meeting (sorry it’s DABS now folks) so the interest escalates around who exactly will snaffle up all those delicious bar licenses set to unfurl. Just like an exotic flora that blooms once every 17 years, this is a practically unheard of event, something to witness and … Read more