On my last visit to the Pacific Northwest, I stopped by the Fred Meyer to pick up some Mike’s Harder Lemonades. It’s 8% alcohol content and everyone that’s a regular reader here knows I love these higher-content alcoholic beverages.

So finding two new flavors, of course I had to try them. I expected the Blueberry Lemonade to be much sweeter, but it turned out to be very smooth. There was no after taste or oddness. It went down very well and it may become a regular purchase the next time I find myself in Oregon or Washington again.

And a new Limeade flavor, too

Now Limeade is one of my favorite flavors for non-soda like drinks. Cherry Limeades at the Sonic Drive-In are very good and most limeades I’ve had are always refreshing. Well, add some alcohol and you have a really great drink in this version. I really, really like this flavor. It’s shooting up to the number one position for all of the Mike’s Harder brand of canned malt beverages. Refreshing, tasty and a nice way to get the party started.

It really sucks they do not sell these in Utah. When’s that next road trip again?

For those of you that do not imbibe, try this link here.

Now for the rest of you, watch and learn.

YouTube version

Vimeo version

Mtn Dew Pitch Black with Vodka from Marty Mankins on Vimeo.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. And what better way to celebrate than to talk about booze.

One of the first posts on this blog was about Tilt. Then about six months later, I posted more about how Tilt changed their formula. I’ve not hidden my like for these malt beverages with higher alcoholic content with another post in 2009. Then I found something better and posted about how much “Harder” it was vs. Tilt.

So this last weekend, I was out of state [since Utah doesn't carry these higher content canned drinks] and found the above Tilt redesign – which now contains 12% alcohol content.

I bought two cans of this stuff (at $1.79 a can) and tried one tonight. Wow, did this pack more of a “party starter” punch than the previous 8% formulas. It took me a good hour to finish the 16 oz can. And once I was done, I had a nice buzz.

I hope to get more of these next time I’m in Washington State and will enjoy a couple while camping or hanging outside in the warm summer night at home.

Bombay Sapphire

My first choice in gin

Some years ago [at least ten] I decided to branch out of my Bacardi Rum staple and add a clear alcohol to my mixed drink arsenal. Rum and Coke was my drink of choice almost every time, but I wanted to see what all the fuss about gin was. I was in Vegas and when the drink order was taken, I found myself blurting out “I’ll have a gin and tonic” The restaurant was a bit nicer than your average casual dining type so when I was asked if I had a gin preference, I replied, “What do you suggest?” Bombay Sapphire was recommended. And ever since that day in January, I’ve not looked back [and have rarely ordered a Rum and Coke].

There are two types of Bombay. The Sapphire is in the clear blue bottle, as pictured above. The non-Sapphire version is in a clear bottle. While I’ve picked the standard Bombay a few times, I much prefer the Sapphire for it’s smooth taste and how well it mixes with tonic and a squeeze of lime.

The only major downfall to Sapphire is it’s price. It’s a good 25% more than other gins. But so worth the extra cost for a drink you will enjoy.

Less Is Sometimes Good

Comparable to the Sapphire for this gin guy

Even though I just proclaimed my love for the Sapphire, I do admit that it’s nice to have a more reasonable gin on hand. For those times when you want a good gin when you plan to have multiple drinks. And for that, I have found that New Amsterdam doesn’t disappoint. It’s smooth like Sapphire, but at a good 40% less at most liquor stores [around $26 for a 1.5l vs. $47 for the Bombay Sapphire bottle of the same size]. And to others that appreciate gin, they have all complimented this brand with equal admiration.

Equal choices in my opinion and taste.

Now, I’ll try Tanqueray here and there and it’s really not a bad gin. And I will have Beefeater if it’s a choice between that brand and a generic well gin. But all preferences point towards the above two gins for my regular consumption of adult beverages.

Any particular brand of alcohol that you prefer over others?

There’s a new drink in town, well not really since I live in Utah and they don’t carry these cool malt-flavored beverages in the grocery stores anymore. Actually, they never carried the 8% variety that I like.

Do you remember back when I started this blog, how I praised my love of Tilt 8%? [which I always had to purchase outside the Beehive State] Then thanks to the uptight teetotalers outside Utah, they changed the formula for Tilt, which made it less desirable. Well now there is a great-tasting replacement – Mike’s Harder Lemonade.

8% is what it’s all about

In fact, I’m drinking one right now as I draft up this blog post. I picked some up recently and they are very tasty. It’s not an energy beer, so those worry-worts won’t take issue with them. It’s got a nice, smooth taste. And it’s got the “get the party started” 8% alcohol content that makes one 16 oz. can work wonders. And it comes in regular lemonade flavor, too, for those that want to keep it natural. [without extra flavoring]

If you live in a state that treats adults like adults – or one you can easily travel to – I recommend you try one of these. Not too sweet, but packs a nice buzz-inducing punch… err… burst of lemonade goodness.

“Never fear, alcopop lovers. The state store will be stocking the higher alcoholic content versions (read: a lot more than the 3.2% sold now) of Bacardi Silver, Smirnoff Ice and Tilt for purchase and consumption.”

Well, something happened to change that. Let me go into detail.

The new law [which went into effect October 1, 2008] was designed to remove the temptation from underage drinkers spotting a wine cooler at the grocery store [which is just a clever way for lawmakers and teetotalers to hide their agendas behind the "protecting the children" mantra], while jacking up the prices that they would sell for at the state-run liquor stores. [the real reason for this "ban"]

But something happened after the bill was passed. The companies that make these beverages found a requirement that seemed a bit much. New labels needed to be put on the flavored beverages sold in Utah. These labels needed to state that such flavored alcoholic products contained alcohol. Huh? Come again?

Let’s see if I understand this. Utah tells grocers they cannot sell Smirnoff Ice and Bacardi Silver anymore. Utah then says these drinks will be available at their state-run liquor stores, which sell only products containing alcohol. Yet, they need a label stating these beverages “contain alcohol” for what reason? Once again, those who do not drink or who have never drank should not be making the laws concerning alcohol.

So out of the top three brands: Tilt, Bacardi Silver and Smirnoff Ice, only Smirnoff Ice complied enough with new labels so they could sell their product at the state liquor stores. They are the higher alcoholic content versions other states like Nevada and California sell. But their price went up. A lot. A six-pack of Smirnoff Ice went for $7.99 at the grocers. Now it’s $12.21 at the state store, which makes it about $2 a bottle. During my last visit to another state that sells Smirnoff Ice, the exact same six-pack sells for $6.99 at the grocery store. That’s an 85% markup. Ouch.

The company that produces Bacardi Silver [Anheuser-Busch] told Utah they would most likely not be selling their product here in the state due to the new label requirements. And Tilt, also produced by Anheuser-Busch, is not here, even though the label on the cans I purchased outside of Utah do clearly state they contain alcohol.

What part of “Contains Alcohol” is not clear?

What’s Available Then?

Ok, now I’m sure some of you may be asking, “Is there still alcohol left to buy there in Utah?” Sure there is. The grocery stores still sell 3.2% and 4.0% beer, some of the brands being flavored [the flavoring has to be part of the brewing process, like with Bud Light Lime], and the state-run liquor stores sell hard alcohol like vodka, rum, gin, wine and tequila. These choices are plentiful for any adult who wishes to imbibe. But my main complaint regarding the banning and new requirements for the flavored alcoholic beverages seems odd, especially when you consider you can get much harder alcohols without much trouble.

For fans of Smirnoff Ice or Bacardi Silver, you either need to pay the increased cost at the Utah state liquor store or take a 2 hour drive either east or west of Utah to get your wine cooler fix.

To see the details, here’s a news article from October 2008 that explains the basic changes: Utah first in nation to ban flavored beers

I’ve lived in Utah for 20 years now. Previous to that, I lived in California, specifically Garden Grove. In that state, liquor has always been sold at the local grocery stores, corner markets and superstores. Some of those superstores sell only alcohol. Others have multiple aisles with every known liquor brand you can think of.

 
Welcome To Utah

“What you say, LeVar… is this considered a main alcohol or a flavoring?”

Contrast that with Utah, where any distilled spirits (rum, vodka, gin, etc) are sold at State-owned and operated outlets. These outlets are only open 6 days a week, closed on every Sunday, holiday, election day and any other day they can muster up an excuse to shut their doors. Selections and brands that are stocked are at the discretion of a sole person that works at the Utah DABC. There may be others that offer up suggestions, but a single person is employed to order hard liquor for the entire state.

The laws are drawn up by mostly teetotalers non-drinkers that sit on a board, then sent to the elected teetotalers Utah Legislature where most attend the dominant religion (Mormon), which discourages alcohol consumption (amongst other “bad for you” products). So just to sum that up, the laws discourage alcohol consumption because those that don’t drink don’t want others to drink. Got it? Ok… let’s move on.

 
Recent Changes

Up until the first of May, bars, clubs and taverns (also known as private clubs) that serve hard alcohol could only serve a metered 1oz of the main alcohol in mixed drinks. So if you went to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic in a 6oz glass, you got 1oz of gin, ice filled to the top and the rest tonic water. On May 1st, bars are now allowed to serve 1.5oz (metered) of the main alcohol in each mixed drink.

This makes a common mixed drink a bit stronger, but bars can choose to continue to pour 1oz in each drink, which is another way of saying “we didn’t raise the prices of the drinks we serve.” The 1.5oz is just the main alcohol. Other spirits can be added via free pour (straight from the bottle with no meter attached) so long as they are labeled as “FLAVORING”. Such types deemed as flavoring are: schnapps, triple sec, flavored rums, vodkas and gins and amaretto, just to name a few.

 
What about grocery stores?

Going to a bar or the state store for your booze is not your only option to imbibe. You can get beer and wine coolers at the local Albertson’s, Smith’s and 7-Eleven. But there’s a catch. All beer and flavored beer (as they like to call wine coolers) cannot contain more than 3.2% alcohol, per volume. What this means is that you must purchase and consume a lot more alcohol to get that buzz, increasing the revenue for the state (yes, the state moderates all alcohol sold anywhere) and the size of your waistline (a 30 pack of Bud Light can be filling).

But, what the state giveth [in the form another another 1/2 oz of booze in your mixed drink], the state taketh away. Starting October 1st, it will be illegal for grocery stores to sell any 3.2% alcohol that is deemed an “Alcopop” [yes, that's an actual term], or wine cooler/flavored beer, due to the fact that less than 1% of underage kids tried to purchase these at grocery and corner stores. Also, “The Church” and various elected officials have called Alcopops “…a gateway drug.” Never fear, alcopop lovers. The state store will be stocking the higher alcoholic content versions (read: a lot more than the 3.2% sold now) of Bacardi Silver, Smirnoff Ice and Tilt for purchase and consumption.

 
The End Result

With an effort to further prevent drinking, the state of Utah have passed laws and legislation that have:

• increased the amount of alcohol that you can have in a mixed drink

 
and

• increased the amount of alcohol in a wine cooler/flavored beer/alcopop you will be able to soon purchase at the State Store [albeit, not as convenient as visiting your local supermarket]

So there you have it. Today’s lesson on alcohol in the state of Utah. I hope you enjoyed our discussion today.

NOTE: To those reading that are Utah residents that do not consume alcohol and belong to the dominant religion, do not worry. All flavors of ice cream and Diet Coke are not affected by the new laws and are still available for purchase at your local grocery stores.

So how liberal or archaic are the alcohol laws in your locale? Worse? Better? The same? Comment away.

Once we got back, I made a run for food and stopped off at the Smith’s grocery store. In my perusal of the alcohol selections, I found a new flavored beer called Tilt. I had seen Tilt in the stores in Utah, but it was only 3.2% alcohol.  This one was 8%.  And the can was green.

I bought a couple of them, took them back to the room, cracked one open and drank it down.  It was much better than I was expecting, with a citrus taste. Now I must tell you, I am not much of a beer drinker.  I mean, I’ll have a single Bud Light or a microbrew here and there, but only if nothing else is available.  But this Tilt I liked.

So before leaving town, I went back to the store and cleaned them out.  In July 2007, we spent a week in Las Vegas, where I proceeded to visit  the Lucky supermarket and clean them out of Tilt 8%.  And what I didn’t drink, we took home.

Now in Las Vegas again this week, I have visited several stores and can’t find any Tilt 8%.  I am finding the 6.6% version, which instead of being citrus-flavored and bright green, it’s bright orange and berry-flavored.  It’s ok, but I’m hooked on the 8%.  And before leaving for home tomorrow, we will find a store in Vegas or Mesquite and buy however many they have left.