Utah liquor stores to pour cases of beer down the drain

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Officials at Utah’s state-owned liquor stores say they’re going to dump out lower-alcohol beer left after a new state law allowing the private sale of stronger brews goes into effect.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports Utah long prohibited grocery and convenience stores from selling beer stronger than 4 percent alcohol by volume. Everything else was sold at state liquor stores.

A new law effective at midnight on Oct. 31 increases that limit to 5 percent, which means several beers now at state stores will be sold by private businesses instead.

The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control says they don’t stock anything available on the open market, so everything between 4 and 5 percent must go.

They’re discounting prices to encourage sales, and anything that remains after Halloween will be poured down the drain.

Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune,