Since Utah rewrote its century-old alcohol laws and allowed stronger beer in grocery stores a year ago, beer aisle winners and losers have emerged.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports consumers who for the first time since Prohibition can buy cold beer that is 5% alcohol-by-volume in a retail outlet are among the triumphant. Joining them are large brewers like Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors that are no longer bound by the old limits. That leaves only local Utah beer brewers in the loser’s circle. Craft brewers have watched their liquor store sales drop by more than 40% while paying more taxes.