A new law banning flavored malt beverages - brands like Zima, Smirnoff Ice and Mike's Hard Lemonade - from Utah supermarkets and convenience stores goes into effect today.

And because of the Utah Legislature's ludicrously restrictive new labeling laws - which require the product's alcohol content printed in large letters on the front of the bottle - some manufacturers will not sell them anywhere in Utah (even the state-run liquor stores).

"Thanks to the Legislature, Smirnoff Ice is no longer available in Utah," Zsoka McDonald, spokeswoman for Diageo, one of the world's largest multinational beer, wine and spirits firms, told the Associated Press. "It's just not cost effective."

The state is selling off what supplies it has now, and won't order more until (or unless) manufacturers comply with the new labeling rules.

Here's the telling passage from the AP's story: "Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman said banning products like Zima, Smirnoff Ice and Seagram's Fuzzy Navel from grocery stores would harm Utah's image, but agreed to it in exchange for increasing the amount of liquor allowed in shots and standard cocktails to 1.5 ounces, up from 1 ounce."

There you have it in a nutshell: Huntsman and the Utah Legislature are willing to look like morons and restrict legal products from the citizenry - all to keep expensive booze flowing to out-of-town businesspeople being wooed to move to Utah.

The rich get drunker, and the working folks go dry.

Labels: alcohol laws, politics