I Love Utah State Liquor Stores

After passing through Blanding for a burger (they were a bit bland, fittingly, and the place was run by an annoying group of teens and one competent young woman who I wanted to shake and order to flee the shit-hole before getting stuck there forever), we stopped in Monticello for some booze. We didn’t stop in Blanding, because Blanding is a dry town. Dry as in no beer is sold here. Not even Utah 3.2, which is about as dry as it gets, unless you’re talking piss production, which it’s great at and is very wet.

Blanding was a bust, but Monticello, with its Utah State Liquor Store, is simply phenomenal. The store is located in a little narrow storefront on the main street of Monticello. Everything was safely behind a glass counter so you couldn’t touch any of the bottles. If you wanted something, you asked the guy working the counter to grab it for you, like at an old-school pharmacy or butcher shop. What service!

And the prices! $7.79 for Old Crow. Amazing! Cheaper than the Yellow Tail wine (theirs was priced over $10 a bottle). I guess Utah would prefer you drink whiskey instead of wine. Fine with me! Thanks, state-controlled pricing.

But the best part was when we left, when I snapped this picture (below). A gent had just pulled up in his GMC Jimmy. He left the engine running as he went it. I considered nabbing the truck (four wheel drive would be nice), but I stuck with just taking the picture. The driver/customer seemed a little unsteady on his feet. And who leaves their car running when parking it in front of some sketchy transient on the sidewalk? Drunk people, that’s who. The guy exited the store empty-handed. Seems he was refused service. He’d have to hit up a gas station for some 3.2 to sober up.