6 Weird Beer Laws from Around the World

Many of us love to a drink a beer after a hard day’s work or study, but it’s something that we might be taking for granted.

Not all countries are chilled out when it comes to drinking a chilled one. Apart from the obvious alcohol bans in Muslim countries, many other nations and states have strange anti-beer laws enshrined into their legal constitutions.

So, the next time you crack open a can, bear these legal oddities in mind!

Chugging in Texas

Anyone who has been to a US college party – or any university-based get-together, for that matter – will know that ‘chugging’ is a common sight.

For those not familiar with the term, it basically means drinking as much beer as possible in one gulp. While it’s hardly something that doctors would recommend, it’s an extremely popular student drinking game around the world.

In Texas, though, you could get in trouble for drinking more than your fair share at once. The law their states that it’s illegal to take ‘more than three sips at one time while standing’, so clearly the state authorities are concerned about its impact on people’s livers.

However, the wording of the law raises two important questions: How exactly do we measure a ‘sip’? After all, three sips may be less than two gulps.

Secondly, the ‘standing’ part: are people allowed to do it sitting down? While it may be a tad safer in that the drinker is less likely to fall over, it’s hardly going to save their liver!

‘Zion Curtain’ in Utah

Up until 2017, all drinks in restaurants and bars, including beers, had to be served behind an opaque sheet of glass known as a ‘Zion Curtain’ in Utah. The motive? To block children from seeing alcoholic drinks being poured.

The name ‘Zion Curtain’ comes from a term coined by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a heavy influence within the state, which urges its members to stay away from alcohol.

The concept is a strange one. Does watching a deck of cards being dealt out make a kid want to go and play video poker, for example?

While this legal practice has been overturned in the State court, it still exists in various places throughout Utah, so you may get to experience it yourself if you’re ever passing through.