This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah consumers now can carry wine and spirits home in something more fashionable — and eco-friendly — than a brown paper bag or reused liquor box.
This week, the state-owned liquor stores began offering reusable bags to customers. The black cloth bags, available on a first-come, first-served basis, have four compartments that can carry standard 750-ml bottles of wine or spirits. The fronts of the bags carry a message about preventing underage drinking.
The bags, about 10,000 in all, were funded with a grant from the National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association, a trade organization based in Virginia that represents the 14 states, including Utah, that have state control over alcohol sales.
The grant was awarded to Parents Empowered, the educational arm of the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which teaches young people and parents the dangers of alcohol use before age 21.