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New brands, lower prices, higher taxes — 10 things to know when Utah allows stronger beer in grocery stores

Beer aisles in the Beehive State are bare, looking a lot like the empty shelves that ensue just before a hurricane hits.

Utah’s beer drought is a temporary disturbance that — at least on paper — will officially end Friday. That’s when a new state law kicks in, allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell higher alcohol beer for the first time in more than 86 years.

It might take a few days or weeks before the shelves are fully restocked and consumers throughout the state see the full effect of the historic switch, says Dave Davis, president of the Utah Food Industry Association.