Customers can order a second shot known locally as a "sidecar" they can take in one gulp our pour into their drinks as long as the total amount of alcohol doesn't exceed 2.75 ounces. Asking for a double and having a bartender pour it is illegal.

"You can get drunk here, you just need to know how to work the system," said Eric Anderson, an engineering consultant from Los Angeles who frequently travels to Utah for business. "Maybe I won't have to order eight drinks now."

But allowing customers to get a buzz by ordering fewer drinks wasn't part of the sales pitch for the new liquor law. The catch, if it can be called one, was proposed by Tom Guinney, an owner of the high-end Gastronomy restaurant chain. It was Guinney who approached Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman about changing Utah's liquor laws.

His proposal: eliminate the sidecar in favor of a stiffer, standard drink. Huntsman agreed.

Guinney persuaded lawmakers that by eliminating the sidecar, people wouldn't get as drunk as they currently do because they'll be drinking 25 percent less liquor.

Opponents noted that not everyone orders a sidecar with each drink. Morris said at Piper Down on Super Bowl Sunday, he sold more than 400 cocktails and only 40 of those included a sidecar, which was usually served in a tall glass with extra mixer.

"They don't want a stronger drink, they just don't want to make a trip back to the bar," he said.

The change in liquor law benefits Guinney because restaurants where liquor is served are not allowed to serve sidecars. Customers frequently complain about weak, overpriced martinis.

"We were literally the biggest rip-off in the United States," Guinney said of the 1 ounce pour. "It was embarrassing."

For Huntsman, it was an opportunity to finally make good on comments made years earlier that he wanted to loosen the state's liquor laws and boost tourism. In his first term, he's struggled with image problems as one of his liquor commission appointees made headlines for suggesting restaurants hide liquor bottles from view so they wouldn't offend people who don't drink.

Some lawmakers were skeptical of Guinney's proposal, but they needed Huntsman's support to banish flavored malt beverages from grocery stores and convenience stores. Huntsman had threatened to veto that measure because he said it would hurt Utah's image.

Instead, Huntsman approved sending the sweet drinks to state liquor stores so he could get the stronger cocktails.

The compromise quickly moved through the Legislature with little public input. Some lawmakers didn't fully grasp the changes they were making, while bar owners were outraged they weren't consulted.