When unelected regulators need to flex their muscles, they do some stupid shit - like this...

AXIOS.com has a report this morning that proves what kinda absolute idiots some legislators - and other people who need to prove 'they're in charge of shit' can be. 

Salt Lake City bar owners say Utah liquor regulators are cracking down on straw tests — a common technique used to ensure the quality of a cocktail. Regulators say these tests amount to illegal consumption of liquor on the job.

Why it matters: Mixologists at some of Salt Lake's most acclaimed bars say the straw test ban is stifling their creativity and forcing them to change their operations. They argue it's also likely to deter culinary talent from Salt Lake's exploding craft cocktail scene, right as Utah is overcoming its teetotaling reputation.

The big picture: Straw testing is a standard industry practice that bartenders liken to a chef tasting a sauce or soup before sending a plate out of the kitchen.

 

A bartender dips the tip of a cocktail straw — a standard diameter of .15 inches — into a drink and places a drop or two into their mouth or on a finger to taste. The method helps bartenders become familiar with a new libation, avoid forgetting an ingredient in increasingly complex recipes or make changes at the customer's request.

What they're saying: "For some reason recently, they have decided that they wanted to let us know that it's absolutely not OK, even though it's something that they know [bars have] been doing for years," Mike Askerlund, who co-owns and runs Alibi Bar & Place, The Pearl and The Green Room, told Axios.