It may be a shock to Utahns who remember when it was illegal to list wine selections on restaurant menus or liquor store locations in phone directory white pages.

But seven years after a federal appeals court ruled that Utah's ban against liquor advertising was unconstitutional, newspaper ads are heralding specials on alcohol at state liquor stores.

"Boost Your Holiday Spirits," reads a full-page listing in City Weekly that includes dozens of sales on vodka, rum, gin and other beverages.

Jeff Alexander with California-based Young's Market Co. said his brokerage has been advertising sales at Utah liquor stores for a year, mostly with City Weekly.

"We're trying this venue to show customers what's available," said Alexander. "Obviously, it's hard to measure how successful an ad is, so we're not sure how long we'll continue."

Among the advertised monthly specials is $3 off on Tequila Rose, for only $13.99, and $21.99 for a bottle of Bowmore Legend, a savings of $5.

Lance Lee of Southern Wine & Spirits, with headquarters in Miami, said his firm has been taking out newspaper ads "off and on" for about three years and did so once on a billboard near Interstate 15 in Salt Lake City that touted the Crown Royal brand and a reminder to drink responsibly.

All liquor advertising was prohibited in Utah until 2001, when the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the ban.

The federal ruling allowed Utah restaurants to leave drink lists at tables, servers to ask diners if they wanted a glass of wine or a cocktail and bars to place neon signs advertising that they sold beer.

Sharon Mackay, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said when she saw this month's full-page liquor ad, "my first reaction was, 'Whoa!' But then I remembered the court ruling."

City Weekly Publisher Jim Rizzi said the liquor ads "have been long overdue in coming to Utah."

Utah law still forbids the alcohol-control department from advertising its products -- but there's a loophole. Brokers, who are licensed by the board and under its control, may advertise products sold in state-controlled stores, which is the only place wine, distilled spirits or beer above 3.2 percent alcohol content by weight can be sold in Utah.

Ads are legal, as long as the broker is listed, the information is "not unreasonable and the advertisement is not geared toward children," said Mackay.

Utah statutes are so strict on advertising by the state that until last year, liquor stores were not listed in the Yellow Pages or business white pages. Instead, imbibers had to flip through the blue-tipped government section, look under Utah State Government and then search for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department to find locations and telephone numbers of state liquor and wine stores.

Lawmakers eased the law after the president of the Utah Beer Wholesalers Association complained that his group was continually flooded with calls from consumers at a loss on how to locate a state liquor store.

dawn@sltrib.com